MONKS COME FROM BEHIND TO EDGE SAINTS

BOSTON, Mass. – Junior forward Nicholas Jobin (Westbrook, Me.) sunk a pair of key free throws with 1:07 left to play and led the visiting Monks of Saint Joseph's College (ME) to a 61-60 victory over the host Emmanuel College Saints.  The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball action was played in the Jean Yawkey Center on Thursday night.  The win boosts the Monks to 11-6 overall and 7-4 in GNAC play.  The heart-breaking loss drops the Saints to 4-13 on the season and 4-6 in the league.

Emmanuel led for the good majority of the game and the Saints went up by as many as 11 points late in the first half.  Saint Joseph's trailed for the first 15 minutes of the second half, before the Monks made their move late in the game.

The contest was played closely in the early going, with the two clubs trading baskets at either end.  Senior guard Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.) found classmate Michael Mailhot (Norwich, Conn.) open on the break and he buried a triple to put the Saints up, 18-16 at the nine-minute mark in the first half.

Saint Joseph's point guard Jerome Diggs (Lanham, Md.) and Emmanuel swingman Michael Connor Morgan (Glocester, R.I.) traded threes at each end to set the score at 22-21, Emmanuel.  Junior guard D.J. Fazio (Methuen, Mass.) found freshman center Donavon DuMay (Coweta, Okla.) for jumpers on consecutive possessions to put Emmanuel up 26-23 with five minutes to go in the half.

The Saints were able to put together an 8-0 run over the next minute and a half minute, sparked by the lights-out shooting of Morgan.  The senior tri-captain drained a trio of three-pointers in less than 90 seconds, giving the hosts a 34-23 advantage with 3:28 left on the clock.  This would be the Saints' largest lead of the night.

The Monks, who were playing without starting forward Steve Simonds (Steep Falls, Me.), then went on a 6-0 run of their own, capped with a jumper from junior guard Matthew Medeiros (Westport, Mass.), which brought the spread to 34-29 with two and a half minutes to go.  Morgan's fourth three of the half and another triple from Medeiros made it a 37-34 game.  Fazio knocked down a jumper in the paint just prior to the halftime buzzer and the Saints took a 39-34 lead into the break.

Morgan and Medereiros each led their respective clubs with 12 points apiece at halftime.  The Monks led the Saints on the glass in the first half, 18-13.

Emmanuel continued to the hold the momentum until mid-way through the second frame.  A foul shot by Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass.) gave the Saints a 49-40 lead, but the Monks then went on an 8-0 run, ending with a lay-up by Diggs at 8:54, which brought the score to 49-48.  The hosts were able to hold onto a narrow lead over the next four minutes.  It was at 4:41 when Medeiros drilled a three from the right wing and gave the edge back to the Monks at 58-56.

A lay-up by Robinson tied things back up at 58-all with 3:21 to go.  Just one final field goal was scored over the final three and a half minutes.  Everson sunk a jumper at 2:11 and the Saints led again by two at 60-58.  However, three free throws down the stretch were all the Monks would need in order to pull out the come-from-behind win.

The Saints got three solid possessions in the waning moments, but couldn't connect.  Medeiros hit one of two from the stripe at 1:44 and Jobin's two from the line made it a 61-60 ballgame in favor of the visitors.

Medeiros and Jobin led the way for the Monks, each scoring game-highs of 20 points apiece.  Jobin shot 7-9 from the floor and 6-7 from the line, while hauling in a team-high 7 boards in the win.

The senior tri-captains led the Saints, with a double-double effort from Everson, who netted 18 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.  Morgan finished with his 12 first-half points, while Mailhot hit for 12 points off 5 for 10 shooting.  Robinson chipped in with 9 points and 8 boards, while Fazio dished out a game-high 5 assists for Emmanuel.

The Saints will travel to Nashua, N.H. on Saturday afternoon to take on the Raiders of Rivier College in a 12:00 PM start.  The Monks will host Lasell College on Saturday in a 3:00 PM start.