STANDISH, ME-In a hard-fought championship battle, the St. Joseph's College Monks (24-4) overcame the Lasell University Lasers (21-7) 79-72 on Saturday afternoon, extending their impressive winning streak to 18 consecutive games and securing an automatic qualifier bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The game featured seven lead changes and eight tied scores, with neither team able to pull away for long stretches. The Monks held a slim 41-40 advantage at halftime before gradually extending their lead in the second half.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Lasers started strong, jumping out to a 17-8 lead with 15:02 remaining in the first half. The nine-point advantage marked Lasell's largest lead of the game. St. Joseph's responded with a crucial 19-8 run, fueled by Remijo Wani's sharp outside shooting. Wani connected on four three-pointers in the first half alone, helping the Monks take their first lead at 30-29 with 6:36 left before intermission.The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half, with Tong Maiwen's three-pointer giving the Monks a slim 41-40 edge heading into the break.

The second half remained tight with neither team leading by more than six points until the final minute. With the score tied at 54-54 midway through the half, the Monks went on a 9-3 run highlighted by John Paul Frazier's three-pointer to take control. The Lasers refused to quit, cutting the deficit to just two points at 67-69 with 5:33 remaining on a clutch three-pointer. However, Remijo Wani responded with a jumper, and the Monks' defense tightened down the stretch.

In the final minute, the Monks sealed the victory at the free-throw line, with Wani connecting on crucial free throws to secure the championship and NCAA Tournament berth.

Both teams struggled from beyond the arc in the second half, with the Monks shooting just 12.5% (2-16) after connecting on 40.9% (9-22) in the first half. The Lasers managed to hit 25% (5-20) from deep after halftime. The Monks dominated the rebounding battle 45-31, including 14 offensive boards that led to 11 second-chance points. St. Joseph's also outscored Lasell 34-28 in the paint.

The championship victory caps off an impressive season for the St. Joseph's Monks, who demonstrated their resilience and composure down the stretch to claim the title and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, riding the momentum of their remarkable 18-game winning streak.

LEADERS-SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Remijo Wani (Portland, ME) delivered a game-high 27 points for the Monks, including a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line; Wani added 8 assists and 6 rebounds
• Wani Donato (Portland, ME) contributed a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds
• John Paul Frazier (York, ME) added 14 points, six rebounds, and one assist
• Silvano Ismail (Portland, ME) tallied seven points, seven rebounds, one assist, and two steals
• Teagan Hynes (York, ME) added six points, five assists, and five rebounds

• Che Hanks led the way with 20 points, including 4 three-pointers
• Andy Madesko added 15 points and 7 rebounds
• Esmer Madesko contributed 7 assists to go along with his 14 points
• Marcus Lewis grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and 8 assists