STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (1-0) defeated Clark University (0-1), 94-78, in a men's basketball season opener at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday afternoon.
Four Monks scored in double figures as Saint Joseph's connected on 17 three-pointers and turned 16 Clark turnovers into 27 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Following a back-and-forth start, Saint Joseph's used an 18-6 run to turn a 21-21 tie into a 39-27 advantage with 6:20 remaining in the first half. Senior Kolbyn Dunphe (Westbrook, Maine) drained three three-pointers during the stretch, while junior Silvano Ismail (Portland, Maine) and senior Remijo Wani (Portland, Maine) each added a triple.
Clark rallied to tie the contest at 41-41 with 2:09 left, but the Monks answered with nine unanswered points to close the half. Wani sparked the run with a three-pointer and capped it with a layup with three seconds remaining, while senior Pitia Donato (Portland, Maine) and sophomore Yusuf Dakane (Lewiston, Maine) added baskets to give the hosts a 50-41 halftime lead.
Saint Joseph's took command midway through the second half with a 12-0 run that extended a 61-50 lead to 73-50 with 11:06 remaining. Ismail supplied five points during the surge, sophomore Davis Mann (Falmouth, Maine) knocked down a three-pointer, and senior Derek Salvatore (Johnston, R.I.) and Dunphe each scored inside.
The Monks stretched the margin to 83-55 on an Ismail three-pointer with 6:58 left and maintained control through the closing minutes.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Saint Joseph's shot 44.9% (35-78) from the field, 41.5% (17-41) from three-point range, and 77.8% (7-9) from the free-throw line. Clark finished at 50.0% (31-62) overall, 44.4% (8-18) from beyond the arc, and 57.1% (8-14) at the stripe.
The Monks held advantages in assists (24-15), offensive rebounds (17-13), and points off turnovers (27-5), while committing just seven turnovers. Both teams collected 39 rebounds.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Wani led the Monks with 17 points and added six rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block.
- Ismail recorded 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block while shooting 3-for-4 from three-point range.
- Dunphe contributed 16 points and six rebounds off the bench, connecting on four of his eight three-point attempts.
- Mann finished with 11 points, including three three-pointers, and two assists.
- Salvatore handed out a game-high nine assists without a turnover and added six points and four rebounds.
- Donato chipped in eight points and three rebounds.
- Dakane contributed six points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
- Freshman Marcel Rose (Rochester, N.H.) made both of his three-point attempts and scored six points in his collegiate debut.
LEADERS – CLARK:
- Nidas Paulauskas paced the Cougars with 19 points, three rebounds, and two assists while making three of his four three-point attempts.
- Elijah Small tallied 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
- Jaryn Aguiar contributed 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
- Malik Matanmi added eight points, two rebounds, and two blocks while making all three of his field-goal attempts.
- David Fridia finished with seven points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Saint Joseph's earned its first victory over Clark and evened the all-time series at 1-1. The Cougars won the programs' first meeting, 74-69, in Worcester last November.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's hosts Husson University on Wednesday, November 11, at 7:30 PM at the Harold Alfond Center.
