MEN'S BASKETBALL: Albertus Claims Eighth GNAC Championship, Tops #7 USJ, 81-77

Falcons junior Damian Grant had 21 points and eight rebounds en route to Tournament MVP honors, as Albertus held off Saint Joseph (CT) in a thriller on Saturday at The Nest.

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Albertus Claims Eighth GNAC Championship, Tops #7 USJ, 81-77
February 23, 2019
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

Courtesy of Albertus Athletics Communications

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Junior Damian Grant (Waterbury, Conn.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament Most Valuable Player as he tallied a team-high 21 points, eight rebounds, a steal and a block as the Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team knocked off seventh-seeded University of Saint Joseph (CT), 81-77, on Saturday afternoon in the 2019 GNAC Tournament Championship at "The Nest".

Grant and Jahmerikah Green-Younger (Norwalk, Conn.) clinched the game for the Falcons with a back-to-back layups in the final 22 seconds of play to give the Falcons the four-point lead.

UP NEXT
With the win, Albertus earns a spot in the Division III NCAA Tournament. The Falcons find out who they will face in the first-round during the Division III Selection Show on Monday, Feb. 25th. 

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Falcons improve their all-time postseason record to 33-11.
  • This is the Falcons' eighth GNAC Championship title. 
  • The Falcons are 2-0 against St. Joseph's this year.
  • The Falcons earn their seventh trip to the NCAA tournament.

THE BASICS
FINAL: Albertus Magnus College 81 | St. Joseph's 77
RECORDS: #1 Albertus Magnus (20-7) | #7 St. Joseph's (16-12) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
 First Half:

  • The Falcons were down 2-0 early, but Grant contributed a lay-up, an offensive rebound, and a free throw to give the Falcons a 3-2 lead.
  • Albertus and St. Joseph's battled back-and-forth before Andrew Rice (West Haven, Conn.) made a pair of free throws to give the Falcons a 14-13 lead.
  • Albertus continued to run its offense as junior Tyreek Perkins (New Haven, Conn.) nailed a fade-away jumper to give the Falcons a 30-29 lead with 5:58 remaining in the half.
  • A couple of late fouls allowed the Blue Jays to regain the lead, but the Falcons took it in stride and scored some quick points to cut the deficit.   
  • With the Falcons trailing late in the first half, 39-33, freshman Terry Dawkins (Queens, N.Y.) made a pair of free throws and contributed a lay-up to bring the Falcons to within seven at the half, 44-37.

Second Half  

  • Junior Jahmerikah Green-Younger (Norwalk, Conn.) started off the second half on a five-point run to bring the Falcons to within two, 44-42.
  • Trailing by two, 54-52, seven minutes in, freshman Davon Warner (New Haven, Conn.) drained a deep three to give the Falcons a 55-54 lead.
  • Less than a minute later, Warner struck again hitting another three, extending the Falcons's lead to four, 58-54, with 12:36 on the clock.
  • Senior Ryan Pittman (Stratford, Conn.) hit a jumper, extending the Falcons' lead to four, 64-60, but a four-point play from Ryan O'Neil evened the score once again, 64-64. 
  • With less than five minutes remaining, the Falcons lost the lead, 68-64, on a jump shot from St. Joseph's Chris Childs.
  • Back-to-back baskets from Rice and Warner erased the four-point deficit and regained the lead for the hosts, 69-68.
  • A couple of late fouls by St. Joseph's gave the Falcons a 75-70 lead with three minutes remaining.
  • Grant and Green-Younger contributed three lay-ups between them and a rebound in the final minute to give the Falcons an 81-77 victory.

KEY PERFORMANCES
Albertus:

  • Damian Grant – 21 points (9-13 FG, 0-1 3 PT) | 8 rebounds | 1 steal | 1 block
  • Jahmerikah Green-Younger – 12 points (4-10 FG, 0-2 3PT, 4-4 FT) | 2 rebounds| 2 steals
  • Davon Warner – 11 points, (4-16 FG, 3-13 3 PT) | 1 rebound | 1 steal  
  • Ryan Pittman – 10 points, (3-4 FG, 1-1 3 PT, 3-3 FT) | 5 rebounds| 1 steal | 7 assists | 1 block 
  • Tyreek Perkins – 10 points (4-16 FG, 0-3 FG, 2-2 FT) | 2 rebounds | 4 assists  

St. Joseph:

  • Delshawn Jackson Jr. – 23 points |4 rebounds| 1 steal | 1 assist
  • Chris Childs – 22 points | 3 rebounds | 4 assists
  • Sam Majek – 10 points | 6 rebounds | 1 assist

GNAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

  • Emmitt Riddick – Emmanuel
  • Jack Casale - Saint Joseph's (Maine)
  • Chris Childs – Saint Joseph (CT)
  • Delshawn Jackson Jr. – Saint Joseph (CT)
  • Ryan Pittman – Albertus Magnus
  • Tyreek Perkins – Albertus Magnus
  • Damian Grant – Albertus Magnus (MVP)