2005-06 MONKS BASKETBALL

Schedule/Results l Roster l Coaches l News l Statistics l Archives l Season

2005-06 Press Releases

2005-06 Season Review

4/11/06 - Saint Joseph's College Men's Basketball Players
Receive All-State Recognition

The Maine Men's Basketball Coaches Association today released its all-state selections. Two Saint Joseph's College Monks found their way onto the honors list as junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) and freshman Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY) earned second-team All-State and All-Rookie Team honors, respectively, from the State's coaches.

Alexander, selected to the NCAA Division III Honorable Mention All-Independent team last week, was elected to his first All-Maine team, his first ever All-State team selection. Alexander led the 19-8 Monks with a 12.7-point scoring average. Alexander also led the Monks with 5.2 rebounds per game and finished third on the team in field goal percentage and steals. Alexander prepped at Niceville High School in Florida.

Murphy, a 6-2 freshman guard who earned All-Rookie team honors, is third to Alexander in scoring (10.4) for the Monks, while leading the club with a 54.0 percent field goal shooting clip. A former star at Albany Academy, Murphy led Saint Joseph's with steals (77) free throws made (99), free throws attempted (135) and finished second in assists (42) for the year. His 77 steals ranks him #10 on the all-time individual steals record passing former Monk standout Tyrone White. Murphy finished third to Alexander with 4.4 rebounds.

Alexander and Murphy's selection to the State teams makes this the 15th straight season that at least one Monks player has made the all-state team.

Association of Division III Independents Names
2005-06 All-Independent Basketball Teams

The announcement of the 2005-06 Association of Division III All-Independent Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams came from Kansas City, Missouri, today.

The Association consists of 17 Division III independent institutions that have joined together to recognize their student-athletes and to provide exempted postseason championship competition in seven sports in 2005-06.

Coach Rob Sanicola led Saint Joseph’s College to a 19-8 record and the Northeast Regional Championship game against Lincoln University. Junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) received an Honorable Mention award from the Association after leading the Monks with 12.7 points per game.

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA - Lincoln University senior All-American guard Kyle Myrick scored 49 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out six assists to lift the top-seeded Lions to a 99-79 victory over No. 2 seed Saint Joseph's College (Maine) in the championship game of the Association of Division III Independents tournament Saturday afternoon at Manuel Rivero Hall.

Myrick was named Tournament MVP. Also named to the All-Tournament Team were Saint Joseph's Marcus Alexander and Matt Plummer, Lincoln's Bryant Leach and Thomas Hickson, Mitchell's T.J. Smith and Newbury's Arch Mitchell.

The Monks (19-8) placed three players in double digits highlighted by Plummer's 18 points and nine rebounds. Noah LaRoche and Pat Mileski added 10 points each for Saint Joseph's.

The Lions were pushed for a half by the Monks, who trailed 45-32 at intermission. Lincoln took control of the game midway through the second half after Alexander converted a layup to bring the Monks to within, 49-38, with 17 minutes, 44 seconds remaining. Lincoln went on a 26-7 run over the next six minutes to open a 75-45 lead with 11:05 remaining.

The Monks continued battling until the final buzzer. They finished with 12 3-pointers.

Saint Joseph's, which led once in the game at 5-4 following a Mileski layup with 17:51 remaining in the first half, was within, 19-18, at the 9:05 mark of the opening 20 minutes after an Elbie Murphy basket. Lincoln scored seven consecutive points on a pair of Myrick baskets, a Leach free-throw and a Sami Wylie jumper to grab a 26-18 advantage with 7:30 remaining.

The Lions opened their first double-digit lead with 3:29 remaining in the first half (34-24) after a Myrick basket. Chad Pulkkinen drilled a 3-pointer to slice Lincoln's lead to 38-30 with 2:21 left in the first half.

The Association of Division III Independents consists of 18 Division III independent institutions that have joined together to recognize student-athletes at independent institutions, and to provide exempted postseason championship competition in nine sports in 2005-06. The Association recognizes outstanding athletic achievements of its student-athletes on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. For the second year, the Association provides statistical services for its members in seven sports. In addition, it also will announce all-Independent teams at the conclusion of nine sports this year.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2/24/06 - The Association of Division III Independents Tournament - Monks Earn Trip to Championship with Win over Newbury

Lincoln University, PA - Saint Joseph’s withstood a final rally from Newbury (MA) as the Monks (19-7) held on for a win over the Nighthawks and will face Lincoln University in the men’s basketball championship game at 3:00 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 25. Tournament host Lincoln University defeated Mitchell College (CT) 116-82 in the second game last night.

Noah LaRoche hit the game-winning layup with just three seconds left for Saint Joseph’s. Steven Morris’ desperation three-point was short for Newbury.

The Monks had a 10-point lead at 61-51 with 5:35 left before Newbury went on an 11-0 run to go up 62-61 with 2:17 left on a pair of foul shots from Marcal Matthews. Matthews was intentionally fouled, which would have given the Nighthawks two shots plus possession. However, Newbury was whistled for a technical foul, which gave St. Joe’s the ball back.

LaRoche converted one of two foul shots to tie the score back up at 62-all. The Monks took a 64-62 lead on a layup by Mitch Ouellet with 1:35 left, before Morris hit one foul shot to cut the Monk lead to one with 1:19 left.

Newbury took its final lead of the game with 24 seconds left, when Walky Magloire hit a layup. Magloire led all scorers with 20 points.

In the first half, it was all Saint Joseph’s, as the Monks took as much as an 18-point lead, 34-16, on a three-pointer by Chad Pulkkinen. Newbury would get as close as 10 before halftime, but the Monks went into the break with a 36-26 halftime lead.

In the second half, St. Joseph’s continued the double-digit lead until Newbury’s final rally.

For the Monks, Matt Plummer finished with a team-high 18 points, while Marcus Alexander added 17 and also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

For the Nighthawks, Arch Mitchell finished with 13 points, while Morris had 12. Sonny Abraham had eight rebounds. St. Joseph’s overcame 26 turnovers on the evening.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

February 21, 2006 - Monks End Regular Season with Win Holding off Nighthawks

STANDISH, MAINE – Junior Matt Plummer (Naples, ME) scored the final 2 of his 17 points with 17 seconds to play and helped secure a 63-60 victory over Newbury College tonight. The Monks close out the season at 18-7 while Newbury drops to 9-16.

St. Joe’s used an 8-4 run over the final 2:57 of the first half to take a 32-24 lead into the break. The Nighthawks outscored the Monks 9-0 to begin the second half and went up 33-32 after two free throws by Steven Morris at 15:39.

The Monks regained the lead for the final time after two free throws by Bernard Castor (Mattapan, MA) at 10:57. Rookie Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY) netted 10 of his 15 points in the second half and added 7 rebounds to his 3 from the first half.

Senior Noah LaRoche (Exeter, NH) turned in a solid performance on “Senior Night” with 12 points, 7 boards and 5 assists.

The Nighthawks were led by sophomore Arch Mitchell (Framingham, MA) with 17 points, while junior Sonny Abraham (Lynn, MA) had 11 points, 9 boards and sophomore Ivan DaSilva (Brockton, MA) had 11 points.

The teams will face each other again in the 6 p.m. semifinal game of the Association of DIII Independents Northeast Regional Tournament at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania on Friday, February 24. Mitchell College (CT) will play host Lincoln in the 8 p.m. game. The consolation game will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 25, and the championship game is at 3 p.m.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

February 18-19, 2006 - Men's Basketball Completes Double-Header
Sweep of County Crew

STANDISH, MAINE - Freshman Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY) scored 19 of his team-high 21 points in the second half as the Saint Joseph's College Monks (16-7) overcame a one-point half-time deficit (20-21) to hold off the U-Maine Fort Kent Bengals (12-14), 75-69. The Monks also got assistance from juniors Matt Plummer (Naples, ME) with 14 points and 6 rebounds, and Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) with 13 points and 9 boards.

Rytis Kriunas (Vilnius, Lithuania) led the Bengals and all scorers with 25 points, while teammates Darius Parker Wyitapitlock, ME) and Billy Russo (Farmington, ME) each contributed 14. Russo also pulled down 10 rebounds and Hamill Bassue (St. Kitts, SKB), 12.

Sunday found the Monks hosting the Owls of U-Maine Presque Isle for a 2 p.m. tipoff. The Monks, led by Matt Plummer's 14 points and 8 boards, dominated the court, going into the break up 36-18. The entire Monks bench got minutes in this contest, closing it out at 71-34.

The Owls were led by freshman Brett Miles (Littleton, ME) with 11 points and sophomore captain Jon Cooley (Palms, CA) with 10 rebounds.

Saint Joseph's hosts the Nighthawks of Newbury College (MA) for Senior Night in a double-header with the women, Tues., Feb. 21, at 7:30 PM.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2/14/06 - Polar Bears win over Monks, 82-74

BRUNSWICK, Maine - Five Bowdoin players reached double figures as the
Polar Bear (16-8) pulled out an 82-74 win over Saint Joseph's College on Tuesday evening. The Monks drop to 15-7 with the loss.

Bowdoin came out red-hot in the opening frame and led 23-7 after nine minutes. The Polar Bears connected on 57% of their shots in the opening stanza to the Monks' 38% and held a 39-27 lead at intermission.

Despite a second-half rally, where the Monks stormed back shooting 59%, they were only able to chip away at the Bowdoin lead, trimming it down to five points, 65-60, with five minutes on the clock, but the Polar Bears would not be denied, going on a 12-0 run to seal the contest.

Saint Joseph's was led by junior Matt Plummer (Naples, Me.) with 16 points and senior Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, Me.) with 13.

The Monks return to action this weekend for a homestand versus the "County" schools, hosting Maine-Fort Kent at 3 PM on Saturday, Feb. 18, and Maine-Presque Isle at 2 PM on Sun. 2/19.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2/12/06 - Monks Hold Off Husson

Standish, Maine - Thanks to the double-digit scoring efforts of senior Noah LaRoche (Exeter, NH) with 13 points, and the duo of junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) and freshman Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY) with 10 apiece, the Saint Joseph’s College Monks (15-6) came away with a 67-60 victory over rival Husson College (14-9).

Husson held a 22-13 lead 10 minutes into the game thanks in part to Buddy Leavitt’s scoring 16 of his game-high 24 points in the first half (6-12 from behind the arc). The Monks and Eagles traded scoring runs over the next 6 minutes before the Monks took their first lead of the game 33-32 with 2:33 left to go. Noah LaRoche paced the comeback by scoring 11 of his 13 points in the first half and the Monks went into the break up by three, 39-36.

Husson went on a 10-3 run it the first four minutes of the second half to take a 46-42 lead before the Monks answered back with a 12-2 scoring run taking the lead for good, 52-50, with 9:23 left to play.

Aside from Leavitt’s 24 points, the Eagles got 12 points and 7 boards from Phil White, and Tyler Muzzy chipped in with 11 points.

The Monks return to action on Tuesday night for a 7 PM game at Bowdoin College, while Husson hosts Thomas College for a 7:30 tipoff.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2/9/06 - St. Joe’s Pulls Away from UNE

STANDISH, MAINE – Senior Noah LaRoche (Exeter, NH) scored a game-high 19 points to lead Saint Joseph's College to a 57-46 victory over University of New England before a packed Alfond Center crowd. The Monks improve to 14-6 while the Nor’easters drop to 7-14 on the season.

St. Joe’s went into the break up 22-18 after a low scoring first half which saw only 7 field goals from each team. The Monks went on to outscore UNE 35-28 in the second half, making 12 of 14 from the foul line.

Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) had 10 points and 8 boards and freshman Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY) had 8 points, 6 boards and 4 steals for St. Joe’s.

Junior Mark Regis (Monroe, NH) had 12 points and senior Matt McManus (Cumberland, RI) had 11 points for the Nor’easters.

Both teams are back in action on 2/12 as St. Joe’s hosts Husson College at 3:00 p.m. and UNE takes on Salve Regina in Newport, RI at 3:00 p.m.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2/6/06 - Monks Win on the Road

FARMINGTON, ME - Saint Joe’s Noah LaRoche (Windham, ME) converted three key free throws in the final :30 to seal a 72-64 win over UMaine-Farmington in Dearborn Gym. LaRoche finished with a game high 24 points.

The Beavers received a 21-point, eight-assist effort from senior Travis Magnusson (Thomaston, ME,) but could not rally in the second half, despite drawing close on several occasions.

A Matt St. John (Wayne, ME) lay-up with 9:24 left to play in the opening half gave UMF a 21-14 lead, but Saint Joe’s went on a 17-2 run, punctuated by a Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) dunk, to give the Monks a 31-23 lead with :47 left to play.

Saint Joe’s lead grew to 11 early in the second half, but a Travis Carrier (Auburn, ME) basket cut the deficit to just two, 40-38 with 12:38 left to play. Saint Joe’s once again put together a run, extending the lead back to 10, 50-40, with 9:35 to play before the Beavers drew to within one, 56-55, following a Magnusson lay-up at the 4:32 mark. A 9-1 Saint Joe’s run pushed the lead back to nine, 65-56, with 2:32 remaining although a steal and three-pointer from Isaac Hutchinson (Oakland, ME) cut the lead to four, 68-64, before the Monks sealed the game at the free throw line.

Chad Pulkkinen chipped in with 14 in the winning effort for Saint Joe’s (13-6).

The Monks take on the Univ. of New England Nor'Easters in a doubleheader with the women's team on Thurs., Feb. 9 at 7:30 PM.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2/1/06 - Huskies Hold on to Defeat Monks, 60-54

STANDISH, MAINE – The USM Huskies(10-10) survived a second half rally by the Monks (12-6) to earn a 60-54 victory at the Alfond Center on Wednesday night.

The teams traded baskets for most of the first half with USM going into the break up by 10, 37-27 after a 7-0 run late in the half. The Huskies controlled the game for the first five minutes of the second half, building a 12-point lead.

Two baskets by freshman Mitch Ouellet (Fort Kent, ME) cut the lead to 8 and sparked the St. Joe’s comeback with just over 12 minutes to play. The Monks stayed within striking distance and closed it to within 1 on a jumper by junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) at 7:39. Senior Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, ME) tied the game at 54 with a shot at 2:16 but the Huskies pulled away on a jumper by Walter Phillips and a lay up by Bill Hardwick. Josh Daniels sealed the victory for USM, sinking two free throws with 14 seconds to play.

The Monks were led by Mitch Ouellet with a season-high 14 points, 10 boards, and freshman Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY) with 11 points.

St. Joe’s travels to Maine Farmington for a 7:30 game on 2/6/06.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/29/06 - St. Joe's Completes Sweep with Victory over Fort Kent

FORT KENT, MAINE - Saint Joseph 's College (12-5) closed out the trip to "the County" with a 72-56 victory over Maine-Fort Kent. The Monks came out firing 47% from the field and went into half time up 41-23.

Seniors Matt Plummer (Naples, ME) and Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, ME) both had 15 points and Noah LaRoche (Exeter, NH) had 14 points. Junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) had 12 points.

Fort Kent 's Rytis Kriunas scored 21 points but St. Joe's connected on 12 of 23 field goal attempts (52%) in the second half to seal the victory.

The Monks' next challenge is the USM Huskies - Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/28/06 - Fourteen Monks Score in Win over Presque Isle

PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE – The Saint Joseph’s College men’s basketball team improved to 11-5 with a 79-57 win at Maine Presque Isle. Three Monks registered double figures and 14 players scored in the lop-sided contest.

D-3 Independent Player of the Week senior Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, ME) led the way with 16 points including 4/7 from behind the arc.

St. Joe’s held a comfortable 46-31 lead at the break and maintained a sizeable lead throughout the second half despite the efforts of Presque Isle’s Brett Miles who finished with 26 points.

Senior Matt Plummer (Naples, ME) recorded 11 points, 5 boards and junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) had 10 points and 5 boards.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/30/06 - Pulkkinen Named Association of Division III Independents
Men’s Basketball Player of the Week

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – St. Joseph’s College (Maine) senior guard Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, Maine) has been named the Association of Division III Independents men’s basketball Player of the Week. In a 3-0 week, Pulkkinen shot 62% (18-29) from the field and 64% (11-17) from behind the arc while averaging 16.3 points per game. He recorded 18 points in a 99-91 overtime victory over Thomas College, including a steal and two free throws with 27 seconds to go to seal the overtime win and added 16 points in a 79-57 victory over the University of Maine-Presque Isle. Pulkkinen is coached by Rob Sanicola.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/25/06 - MONKS NIP TERRIERS WITH A COMEBACK OVERTIME WIN AT HOME, 99-91 - Matt Plummer and Elbie Murphy Combine for the Monks’ last 27 of 35 points

Standish, ME – Freshman Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY) scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half and overtime as Saint Joseph's College (10-5) posted a 99-91 come-from-behind victory over Thomas College (4-11) in a non-conference men's basketball game on “The Lake” in Standish Wednesday evening.

Murphy stepped up after going just 1-for-4 from the floor in the first half. After a sluggish first 20 minutes, he responded after halftime going 6-for-9 from the floor, including 10-for-12 from the line to lift the Monks to the come-back win.

Senior Noah LaRoche (Exeter, NH) recorded only the third triple double in Saint Joseph's College history with 15 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds. The last time a triple double was earned by a Monk was back in 1999 by Saint Joseph's Head Coach Rob Sanicola. Steve Schuler was the first Monk player ever to accomplish that feat.

Matt Plummer (Casco, ME) led the Monks with 26 points and 12 rebounds and Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, ME) was the fourth Monk to score in double figures hitting for 18 points.

The Monks held a 30-to-39 free throw advantage in the second half and overtime. Thomas College was 10-of-15 on the night.

Thomas freshman Aecio Madeira led all scorers with 31 points and 12 rebounds. He was 15-of-28 from the floor.

The Monks return to action this weekend on a roadtrip to “the County” for doubleheaders with the women’s team at Maine-Presque Isle and Maine-Fort Kent.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/21/06 - Monks Subdue Nighthawks

BROOKLINE, MA -- Saint Joseph’s College staved off a late flurry by Newbury College and held on for a 76-65 victory.

The Nighthawks gave the Monks a scare when, after trailing by as many as 17 in the second half, they cut the deficit to 10 before St. Joe's handed Newbury the dagger. Junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, Niceville, FL) drained a three-pointer that effectively put the game out of reach for the Nighthawks. Newbury could not solve Saint Joseph’s potent offensive attack.

The Monks were led by Elbie Murphy, who scored 19 points. Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, Windham, ME) Noah LaRoche (Exeter/Exeter, NH) and Matt Plummer (Naples/Maples, ME) all hit for 15. Arch Mitchell led all scorers with 20 points for the Nighthawks.

Newbury falls to 7-8, while Saint Joseph’s College improves to 9-5.

Next game for the Monks is at home versus the Thomas College Terriers on Wednesday, January 25 at 7 PM.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/17/06 - Bates Holds Off Saint Joseph's Comeback

LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates College men's basketball team overpowered Saint Joseph's College 68-54 in a non-league game Tuesday night, outrebounding the Monks 41-30 and outscoring them on second-chance points 22-3.

The Bobcats are now 12-2, with a nine-game win streak dating back to Nov. 30; the Monks stand at 8-5.

Rob Stockwell led Bates with game highs of 17 points and 10 rebounds, and a team-high three assists. Bryan Wholey added 16 points and eight rebounds, and Zak Ray chipped in with 10.

R. J. Mattison came off the bench to lead St. Joseph's (8-5) with 12 points. The Monks were held to 36.4 percent shooting from the floor, including 26.9 percent in the first half, as Bates built a 30-17 halftime advantage.

With a pair of 3-pointers by first-year reserve Scott Place sandwiched by treys from Stockwell and Ray, the lead grew steadily to 59-32 with 8:37 left in the game, until a pair of threes by Chad Pulkkinen began a late surge by St. Joseph's.

Elbie Murphy scored six points with a team-high eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks for the Monks.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/15/06 - St. Joe’s Edges Maine Maritime

STANDISH, MAINE – Senior guard Noah LaRoche (Exeter, NH) scored 18 points, grabbed 5 boards, had five steals and dished out 4 assists in a 58-55 victory over Maine Maritime. St. Joe’s improves to 8-4 on the season while Maritime dropped to 3-8.

The Mariners jumped out to a quick lead and went up by as many as 16 points in the first half. Junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) scored 6 of his 15 points in the final 3 minutes of the half to close the gap to 25-23 going into the break.

In a second half that featured 4 ties and 5 lead changes, the Monks went up for good, 55-53, on two LaRoche free throws with 11 seconds to play. St. Joe’s junior Matt Plummer (Naples, ME) added 11 points and freshman Mitch Ouellet (Fort Kent, ME) had 8 points and 11 boards.

Maine Maritime was led by junior Marc McCorrison (Knox, ME) with 12 points and senior B.J. Dunlap (Norridgewock, ME) with 11 points.

Saint Joseph's College returns to action on 1/17 for a 7 p.m. game at Bates College while the Mariners take on Thomas College on 1/18 at 5:30 p.m.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/10/06 - Men's Basketball Sweeps on West Coast Trip

Saint Joseph's College men's basketball returned to the snowy shores of Sebago Lake from sunny California with two more games in the win column after completing a sweep of their two "left coast" opponents, UC Santa Cruz and Colorado College at UCSC's "Slugjam '06."

After recovering from their 14-hour travel day on 1/1/06, the Monks rallied to take on the University of California at Santa Cruz Banana Slugs on Wednesday, January 4th at 7 p.m. on their home turf. The game was played in a gym reminiscent of our old "Chamber of Horrors."

Saint Joseph's had the opportunity to watch the Slugs play against the Colorado College Tigers the day before and took advantage of several mistakes by the Slugs to come from 10 points down in the first half, eventually handing the Slugs a 67-76 loss.

The Slugs opened the game pressing St. Joe's and causing numerous turnovers to take a first half lead. Saint Joe's shot a disappointing 29.6% in the first half with 19 turnovers. The Slugs were up by 10 points with 3:11 left in the first half until the Monks went on a run with 1:43 left to play, sparked by a jumper by junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL), which eventually cut the Slugs' lead down to three as the teams headed into the locker rooms.

The second half was a different story as St. Joe's came out and put it to the out-of-sync Slugs, scoring 53 points to take the lead and put the Slugs away for good. The Monks shot 72.4% in round two and were up by as many as 16 with 2:58 left in the game.

The Slugs were led in scoring by Murphy Holmes and Jon Miller with 14 points each and DIII Independents Player of the Week Jimmy Herrera with 12 points.

Saint Joseph's had four players in double figures: Marcus Alexander (15), Chad Pulkkinen (12), newcomer Elbie Murphy (11) and Matt Plummer (10).

The Monks went on to face Colorado College at UC Santa Cruz on Sunday, January 8th at 1 p.m.

The Monks took control early in the game paced by Chad Pulkkinen's smooth hand - Pulkkinen was 3-for-4 from the 3-point line for the first half, netting a total of 11 points - and Matt Plummer's perfect shooting (3-3 FG, 2-2 FT), good for 8 points.

St. Joe's got into foul trouble early though, and starters Marcus Alexander and Noah LaRoche spent more time on the bench than they usually do. While the Monks led by 8 at the half, 33-25, they carried 8 total fouls into the locker room with them.

A scrappy Tiger team was not to be taken down easily, however, and came back after the break with a new determination, cutting the Monks' lead, which had hovered around the 8-point mark for the first 15 minutes of play, down to 1 with 5:01 on the clock. CC went on to tie it up twice before the Monks regrouped and went ahead for good, winning by 8, 67-59, when the final horn sounded.

Chad Pulkkinen led the Monks and all scorers with 18, followed by Adam Mares of Colorado College with 17. Matt Plummer had 12 points for St. Joe's, Elbie Murphy and Marcus Alexander each chipped in 9 and Noah LaRoche had 7 points and 3 assists.

In addition to Mares, the Tigers had two other players in double figures, Nate Brodman with 12 and Kyle Keefe with 10.

The Monks' record now stands at 7-4 and they have won 6 of their last 7 games.

The team returns to the familiar confines of the Alfond Gym to play in a doubleheader with the women's team on January 15th vs. Maine Maritime Academy. The women tip off at 1 p.m. followed by the men at 3 p.m.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/30/05 - THE MAINE EVENT - Husson Holds Off St. Joseph's, 73-71, to Win

GORHAM, Maine -- Senior forward Phil White (Temple Hills, Maryland), the tournament Most Valuable Player, led five players in double-figures with a double-double, netting 18 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds, to lead the Husson College Eagles to a 73-71 win over the St. Joseph's College Monks in the championship game of The MAINE Event Friday night. The game was played at Warren Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine.

The Eagles, winners of two consecutive games, improve to 4-5 overall. The loss dropped the Monks' overall record to 5-4.

Despite building up a 14-point lead, 40-26, early in the second half, the Eagles found themselves trailing by a point, 51-50 with 11 minutes to play, following a 25-10 spurt from the Monks. Junior forward Marcus Alexander (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) scored seven of his game-high 23 points in the run.

From there both teams battled back and forth as the score was tied five more times in the final 10 minutes of the game. The game's final tie came at the 2:01 mark, as the Monks' freshman forward Mitch Ouellet (Fort Kent, Maine/Fort Kent) drained a mid-range jumper for two of his six points, knotting up the score at 68 points each.

The Eagles then took control of the game from the charity stripe knocking down five of their six free throws down the stretch for the win. White put the Eagles ahead for a good after getting fouled while grabbing an offensive rebound and hitting one of two free throws. Jason Harvey (Bucksport, Maine) then drained four consecutive free throws in the final 20 seconds of the game to seal the win for the Eagles.

St. Joseph senior guard Noah LaRoche (Exeter, N.H.) was the only other Monk player in double-figures scoring 10 points on a 4-for-8 effort from the floor. LaRoche added five rebounds and four assists for the game.

St. Joseph's College shot a solid 47.4 percent from the field (27-of-57), but was hampered by 21 turnovers in the game. Husson finished the game shooting 40.6 percent from the field (26-of-64) and was 15-of-19 from the free throw line for a 78.9 percent mark.

White, who earned Most Valuable Player honors, was joined by teammate Leavitt on the all-tournament team. St. Joseph's Alexander was also named to the all-tournament team along with Southern Maine's Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer) and Colby College's Mark Gaudet (Bingham, Maine/Valley).

The Monks returns to action at 7 PM on Tuesday (Jan. 3) at University of California-Santa Cruz.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/29/05 - The MAINE Event - St. Joseph's Edges Southern Maine, 63-62

GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Matt Plummer (Naples, Maine/Lake Region) dropped in a lay-up in the closing seconds of the game to lift the St. Joseph's College Monks to a 63-62 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in the second game of The MAINE Event tournament Thursday night, played at Warren Hill Gymnasium on the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine.

With the win, St. Joseph's College improves to 5-3 and will play the Husson College Eagles in the championship game Friday at 8:00 p.m. Husson advanced to the championship game with a thrilling 77-75 win over the Colby College Mules.

Plummer finished the game with eight points and six rebounds for the Monks. Junior guard Marcus Alexander (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) led all scorers with 17 points and six rebounds. Senior guard Noah LaRoche (Exeter, N.H./Exeter) was the only other St. Joseph's player in double-figures tossing in 12 points.

Four players reached double figures in scoring for USM led by 14 points from sophomore guard Walter Phillips (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy). Sophomore guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./Maine Central Institute) and senior forward Bill Hardwick (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) each netted 13 points for the Huskies while sophomore guard Andy Frost (Brewer, Maine/Brewer) chipped in with 12 points.

In a see-saw second half that included nine lead changes and 14 ties, both teams battled evenly in a hotly contested game. Southern Maine's Phillips grabbed an offensive rebound and sank the put-back to knot the score up at 61- 61, for the final tie of the game, with 48 seconds to play, before the Huskies took a slim one-point lead.

The Monks' Alexander missed a lay-up in St. Joseph's ensuing possession and the Huskies' Daniels came up with a big defensive rebound and was fouled in the process. Daniels knocked down the second of two free throws to put the Huskies up 62-61 with 24 seconds to play, setting up Plummer's heroics.

In the final St. Joseph's College possession, Plummer drove hard against the baseline and knocked down a lay-up in traffic, putting the Monks ahead 63-62 with just eight seconds on the clock. Plummer, who was fouled on the play, missed the free throw for the three-point play, giving the Huskies a final shot at the game, but Southern Maine sophomore guard Foster Oakley's (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue) three-point attempt in the final seconds was blocked by Alexander.

St. Joseph's shot 37.3 percent from the field (22-of-59), knocking down 22 of 59 attempts from the floor.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/11/05 - Monks Take Terriers for a Walk

Waterville, ME - Matt Plummer had 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Monks beat the Terriers of Thomas College 83-71 at Waterville. Noah LaRoche finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds.

The Monks are on Christmas break until they return to action during a 10-day west coast trip, during which they will face UC Santa Cruz (Jan. 4) and Colorado College at UC Santa Cruz (Jan. 8).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/7/05 - ALEXANDER NETS 29 TO LEAD ST. JOE'S PAST FRAMINGHAM STATE
Monks Put an End to Rams' 11-Game Winning Streak

Framingham, MA - Framingham State's 11-game home winning streak dating back to last season was snapped tonight as the Rams fell to Saint Joseph’s College, 80-69 in non-conference action.

The Rams led the game 8-7 with 15:27 remaining in the first half before St. Joe’s went on a 21-6 run over the next nine minutes to open up a 14-point lead with 6:39 left. Junior Marcus Alexander led the way with 19 first half points on 9 of 10 shooting from the floor and 5 rebounds. The Rams battled back behind junior Derek Wigman’s 10 first half points and went into the half down by only six.

In the second half, St. Joe’s was able to maintain a slim lead until senior Omar Almodovar converted a lay up with 14:04 remaining to put the Rams ahead at 44-43. St. Joe’s tied the game and went ahead for good with 13:19 remaining as freshman Elbie Murphy converted two free throws. St. Joe’s then went on an 18-8 run over the next seven minutes to open up a nine-point lead at 61-52 which they would not relinquish.

Alexander finished the night with a game high 29 points on 14 of 16 shooting with 7 rebounds, while Murphy finished with21 points and 8 steals. Wigman led the Rams with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Monks next play at Thomas College on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3 PM.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/3/05 - Alexander’s 23 Points Lifts Monks over Maine-Machias

STANDISH, MAINE – Junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) scored 23 points with 5 assists and 4 steals to lead St. Joe’s (2-3) to a 77-64 victory over Maine Machias (0-5). Junior Matt Plummer (Naples, ME) and first year Elbie Murphy (Loundonville, NY) scored 13 and 10, respectively.

The Monks went up by as much as 23 points in the first half but the Clippers fought back to close the gap, 32-29 at the half. Sophomore Charles Calligan (Manchester, ME) had 21 points for Machias including 5 for 10 from behind the arc.

Senior captain Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, ME) pulled down a game-high 15 boards and added 7 points and 4 assists in the win.

The team travels to Framingham State College on 12/7 for a 7:30 pm game.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11/30/05 - Monks Fall Short in OT

Lyndonville, VT - Lyndon State College outscored St. Joe’s 15-10 in overtime to earn a 76-71 victory last night. The Hornets held a slim one-point lead, 33-32, at the half and St. Joe’s took the second half by a point, knotting the score at 61-61 at the end of regulation.

Three players scored in double figures for St. Joe’s: junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) had 16 points on 7 for 15 shooting and pulled down a game-high 9 boards; senior captain Chad Pulkinnen (Windham, ME) recorded 14 points, 4 steals and junior Matt Plummer (Naples, ME) chipped in with 13 points and 3 steals.

The Hornets were led by Tanner Price with 23 points and Chris Dorsey with 21 points.

The Monks return to action on Saturday, Dec. 3, as they host the Clippers of Maine-Machias at 12:00 noon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11/22/05 - Maine-Farmington Edges St. Joe’s in Home Opener

Standish, ME – The University of Maine Farmington held on to defeat St. Joe’s 54-52 in front of a large crowd in the home opener at the Alfond Center. Farmington outscored St. Joe’s by one point in each half to earn the hard-fought road victory.

Leading the way for UMF was Matt St. John with 17 points on 5 of 8 shooting from behind the arc. Junior Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) had 16 points and 6 boards fro St. Joe’s while freshman Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY) had 10 points and 6 rebounds.

Farmington went up by 7 with 2:47 to play on two free throws by Tom Labrie but the Monks cut it to 4 as Alexander and Murphy made free throws. Senior captain Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, ME) stole the ball with 56 seconds to play and Alexander scored on an offensive rebound to bring St. Joe’s within 2, 54-52. Pulkinnen had another steal with 30 seconds to go but the Monks missed two jumpers in the final 10 seconds of the game.

The St. Joe’s squad returns to action on 11/30 at Lyndon State (VT) at 7:30 p.m.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11/19/05 - Saint Joseph's Defeats Oberlin in Vassar Invitational Consolation Game

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - The Monks used a 14-1 surge in the first six minutes of the second half to break open a 27-27 halftime tie and defeated Oberlin College (Ohio) 66-54 in the consolation game of the Vassar College Invitational on Saturday at the Athletic Center.

Junior forwards Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL/Niceville) and Matt Plummer (Naples, ME/Lake Region) keyed the Monks' second half attack and finished with 15 and 14 points respectively. Alexander added 11 rebounds and was 7-of-11 from the field to help St. Joseph's even up their record at 1-1.

The Monks led by as many as 16 in the second half following a three-point field goal by freshman guard R.J. Mattison (Hamden, CT/Hamden) to push the score to 48-32 with 10:48.

Oberlin (0-2) tried to rally and cut the Monks lead to seven with 4:54 remaining after freshman forward Noah Goldman (Oldsmar, FL/Lake) hit a pair of free throws to make it 57-50. From there, Alexander and Plummer scored the next seven points for St. Joseph's and Monks took a 64-52 lead with 1:40 remaining.

In a first half that featured five ties and seven lead changes, St. Joseph's built a 20-13 lead behind the shooting of Noah LaRoche (Exeter, NH/Exeter) and Plummer. The duo combined for 17 of the Monks' 27 first half points. Oberlin would erase St. Joseph's seven point advantage to take a one point lead with 58 seconds remaining on a three-pointer by sophomore guard Quinton Spencer (Chicago, IL). LaRoche however answered with a running one-hander up as time expired to send the two teams into half time even at 27.

The Monks open at home on Tuesday, Nov. 22 versus Maine-Farmington at 7 PM.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11/18/05 - Vassar Men's Basketball Rallies Past Saint Joseph's
at Vassar Invitational Opener

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY -- Freshman guard Brian Butterworth (Hamilton, MA/Hamilton-Wenham) sank a three-point field goal with 7:00 minutes remaining to give Vassar a 53-51 lead, a margin the Brewers wouldn't relinquish and sophomore forward Lawrence Avitabile (Southingotn, CT/Southington) scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the final seven minutes to propel Vassar past St. Joseph's, 66-63, in the opening round of the Vassar College Invitational Friday evening at the Athletic Center.

The victory puts Vassar in the championship game on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. The Brewers will face either Oberlin College or Elms College.

Butterworth's three-pointer gave the Brewers a 53-51 lead with seven minutes remaining and set the stage for a strong Vassar finish. Avitabile then sank two free throws with 6:40 to play to extend the Brewers lead to 55-51. Avitabile, last year's Liberty League Rookie of the Year, scored six of his 10 points in the final seven minutes from the foul line to cap off a 12-of-16 evening from the charity stripe.

Trailing 32-28 at the intermission, Avitabile gave Vassar its first lead since the opening minute when he sank a jumper to put the Brewers in front 35-34 early in the second half. Vassar extended its lead to 40-36 before St. Joseph's responded with a surge of its own. Freshman forward Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY/ Albany Academy) scored five points during a 7-0 Monks run to put St. Joseph's in front 49-44.

The Monks maintained their lead until the seven minute mark when Butterworth, who finished with seven points in his collegiate debut, gave Vassar the lead for good. Avitabile picked up where he left off last season with 10 rebounds to record his eighth career double-double.

Senior guard Will Byrne (Chelmsford, MA/Concord Academy) added nine points and hit two, three-point field goals for Vassar.

Led by the play of senior guard Noah LaRoche (Exeter, NH/Exeter) St. Joseph's jumped out to an early 10-4 advantage. Vassar settled down midway through the first half and Avitabile capped a 7-2 run to pull the Brewers within one at 17-16 with nine minutes left in the opening half.

The Monks answered with a 6-0 surge of their own and two free throws by Murphy put St. Joseph's back in front 23-16 with 8:19 left in the half. Murphy led the Monks with 19 points off the bench in his first collegiate game.

St. Joseph's led by as many as eight in the opening half on three occasions. A basket by junior forward Bernard Castor (Mattapan, MA/Lyman Ward Military) with 5:20 left in the half put the Monks in front 29-21.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10/7/05 - Saint Joseph's College Announces 2005-06 Men’s Basketball Schedule

Saint Joseph's College will be challenged early and often by a 2005-06 men's basketball schedule that features 17 in-state games, a nine-day trip to California, contests against traditional rivals University of Southern Maine and Husson College and games against in-state opponents Bates College, Bowdoin College, and University of New England.

The Monks will open the season in mid-November with four of their first five games away from “The Lake,” before playing the first of 10 home games against University of Maine at Farmington on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

Saint Joseph's College head coach Rob Sanicola returns three starters from last year's squad, and that experienced group will be tested immediately at the Vassar (NY) Tournament. The Monks will face host Vassar College in the opening round of the two-day tournament on Friday, Nov. 18. Elms College (MA) and Oberlin College (OH) round out the tournament field.

The Monks will travel to Lyndonville, Vermont, on Wednesday, November 30, to face the Lyndon State Hornets during a month-long stretch that includes road contests at Framingham State (Dec. 7), Thomas College (Dec. 11), Southern Maine (Dec. 29) for the Maine Event Tournament and the winner of Colby/Husson (Dec. 30).

Saint Joseph's College Men’s Basketball celebrates the New Year with a trip to the beautiful coast of California to play UC Santa Cruz (Jan. 4) and Colorado College (Jan. 8) on the UC Santa Cruz campus.

Saint Joseph's will begin play back at “The Lake” on Jan. 15 against Maine Maritime. The Monks will travel to Bates on Jan. 17 and Newbury Jan. 21 before returning home to face Thomas College on Jan. 25.

The Monks round out their road semester schedule traveling to “the County,” for games versus U-Maine Presque Isle (Jan. 28) and U-Maine Fort Kent (Jan. 29), followed by day-trips to U-Maine Farmington (Feb. 6) and Bowdoin College (Feb. 14).

Other teams making the trip to Saint Joseph's this season are Southern Maine (Feb. 1), University of New England (Feb. 9) and Husson College (Feb. 12). St. Joe’s will finish their last three games at “The Lake” with U-Maine Fort Kent (Feb. 18), U-Maine Presque Isle (Feb. 19) and Newbury College (Feb. 21).

The post-season concludes with the DIII Independents Championships on February 24th and 25th.

The Monks won seven consecutive regular season games to end last year, and three players who started those contests all return this year. Leading that group is 6-2 junior guard Chad Pulkkinen, who was third for the Monks in scoring (9.8 ppg) while earning Honorable Mention All-Independent honors in 2004-05. Also back are senior guard Noah LaRoche (9.1 ppg) and junior forward Marcus Alexander (8.3 ppg).