Top Four Seeds Advance To GNAC Semifinals

Top Four Seeds Advance To GNAC Semifinals
February 25, 2025
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WINTHROP, Mass. - All top four seeds in the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Basketball tournament advanced to Thursday night's (Feb. 27th) GNAC Semifinal games after earning victories in tonight's quarterfinals matchups. Top-seeded Saint Joseph's (Maine) defeated no. 9 Mitchell 115-85 and will take on No. 4 seed Albertus Magnus as the Falcons defeated five seed Norwich, 72-57. Two-seeded Lasell defeated seven seed Dean and will have a match-up with no. 3 seed and reigning GNAC champion University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), who defeated six seed Rivier 63-83. The Monks will host the Falcons at 7:30 pm thursday night while the Lasers host USJ at 7:00 pm.

Recap Courtesy of Saint Joseph's (Maine) Athletic Communications

STANDISH, ME-Top-seeded Saint Joseph's College (22-4) showcased their dominance with a decisive 115-85 victory over ninth-seeded Mitchell College in the Quarterfinal Round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Basketball Championship Tournament on Tuesday night at the Harold Alfond Center.

Playoff Implications:
With the win, Saint Joseph's (22-4) extends their winning streak to 14 games against GNAC opponents and advances to the Semifinal Round. They will face fourth-seeded Albertus Magnus College on Thursday, February 27, as they continue their pursuit of the program's first conference championship since 2009, after coming up short in last year's title game against the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.).

How It Happened:
The Monks wasted no time taking control, opening the game with a scorching 19-0 run before Mitchell was able to get on the board at the 15:43 mark. Saint Joseph's kept their foot on the gas, heading into halftime with a commanding 65-37 lead and continuing to roll in the second half.

Sophomore Remijo Wani led the charge for the Monks, finishing with a game-high 34 points on an efficient 14-of-21 shooting, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. Wani Donato added 17 points, while freshman Ismail Silvano registered a triple-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Monks' well-rounded offense, shooting 50.5% from the field, proved too much for the Mariners to overcome.

Saint Joseph's defense was equally as strong, limiting Mitchell to just 36.6% shooting from the floor and 32.3% from three-point range. Despite a standout performance from Mitchell's Jaylyn Clardy, who scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds, the Monks controlled the game from start to finish.

LEADERS-SAINT JOSEPH'S:

  • Remijo Wani (Portland, ME) recorded a game-high of 34 points, five rebounds, two steals, and three assists
  • Wani Donato (Portland, ME) contributed 17 points, four rebounds, one steal, and four assists
  • Silvano Ismail (Portland, ME) added 15 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and one steal
  • John Paul Frazier (York, ME) notched 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal
  • Pitia Donato (Portland, ME) recorded 12 rebounds, five points, eight assists, and one steal


LEADERS- MITCHELL:

  • Jaylan Clardy notched 32 points, seven rebounds, and one assist
  • Robert Zirilis scored 11 points, three rebounds, and one assist
  • Walker Baillargeon and Wilton Causey scored nine points with four rebounds each

Recap Courtesy of Lasell Athletic Communications

Newton, MA - The Lasell men's basketball team hosted a GNAC quarterfinal match on Tuesday night against the Bulldogs of Dean College. 

The Bulldogs who defeated Anna Maria Monday night 89-87 in the #7 vs #10 Play-In Game, had a quick turnaround and visited the #2 seed Lasers Tuesday. In their regular season matchup, the Lasers defeated the Bulldogs at home 87-78 on January 21st and looked to repeat the same result.

The game started with empty possessions for both teams before Marcus Lewis from the top of the key banged in the first points of the game exciting the home crowd. This was quickly met the next trip down the floor by the Bulldogs who hit a three of their own. Esmer Madesko then hit a three in the corner making it a 6-3 Laser advantage. The Lasers would hold an 8-7 lead into the first media timeout. Out of the media, Marcus Lewis found back-to-back buckets getting an offensive putback on the second off a broken possession and opening the lead to 5. Che Hanks then got in on the scoring, stopping in the lane and banking a midrange jumper. A Karim Belhouchet three in the corner then made it 17-8 Lasers, capping a 9-1 Laser burst. Dean then closed that gap with a 7-2 sprint but over the next stretch of game time the Lasers opened up the lead to 15 behind a flurry of threes from Conan McCusker. Coming off the bench, he nailed his first two long balls in quick succession boosting the lead to 12. A few minutes later, another three from McCusker and a fastbreak layup saw the Lasers capture a 34-19 edge. Dean would get the game back under 10 on a few occassions but the Lasers continued to be blistering hot from three-point range, netting 9 first half triples and taking a 47-36 lead into halftime behind 14 points from McCusker and 12 from Lewis.

On the opening possession of the second half the Lasers got a second chance bucket in the form of a Che Hanks midrange jumper. Dean then pursued to put pressure on the Lasers rattling off eight straight and bringing the game to within 5, 49-44. Pulling back to within two possessions, the Bulldogs hung tight for a while making it tough for the Lasers to pull away. Going into the under-twelve media timeout, the Lasers led by 5, but out of the break they found three straight buckets seeing the lead climb to double-figures once again. It was once again a short-lived lead for the Lasers though, as the Bulldogs pulled back to within 4, 69-65 in the following minutes. At the 4:04 mark Dean once again had made it two possession game 76-81. Andy Madesko then found his way to the line hitting both free throws, and his brother got a bucket inside to go the following trip making it a 9-point Laser lead with 3:07 on the clock. As Dean tried to make one final push, Marcus Lewis fired off a three that banked in which was followed by a Che Hanks drive and score, effectively acting as the dagger going up 90-79. Dean's attempts to play the foul game did not work as the Lasers put in 7 of their final 8 free throw attempts, securing the 97-85 victory. 

At the 13:16 mark in the second half, Marcus Lewis' jumper put him past the 1,000 point threshold. He becomes the 17th men's basketball player to accomplish this feat. This was en route to a 30 point 10 rebound outting for Lewis, which makes it his seventh double-double on the year. Che Hanks and Esmer Madesko also were effective all night offensively as they each tallied 18 points. While Conan McCusker didn't score in the second half, his 14 first half points fueled the Lasers early run as he went a perfect 5/5 from the field including 4/4 from behind the arc. 

Up Next - The Lasers earn another home playoff game set for Thursday evening versus the Blue Jays of Saint Joseph Connecticut, tipping of at 7 PM in the AC. 

Recap Courtesy of University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) Athletic Communications 

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The third-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's basketball team took care of business at home, defeating sixth-seeded Rivier University (Rivier), 83-63, during the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinals Tuesday night inside James. A Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays improved to 19-7 overall and advanced to the GNAC Semifinals, while the Raiders concluded their season 14-12 overall.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Rivier jumped out to a strong start, holding a 7-1 lead at the 16:16 mark.
  • The Blue Jays would fire back, utilizing a 10-0 run, paced by a pair of triples from senior guard Kevin Cummings (Portsmouth, N.H.), to take an 11-7 edge with 13:07 on the clock.
  • The Raiders would put an end to the run, but USJ answered with a 7-0 stretch, fueled entirely by junior forward Friedrich Feldrappe (Berlin, Germany), to hold a 18-9 lead with 11:03 left in the half.
  • USJ and Rivier would go on to trade buckets, until a 7-2 USJ run, featuring an old-fashioned three-point play from junior guard Lence Altenor (Everett, Mass.), saw the Blue Jays establish an 11-point lead, 35-24, with 5:08 on the clock.
  • The two sides continued to battle to close out the half, as freshman forward Adelphe Cisse (Pointe-Noire, Congo) knocked down a jumper in the closing seconds to send the Blue Jays into the halftime break with a 44-34 lead.
  • The Raiders opened the second half on a 5-0 stretch, cutting the gap to 44-39, with 17:06 on the clock.
  • However, USJ swung back with an 8-2 stretch, featuring four points from freshman guard Jakari Tertulien (Bridgeport, Conn.), reestablishing an 11-point lead, 52-41, with 13:48 on the clock.
  • The Blue Jays began to break open the score, as an 11-0 run, capped off by a three-point play from Feldrappe, extended the gap to 71-49 with 6:12 left to play.
  • The Raiders would not be able to overcome the deficit, as USJ secured the victory, 83-63.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

  • Feldrappe paced the team with a double-double, scoring a game-high 21 points while hauling in a game-high 11 rebounds.
  • Tertulien, Cummings, Cisse and Altenor all scored in double-figures, dropping 18, 17, 12, and 10 points, respectively.
  • Cisse dished out a team-best four assists.
  • USJ outshot Rivier, 50.0 percent (31-of-62) to 40.0 percent (26-of-65).
  • The Blue Jays dominated the glass, outrebounding the Raiders, 45-25.
  • USJ took advantage of the inside game, scoring 42 points from inside the paint.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays head to Newton, Mass. for the GNAC Semifinals on Thursday, February 27 against second-seeded Lasell University. Tipoff against the Lasers inside the Athletic Center is set for 7:00 p.m.

Recap Courtesy of Albertus Magnus Athletic Communications

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Avery Hinnant (Naugatuck, Conn.) and Ray Ford, Jr. (Jersey City, N.J.) supplied showstopping performances on the hardwood in the No. 4 Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) 72-57 quarterfinals victory inside the Cosgrove Marcus Messer Athletic Center over the No. 5 Norwich University Cadets on Tuesday.

Four Falcons tallied double-digits, spearheaded by a 16-point and 10-rebound performance by Hinnant while Ford, Jr.'s earned his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Hinnant netted 14 points in the first half en route to his career-high in points and his second career double-double.

Kevin Crawford (Bridgeport, Conn.) and Ta'zhon Daniels (New Haven, Conn.) both recorded 12 points.

The Falcons will now go on the road to take on top seed, Saint Joseph's College (Maine) on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. tip

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus Magnus 72 | Norwich 57

RECORDS: Albertus (16-10) | Norwich (17-9)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Norwich opened the game with a 4-0 lead across two and a half minutes before back-to-back jumpers by Daniels and Jayquan Kirkland (Stratford, Conn.) made it 4-4 at 16:37.
  • The Falcons grabbed their first lead of the night off a three-pointer by Ford, Jr. at 15:32 in the first half. After a pair of missed attempts by the hosts, Ford, Jr. secured the offensive board for a shot behind the arc and gave Albertus the 7-6 lead. 
  • The Falcons gradually began to assume control to claim a 34-16 lead. Less than a minute after Kohlby Murray's layup narrowed the gap for Norwich for a 12-11 game, Crawford stepped back for a three off the pass by Ford, Jr. and kickstarted a 22-5 scoring stretch. Hinnant scored seven straight points during the run.
  • Albertus ballooned their advantage beyond the 20-point mark late in the first half off a Hinnant tip-in for a 44-24 edge. During the offensive push by the Falcons, Ford, Jr. pump faked on a three, drove to the hoop and dished a pass to Hinnant for a dunk to take a 40-21 lead with 3:06 left in the first half. Albertus would eventually take a 45-28 lead into halftime.
  • Jalen Olivero opened the second stanza with six points to cut the deficit to 13 but a driving layup by Malcolm Duncanson (West Haven, Conn.) halted the offensive pressure by Olivero.
  • After the Falcons turned their advantage into a 17-point lead with consecutive layups by Daniels, a 7-0 rally by the Cadets, capped by back-to-back layups from Donato Pakak, presented the visitors an offensive boost. However, a three-pointer by Kirkland again gave the Falcons a 60-47 lead with 8:39 remaining.
  • It proved to be the closest the Cadets could get throughout the remainder of the night, however, matching the 10-point deficit one more time on a Murray triple with 3:01 remaining in the game.
  • A small 5-0 run by Ford, Jr. off a pair of free throws and a three over the final three minutes sealed the deal, catapulting the Falcons to victory.

TEAM STATS

Albertus

40.3 FG% | 28.6 3PT% | 60.9 FT%

Norwich

35.1 FG% | 18.2 3PT% | 72.2 FT% 

LEADERS

Albertus

Avery Hinnant 16 Points | 10 Rebounds | 7-9 FG | 2-4 | 1 Assist

Ray Ford, Jr. 10 Points | 10 Rebounds | 4 Assists | 4-4 FT | 2 Steals | 1 Block

Kevin Crawford 12 Points | 2 Rebounds | 2 Steals | 2 Blocks | 1 Assist | 4-7 FG | 1-2 3PT

Ta'zhon Daniels 12 Points | 3 Assists | 2 Assists | 2-2 FT | 1 Rebound

Norwich

Jalen Olivero 21 Points | 4-4 FT | 4 Rebounds | 2 Assists

Donato Pakak 13 Points | 9 Rebounds | 5-5 FT | 4-5 FG

Kohlby Murray 11 Points | 4 Steals | 3 Rebounds 

NOTEWORTHY

  • Albertus outscored Norwich 36-24 in the paint, 30-7 in fastbreak points, 17-5 second chance points and 24-5 in points off turnovers.
  • The Falcons' bench dominated Norwich's bench, outscoring them 23-0.

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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