KEENE, N.H. – #19 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (4-0) rallied from a 13-point deficit midway through the second half to defeat RV Saint Joseph's College (2-3), 73–67, in Keene State College Invitational men's basketball action on Friday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Saint Joseph's controlled much of the opening 20 minutes behind freshman guard Davis Mann (Falmouth, Maine), who poured in 18 first-half points. A steady stretch late in the period—featuring baskets from Mann and senior Wani Donato (Portland, Maine)—sent the Monks into the break with a 32–29 advantage.
St. Joe's carried the momentum into the second stanza, opening with a 17–7 run capped by a Donato three-point play that pushed the lead to a game-high 13 points (49–36) with 13:25 left.
The Monks remained in control at 58–46 after junior Derek Salvatore (Johnston, R.I.) connected on a pair of free throws with 8:17 remaining. From there, WPI mounted a decisive 17–4 run, taking its first lead of the half on a J.R. Newman layup with 2:59 to go, making it 63–62.
The Engineers sealed the win with late-game execution, going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final minute and finishing the contest on a 10–5 closing stretch.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Saint Joseph's dictated play for long stretches but was outscored 44–35 after halftime as WPI caught fire, shooting 63.6% (14-22) in the second half compared to the Monks' 35.3% (12-34) clip.
A decisive 19–2 edge in fast-break points, combined with several SJC turnovers during WPI's comeback, erased the Monks' double-digit cushion.
Free throws also played a significant role: WPI shot 85.7% (24-28) at the stripe while Saint Joseph's finished 16-for-23 (69.6%).
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Davis Mann – 25 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist
- Wani Donato – 12 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
- Tong Maiwen (Sr., Juba, South Sudan) – 7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals
- Derek Salvatore – 8 points, 5 assists
- Kolbyn Dunphe (Jr., Westbrook, Maine) – 8 points, 3 rebounds
LEADERS – WPI:
- J.R. Newman – 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
- Nathan Bledsoe – 15 points, 9 rebounds
- Tao Schreiber – 13 points, 7 rebounds
- Jack Bleier – 8 points, 2 rebounds
- Justin Molen – 5 points, 4 steals
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the loss, Saint Joseph's falls to 0–7 all-time against WPI, though tonight's six-point margin marks the closest contest in the series.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will face the loser of tonight's Keene State/Nichols College matchup in a consolation game tomorrow at 1:00 PM.