NEW YORK, N.Y. – Saint Joseph's College (1-0) opened the 2025-26 men's basketball season in emphatic fashion, rolling past SUNY Old Westbury (0-2) by a 100-62 margin in the NYU Tip-Off Classic on Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Monks never trailed after senior guard John Paul Frazier (York, Maine) buried a three on the game's opening possession. Saint Joseph's knocked down 9-of-17 from long range in the first half and built a 43-29 edge at the break.
SJC wasted no time stretching the margin after intermission, starting the second half with an 8-0 run capped by another Frazier triple for a 51-29 cushion. Moments later, holding a 55-36 lead, Frazier's seventh three-pointer sparked a decisive 17-0 surge that blew the game open and pushed the Monks ahead 72-36 with 11:07 remaining.
Freshman Brody Taylor (Steep Falls, Maine) later drilled a three to give Saint Joseph's its largest lead of the day at 96-52.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Saint Joseph's dominated the margins, owning a 45-16 bench scoring advantage and a 20-3 edge in second-chance points. The Monks shot a blistering 52.6% (20-38) from beyond the arc while holding Old Westbury to 25% (4-16) from deep.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- John Paul Frazier: 22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 7-for-11 from three
- Remijo Wani (Jr., Portland, Maine): 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists; 5-for-7 FG
- Wani Donato (Sr., Portland, Maine): 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks
- Davis Mann (Fr., Falmouth, Maine): 9 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals in his first NCAA start
- Kolbyn Dunphe (Jr., Westbrook, Maine): 9 points, 3-for-4 from deep, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks
LEADERS – SUNY OLD WESTBURY:
- Christian Thomas: 19 points (6-8 FG, 6-6 FT), 6 rebounds
- Jermaine King, Jr.: 16 points, 3 steals
- Joel Ofori: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
NOTEWORTHY:
Saint Joseph's improves to 31-24 (.564) all-time in season openers. The 100-point output is the program's highest in an opener since a 100-77 win over UMaine-Farmington on November 25, 1997. The program record for points in a season opener remains 140, set against UMaine-Fort Kent on November 22, 1981.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
The Monks move to 3-1 all-time versus Old Westbury. The teams had not met since January 29, 1993, when SJC posted a 103-68 win.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's concludes its New York swing tomorrow against host New York University at 2:00 PM.
