STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (12-8, 7-0 GNAC) held on to defeat Lasell University (10-11, 5-3 GNAC), 72-67, in a rematch of the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball championship at the Harold Alfond Center on Tuesday evening. Saint Joseph's has now won nine consecutive games.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The GNAC rivals traded the lead multiple times in the first half before the Monks put together a decisive 17-7 run, flipping a five-point deficit into a 39-34 cushion with 4:01 remaining. Freshman Davis Mann (Falmouth, Maine) and sophomore Silvano Ismail (Portland, Maine / Cheverus) sparked the surge with five points apiece.
Saint Joseph's took a 45-38 lead into the break, but Lasell University trimmed the margin to 52-50 when junior Cameron Neil (James Island, S.C.) punctuated a 10-5 run with a dunk at the 14:57 mark of the second half. The Monks answered immediately with an 11-3 burst—highlighted by four points from senior Tong Maiwen (Juba, South Sudan)—to rebuild a 63-53 advantage.
The Lasers surged right back with an 11-2 run over nearly seven minutes, pulling within 67-65 with 2:25 remaining. Saint Joseph's offense stalled during the stretch, going 1-for-7 from the floor with five turnovers and opening the door for the visitors to climb back into the game.
Junior guard Remijo Wani (Portland, Maine) delivered the response with a deep three-pointer on the ensuing possession, and the Monks sealed the win when senior Wani Donato (Portland, Maine) corralled a Hail Mary inbounds pass from Ismail and converted a layup at the horn to secure the 72-67 final.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Saint Joseph's shot 45.6% (31-68) from the floor and 30.4% (7-23) from three-point range while Lasell was 29-for-70 (41.4%) from the field and 6-for-29 (20.7%) from beyond the arc…The Monks were 3-for-3 from the FT line while the Lasers connected on just 3-of-9 freebie bids…Saint Joseph's also held the lead in points off turnovers (18-14) and points in the paint (48-42) in the victory.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Wani Donato: 20 points on 10-of-17 shooting, 7 rebounds (4 offensive), 3 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals
- Remijo Wani: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
- John Paul Frazier (Sr., York, Maine): 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists
- Davis Mann: 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, 5 rebounds
- Tong Maiwen: 4 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks
LEADERS – LASELL:
- Esmer Madesko (So., Atlanta, Ga.): 17 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks
- Andy Madesko (Jr., Atlanta, Ga.): 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
- Che Hanks (Jr., Chelsea, Mass.): 12 points, 4 assists
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Saint Joseph's is now 19-15 in the history of the series with Lasell University.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will play at Dean College on Saturday at 3:00 PM.
