STANDISH, Maine – Junior guard Remijo Wani (Portland, Maine) scored a game-high 30 points to lift Saint Joseph's College (17-8, 12-0 GNAC) past University of Saint Joseph (18-7, 11-1 GNAC), 84-61, in a matchup of unbeaten GNAC men's basketball teams at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday afternoon.
TOURNAMENT IMPLICATIONS:
With the triumph, the Monks secured the #1 seed in the GNAC Tournament and will host #8 Norwich University in a conference quarterfinal on Tuesday at 7:00 PM. The Blue Jays have locked up the #2 seed and will host #7 Dean College at 7:00 PM on Tuesday.
SENIOR MOMENT:
Prior to tip-off, Saint Joseph's held a brief ceremony to honor the program's four seniors: Wani Donato (Portland, Maine), John Paul Frazier (York, Maine), Jelani Freeman (Charlotte, N.C.), and Tong Maiwen (Juba, South Sudan).
Over the last four seasons, the men's basketball class of 2026 has posted a 74-35 (.679) overall record, including a 48-10 (.828) mark in conference play, with four GNAC Tournament runs, a conference title (2025), and an NCAA Tournament berth (2025).
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Blue Jays held a 4-3 edge 1:17 into the contest, but it proved to be their only lead. Saint Joseph's answered with its first dominant stretch, using a 13-3 run over the next three minutes to seize control and open a 16-7 advantage at the 15:45 mark—fueled by transition finishes from Donato and a pair of threes from Wani.
When USJ briefly trimmed the margin back to single digits, the Monks kept stacking stops and turning them into quick offense. A Wani triple at 11:52 sparked another push, and a flurry of fast-break buckets stretched the lead to 27-15 at 10:51.
The biggest separation came late in the first half. Leading 33-19 at 7:38, SJC rattled off an 8-0 surge—highlighted by a Maiwen three, a Donato dunk, and two finishes at the rim—to make it 38-19. After the visitors knocked down a three to cut it to 41-24 at 5:17, the Monks closed the half with a decisive 9-0 run (a Frazier three, a Wani layup and three, plus a free throw) to take a commanding 50-26 cushion into the break.
USJ didn't fold after halftime and won the second half, 35-34, leaning on strong free-throw shooting to cut the deficit to 17 on multiple occasions in the final six minutes. Each time, SJC had an answer, and the Monks ultimately put it away with an 11-2 run—capped by a Wani bucket—to build an 84-58 lead with 1:35 remaining.
STATS OF THE GAME:
The difference was the opening-half shot-making and the Monks' ability to turn defense into offense. Saint Joseph's finished at 50.7% (34-67) overall and 39.1% (9-23) from three (all nine triples came in the first half), while generating 22 points off turnovers and 46 points in the paint.
USJ shot 31.5% (17-54) and managed just 1-for-12 from beyond the arc, despite going 26-for-35 at the free-throw line.
LEADERS – SJC:
LEADERS – USJ:
- Friedrich Feldrappe (Sr., Berlin, Germany): 21 points (8-13 FG)
- Jakari Tertulien (So., Bridgeport, Conn.): 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
- Lence Altenor (Sr., Everett, Mass.): 9 points, 3 assists
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the win, Saint Joseph's improved to 2-9 in the all-time series against the University of Saint Joseph. The triumph was the Monks' first over the Blue Jays since the programs' first-ever meeting (1/12/2019, 98-87). Also of note: both teams entered today's action riding a 13-game winning streak.
