The Albertus Magnus men's basketball team opened 2011-12 GNAC play with a 77-72 win over Saint Joseph's College on Saturday afternoon in Standish, Maine. The Falcons' improve to 5-0 on the year with the win, while they handed the Monks (4-1) their first loss of the season.

Darius Watson (New Britain, Conn.) led the Falcons with 17 points as he posted his fifth-straight game in double figures. Three other Falcons scored in double digits, while senior Ray Askew (Hamden, Conn.) posted a 16-point, six-rebound effort.

Chris Cagle (New Haven, Conn.) shot 5-of-6 from the field for 10 points for Albertus, while Zach Dugas (Monroe, Conn.) added 13 points on a 6-of-8 showing from the floor. Arshad Jackson (Hartford, Conn.) pulled down 11 boards, while chipping in with seven points and five assists.

Saint Joseph's College took its largest lead of the day in the first minute of the contest as the Monks' Zach O'Brien hit two free throws to give them a 2-0 advantage 31 seconds into play. The Falcons' bounced back and put together a commanding 21-4 run in a span of 8:27 to take their largest lead of the afternoon of 15 points. During that run, Albertus was headlined by Dugas, who scored seven points and hit his lone three pointer of the contest.

The Monks finished the first half with a 8-0 run of their own as the Falcons missed its final five field goal attempts of the frame. Albertus shot 51.6% from the floor in the first half and took a five-point lead into the break at 38-33.

Saint Joseph's opened the second half with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 38 before taking a 41-40 lead with 17:39 left on the clock. Albertus answered once again and took the lead back, extending its advantage to 10-points with eight minutes to go.

Askew hit 7-of-10 from the free throw line in the second-half alone, while Jackson grabbed eight of his 11 rebounds in the frame as well.  

The Falcons secured the GNAC victory as they hit 6-of-8 free-throw attempts in the final 2:30 of the contest.

Saint Joseph's was held to a 39.1 shooting percentage in the first half as the Monks shot 9-of-23 from the floor. They also were 0-for-7 from behind the arc in the first frame. The Monks registered 27 of their 72 points from the free-throw line as they shot 27-of-36 for 75-percent.

The Falcons finished the afternoon with a shooting percentage of 48.4, while hitting 30-of-62 from the field.

Albertus returns to action on Tuesday night as the Falcons will host Medgar Evers at 7:30 p.m. in the Cosgrove Marcus Messer Athletic Center.