STANDISH, Maine – Remijo Wanie (Portland, Maine) poured in a team-high 27 points and dished out eight assists to lead five Saint Joseph's College (5-2) players in double figures as the Monks defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies (4-2) 98-86 in a non-conference men's basketball game Sunday night at Mike McDevitt Court. This game marked the 75th meeting between the Monks and Huskies, with USM leading the all-time series 38-37. The contest also served as the 34th game in the Costello Cup series between the two schools. With the victory, Saint Joseph's retains the cup for the first time since 2022. The Costello Cup is presented annually to the winner of this rivalry game and honors the late Dr. Richard "Doc" Costello, former USM Athletic Director and long-time basketball coach for both the men's and women's programs. Saint Joseph's has now won 19 of the 34 meetings in the series. Southern Maine had claimed the last three of four Costello Cups (2019, 2021, 2023).
How It Happened:
Saint Joseph's dominated the first half, with Wanie and Donato combining for 26 points to give the Monks a 52-38 lead at the break. The Monks shot 50.0% (23-for-46) from the field in the opening half, and SJC never trailed, opening the game with a three-pointer from Frazier and quickly jumping out to a 12-2 lead.
Saint Joseph's extended its advantage to as much as 17 points in the first half, with a 45-38 lead at the 3:17 mark. The Huskies, however, came out strong in the second half, trimming the lead to 63-56 with 14:27 remaining, sparked by a three-point play from Madden White (Newport, Maine/Nokomis Regional). But the Monks answered quickly, with Wanie hitting a three and Ismail adding a layup to push the lead back to double digits at 68-52.
Southern Maine continued to fight back, using an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 79-73 with 8:20 left, but the Monks responded with key plays down the stretch. Despite a late layup from Whelan that made it 91-84, Saint Joseph's closed the game strong, outscoring the Huskies 7-2 in the final two minutes to secure the 98-86 win.
Leaders-SJC:
- Remijo Wanie shot 11-for-23 from the field for his 27 points
- Wani Donato (Portland, Maine) added 19 points and nine rebounds on 8-for-13 shooting
- Silvano Ismail (Portland, Maine) posted a double-double with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists
- Pitia Donato (Portland, Maine) contributed 13 points off the bench
- Junior John Paul Frazier added 11 points
Leaders-USM:
- Thomas Whelan led the Huskies with 31 points, was 13-for-20 from the field, and added four assists
- Bryce Lausier recorded 29 points, eight rebounds, and two assists on 9-for-19 shooting
- Brady Saunders chipped in 14 points, going 6-for-9 from the floor, with four rebounds and two assists.
NEXT!
The Monks will hit the road for their GNAC conference opener against USJ on Saturday.
