NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Saint Joseph's College (7-8, 3-0 GNAC) outlasted Norwich University (5-10, 0-2 GNAC), 89-84 in overtime, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game was a grind from the start, featuring 11 lead changes and six ties, with neither team leading by more than 11 points. Saint Joseph's set the tone early, racing out to a 10-2 advantage as junior guard Remijo Wani scored all 10 Monks points in the opening three minutes.
Norwich answered quickly. Trailing 17-8 with 14:09 left in the first half, the Cadets rattled off a 14-4 surge to take a 22-21 lead with 10:55 to play before the break. The remainder of the half was littered with momentum swings, as the teams traded the lead seven times down the stretch. Saint Joseph's went to the locker room up 42-40 after sophomore NeAri Vasquez closed the period with five straight points, while Wani led all scorers with 17 first-half points on 7-for-12 shooting.
Saint Joseph's controlled most of the second half and held the lead for all but the final possession, building its largest cushion at 75-64 after freshman Davis Mann finished a layup with 4:14 remaining. Wani later buried a three to make it 80-72 with 1:34 left, but Norwich responded with a late 10-2 run and tied it at the horn on a Michael Ndayishimiye driving layup to force overtime.
In the extra session, Ndayishimiye opened the scoring to put Norwich in front 84-82 with 3:52 left, but it proved to be the Cadets' final basket. Saint Joseph's slammed the door from there, closing overtime with eight unanswered points – capped by a Tong Maiwen (Juba, South Sudan) dunk at the buzzer - to finish the job.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Saint Joseph's controlled the bench battle, 22-8, highlighted by Maiwen (13) and Vasquez (7) combining for 20 points off the pine. The Monks also owned a key advantage at the stripe, going 9-for-13 at the free-throw line while Norwich attempted just three freebies (3-for-3).
Norwich leaned heavily on its top trio — Michel Ndayishimiye (31), Joe Joe DuBrul (21), and Jordan Ricketts (20) — who accounted for all but 12 of the Cadets' points. Saint Joseph's attack was far more balanced, as seven different Monks scored at least six points.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Remijo Wani: 26 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 6-9 3FG
- Davis Mann: 16 points, 6-6 FT, 5 rebounds
- Wani Donato (Sr., Portland, Maine): 13 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals
- Tong Maiwen: 13 points, 10 rebounds, 5-8 FG, 20 minutes off the bench
LEADERS – NORWICH:
- Michael Ndayishimiye: 31 points, 7-10 3FG, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
- Joe Joe DuBrul: 21 points, 7 rebounds
- Jordan Ricketts: 20 points, 3 rebounds
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
The Monks are now 25-7 all-time versus Norwich University and have defeated the Cadets in four straight meetings.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will host Emmanuel College on Tuesday in a conference showdown set to start at 7:30 PM.
