ALBERTUS MAGNUS OUTLASTS MEN'S BASKETBALL, 97-90

BOSTON, Mass. – Albertus Magnus College used a balanced offensive attack to take down the Emmanuel College Men's Basketball team, 97-90, Saturday afternoon at the Jean Yawkey Center. With the win, the Falcons who are ranked No. 19 in the most recent D3hoops.com national poll, improve to 12-1 overall and remain unbeaten in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action at 7-0. The win is also their 32^nd consecutive GNAC victory, the longest active conference winning streak in the nation. The loss drops the Saints to 3-10 and 3-3 in the GNAC.

The contest opened evenly as both squads traded baskets through three minutes of action resulting in a 9-8 advantage by the visitors before Albertus Magnus senior center Jefferson Lora (Bronx, N.Y.) gave the Falcons an 11-8 edge with a spin-move and layup down low.

Albertus continued to build its lead as freshman guard James Jennings (Stratford, Conn.) connected on a trey at the 14:24 marker to give the Falcons a 22-13 cushion. Over the next seven minutes, the Saints would chip away at the lead with solid guard play from juniors Josh Welles (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Brandon Jones (Windsor, Conn.). A layup by junior center Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass.) made it a one possession game (34-32) in favor of the Falcons and after several trips down both ends of the court, a three by freshman swingman Rashad Dixon (Brockton, Mass.) with 7:19 remaining in the half pulled the Saints ahead at 35-34. Unfortunately for the hosts, it would be their last lead of the afternoon.

The Falcons responded by closing out the half on an impressive 20-7 run fueled by a pair of triples from senior guard Arshad Jackson (Hartford, Conn.) to take a 54-42 lead into the locker rooms. During the Falcons' spurt, the Saints were put at a huge disadvantage for the remainder of the half as senior forward Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.) picked up his fourth foul following a scrum under the Falcons basket. Everson, the Saints leading scorer on the year (17.4ppg) would not return to the action until midway in the action of the second half.

The Saints were able to hold Falcons leading scorer, junior guard Darius Watson (New Britian, Conn.), to just three points in the opening frame but Watson didn't waste any time to get on the board in the second frame, opening the half with a quick layup to make it 56-42.

Welles would convert an old-fashion three point play with 16:58 remaining to pull Emmanuel to within eight points at 60-52. Following a jumper by Albertus's Lemar Larsen (Waterbury, Conn.), Welles would hit a runner on the next Saints possession to keep it an eight point game at 62-54.

Larsen connected on an and-one of his own at the 14:15 mark, increasing the Albertus lead to double-figures at 65-54.

Welles continued to lead the Saints offense, converting a fast-break layup with 12:00 minutes to play to make it 67-58 but Albertus rolled off a quick 6-1 spurt to take control of the action with 10:44 remaining.

A three by Albertus senior guard James Economopoulos (Wallingford, Conn.) gave the visitors a 16 point lead at 78-62 and 9:00 minutes left in the action.

A layup by Everson cut the Falcons lead back to 10 (78-68) with 7:35 remaining but a free throw by Falcons senior guard Zach Dugas (Monroe, Conn.) and a follow-up bucket by Larsen made it a 17 point game (85-68). The exclamation point came on a thunderous dunk by Lora to make it 87-68 in favor of the guests.

Despite a late flurry by the Saints, the Falcons would hold on for the remaining four minutes of the action en route to the 97-90 victory.

Five Falcons finished the game in double-figures as Jennings and Lora led the way with a team-high 18 points. Lora also registered a game-high 12 rebounds in the win. Larsen netted 17 points, Jackson tallied 14 and rounding out the double-figure scorers was junior guard Julian Sanders (Trumbull, Conn.) with 11 points.

Emmanuel also had five players end in double-figures as Welles finished with a game and career-high 20 points while Dixon and Robinson both poured in 18 a piece. The 18 for Dixon was also a career-high. Robinson also notched a double-double with 10 boards. Despite only playing 22 minutes, Everson was in double-figures with 11 points while Jones ended the contest with 10.

Emmanuel returns to action on Tuesday night, January 15^th, when the Saints head to Providence, R.I. for a GNAC tilt against Johnson & Wales University at 7:00 PM.  The Falcons will host Suffolk University on Tuesday evening in a 7:00 PM start.