MONKS HAND SAINTS 1st GNAC LOSS, 56-51
Jan. 7, 2012
BOSTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel College Men's Basketball Team dropped a 56-51 decision to Saint Joseph's College (Me.) on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action played in the Jean Yawkey Center. This was the first conference game of the second semester for the Saints, who picked up their first GNAC loss of the year, falling to 4-7 on the season and 3-1 in the league. Saint Joe's improved to 7-3, 3-1 GNAC with the win.
Emmanuel College senior Isaiah Duke (Albany, N.Y.) netted his 1,000th career point late in the second half, becoming just the sixth player in Emmanuel program history to reach this milestone.
Saint Joseph's sophomore center Clark Noonan (Bangor, Me.) hit a turn-around in the key to open up the scoring and give the Monks the early advantage. Senior captain Chris Petzy (Kensington, N.H.) drained a three from the right wing to give the Monks a 7-2 edge. The Monks pushed it to a double-figure lead, when Noonan hit a shot in the paint to go up 19-9 with 10:45 on the clock.
Junior guard Connor Morgan (Chepachet, R.I.) buried a deep three-ball to keep Emmanuel in it, as the Saints trailed, 24-14 with 7:30 remaining in the half. On Emmanuel's next possession, classmate Michael Mailhot (Norwich, Conn.) dialed in from downtown and cut the Saints' deficit to 24-17.
Sophomore forward James Philbrook (Auburn, Me.) brought the Monks back to a double-figure spread with a hoop at the five-minute mark. Another Emmanuel trey by Mailhot made it 33-25 with 3:05 left to play in the half. The Monks then went on a 6-2 run to end the half and took a 39-27 lead into the break at halftime.
Petzy and Noonan led the Monks with 8 first-half point, while Zach O'Brien (Schenectady, N.Y.) and Julio Vazquez (Waterbury, Conn.) each dished out 4 assists in the opening frame.
Mailhot led Emmanuel with 8 points, while Morgan and Duke each added 6 points for the Saints. Sophomore forward Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass.) hauled in 6 rebounds to lead both teams on the glass at the break.
St. Joseph's shot 42.9% (15-35), compared to just 34.4% (11-32) shooting by the Saints. The Monks out-rebounded the Saints, 24-19, and scored 15 second chance points in the first twenty minutes of action.
Morgan opened the second half with two quick threes and put the Saints within striking distance, trailing, 43-35. After an Emmanuel timeout, Morgan buried another trey to cut the Saints' deficit to five, 43-38, with 13:55 to go. A runner by Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.) made it a three-point game and capped a 13-4 run by the Saints to open the second stanza.
After a Monks timeout, Emmanuel's sophomore guard Josh Welles (Philadelphia, Pa.) cut it to one point, 43-42, before two consecutive hoops by the Monks, as Saint Joseph's led, 48-42 with just under ten minutes left.
A hoop by Tom Ray (Cape Elizabeth, Me.) gave the visitors a six point lead, 50-44, at the five minute mark. Emmanuel's Isaiah Duke netted his 1,000th career point on a free throw with just under three minutes remaining in the contest and the Saints trailed, 52-47. Another baseline trifecta by Morgan made it a two point game with 2:12 to go.
O'Brien scored on the break for the Monks to put Saint Joe's back on top by four, 54-50. A freebie by Everson then set the score at 54-51 with 1:23 to go. Saint Joseph's could not connect on a runner in the lane, but the Monks came up with a loose ball on the offensive rebound and signaled for a timeout with 6.1 ticks on the clock. Emmanuel quickly fouled, sending Petzy to the line for a one and one. The senior guard drained both free throws to put the game out of reach and the Monks came away with the 56-51 win.
The Monks posted a balanced scoring attack with Petzy's 12 points leading the way. O'Brien it for 10 with 6 boards and 5 assists, while Matthew Medeiros (Westport, Mass.) and Noonan combined for 17. Noonan led the Monks on the glass with 10 boards.
Emmanuel got a career-high day from Morgan, who finished with 17 points, including knocking down 5 from behind the arc. Mailhot chipped in the 10 points and a game-high 6 assists, while Robinson hauled in a game-high 15 rebounds.
Emmanuel returns to the hardwood on Tuesday night, when the Saints host the Rams of Suffolk University in a 7:00 PM start. The Monks will travel to Lasell College on Tuesday night to take on the Lasers in an 8:00 PM start.