STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (9-8) erased a six-point halftime deficit and held on for a 69-67 win over Bates College (14-4) in a non-conference men's basketball game on Mike McDevitt Court at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Monks have now won six-consecutive games and hold a 6-1 record in 2026.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Bates carried momentum into the break and took a 37-31 lead into intermission, but the Monks flipped the script after halftime by outscoring the Bobcats 38-30 over the final 20 minutes to secure the two-point victory.
The second half turned into a back-and-forth battle (nine lead changes, seven ties). Saint Joseph's came out of the locker room firing, opening the closing frame with a 12-4 run—fueled by five points from freshman guard Davis Mann (Falmouth, Maine)—to grab a 43-41 edge with 15:26 remaining. Bates responded with a 7-0 spurt to reclaim the lead, 48-43, after Aidan Lawlor (Overland Park, Kan.) sank a pair of free throws at the 12:55 mark.
The see-saw battle continued, as the Monks answered with a 14-7 run over the next five minutes to go back in front, 57-55, with 7:54 on the clock. The game stayed within two possessions the rest of the way, and the Bobcats tied it at 64-64 on a Brady Coyne (Falmouth, Maine) layup with 2:57 remaining.
Saint Joseph's responded immediately. Junior guard Remijo Wani (Portland, Maine) scored 16 seconds later to put the Monks back on top, and the hosts delivered the decisive sequence moments later when senior forward Wani Donato (Portland, Maine) finished a fast-break alley-oop dunk off a turnover to make it 68-64 with 2:15 left. Senior guard John Paul Frazier (York, Maine) set up the play with the assist.
Bates had one more push, as Coyne drilled a three-pointer with 1:08 remaining to cut the deficit to 68-67. After a defensive stop and rebound in the closing seconds, Donato went to the line and knocked down the second of two free throws to make it 69-67 with 10 seconds left. On the final possession, Donato sealed the win with a block at the horn.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Saint Joseph's overcame a tough day from three (5-26) by winning the paint (42-34) and second-chance points (13-7) ledgers while also producing a 21-17 edge in points off turnovers.
The Monks shot 44.1% (26-of-59) from the floor while Bates finished at 41.9% (26-62).
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
LEADERS – BATES:
- Brady Coyne: 14 points, 4 rebounds
- Peter Psyhogeos (Sr., Yarmouth, Maine): 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
- Sean O'Leary (So., Franklin, Mass.): 12 points
- Aidan Lawlor: 12 points
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Saint Joseph's is now 12-18 all-time versus Bates College.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will play at Elms College on Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
