MONKS COME FROM BEHIND LATE TO NIP SAINTS
Feb. 1, 2010
BOSTON, Mass. - Saint Joseph's College overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to top Emmanuel, 62-60, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) battle played in the Jean Yawkey Center on Monday night. After trailing, 38-22, at the break, the Monks outscored the Saints, 40-22, in the second half to come away with the two-point win. The Monks went 5 for 5 from the line down the stretch en route to the win. The victory for Saint Joe's boosted the Monks to 14-5 on the season and 9-3 in the GNAC, while Emmanuel dropped to 4-15 overall and 3-9 in league play.
The Monks kicked things off with a backdoor feed to Ray Eatmon (Huntington, N.Y.) to start the game with a 2-0 lead. A couple of slashing hoops from Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.), who scored 8 of Emmanuel's opening 10 points, put the Saints up 10-6 at the 15-minute mark. Sophomore guard Chris Petzy (East Kingston, N.H.) knocked down a triple and the Monks cut the gap to 10-9.
An and-one by Nate Jackson (Middleboro, Mass.) and a baseline drive by Isaiah Duke (Albany, N.Y.) gave EC a 19-13 edge at the ten-minute mark. Rookie swingman Patrick Ramsey (Easthampton, Mass.) came off the bench and drained a three to put the Saints up, 22-13. Saint Joe's guard Alberto Rue (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) and Emmanuel forward Andre Fuller (Troy, N.Y.) traded buckets at each end, as the Saints led 24-15 with 8:30 left in the half.
After a Monks' put-back by Anthony Savino (Portland, Maine), the two teams played scoreless for over three minutes with Emmanuel up, 24-17 at the 5-minute mark. Another lay-up by Everson and a deep jumper by Fuller gave the Saints an eleven-point lead (28-17) with four minutes to go in the half.
A steal by Armani Gill (Boston, Mass.) led to a fast-break dunk by Duke and Emmanuel was up 32-22 with under two minutes remaining. Everson dropped two freebies and laid in a hoop on the break to stretch the Saints' lead to fourteen (36-22) with a minute left in the half. A pair of free throws by Gill pushed the spread to 38-22 and Emmanuel took a 16-point lead into the break.
Everson led all scorers at the half with 16 points on 6 for 8 shooting from the floor, to go along with 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Fuller and Gill each added 6 first-half points for the Saints. Savino was the high-scorer for the Monks in the opening frame with 6 points.
The Saints shot 45.7% from the floor (16-35) in the first half and out-rebounded the Monks, 23-15. Emmanuel forced the Monks into 9 turnovers and just 30.8% shooting, as St. Joe's hit just 8 field goals in the opening period.
Two hoops b Petzy were part of a 6-2 Monks' run to start the second half and Emmanuel called a thirty with 17:37 on the clock. The Monks' run continued after the timeout and an and-one by Eatmon cut the St. Joseph's deficit to eight points (44-36) with fourteen and a half minutes to play. A lay-up by Karl Gonzalez (Worcester, Mass.) helped Emmanuel regain the double-figure lead (46-36) with 14:17 on the clock.
Over the next three and a half minutes, each team dropped a bucket and Rue connected on a pair from the line to bring the score to 48-40 at the 10-minute mark. A put-back by Petzy and a fast-break lay-up by Rue cut the lead to four (48-44) and forced the Saints to call their final timeout with 9:08 to go.
Six-straight Emmanuel points from Duke put the Saints up 54-44 with 7:17 left. Fouls down low sent the Monks to the line on consecutive possessions and cut the Emmanuel lead back to four (54-50) with 6 minutes remaining. A runner in the lane by Julio Vazquez (Waterbury, Conn.) brought the visitors to within two (54-52) at the 5-minute mark.
A hoop by Everson followed by a baseline jumper from Tony Carter-Hill (Baltimore, Md.) gave the Saints a 58-52 cushion with 3:30 to go. A put-back by Eatmon brought the score to 58-54 and St. Joe's called a thirty to apply their full-court pressure.
No points were scored on either end over the next two minutes until Emmanuel fouled Rue behind the arc and sent him to the line for three tries. The senior guard drained all three to cut EC's advantage to one point (58-57). Duke laid the ball in on the break and Petsy drilled a trey at the opposite end to tie the ballgame at 60-all with 54.2 seconds remaining.
After a full time-out by SJC, the Saints turned the ball over and Emmanuel committed a foul at mid-court, sending Zach O'Brien (Schenectady, N.Y.) to the line for a one and one. The sophomore hit both to give the Monks a two-point lead (62-60) with 40 seconds left. This was St. Joe's first lead since the opening minute of play and, despite possessions on both ends, this would hold up to be the final score of the game.
The Saints were unsuccessful on their next possession and St. Joseph's hauled in the defensive board with 20 seconds left. Emmanuel picked up full-court and forced the Monks into a ten-second violation in the back-court. The Saints regained possession with 8 ticks left. Everson got a great look, but his shot rolled around the rim and out, as the Monks picked up the come-from-behind win.
Everson, who was voted this week's GNAC Rookie of the Week, led all scorers with 18 points, while also gathering 6 rebounds for the Saints. Duke chipped in 16 points and 6 boards, while Gill dished out 5 assists for Emmanuel.
Petzy's 16 points led a quartet of double-figure scorers for the Monks. Rue added 12 points and 6 rebounds, while Eatmon chipped in 11 points and Savino kicked in 10.
Emmanuel will return to GNAC action on the road this Thursday night in New Haven, Connecticut. The Saints will take on the Falcons of Albertus Magnus College in a 7pm start.