Standish, Maine – The Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team erased a 17-point halftime deficit to score a 56-52 victory over host Saint Joseph's (Maine) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Saturday afternoon at the Harold Alfond Center.

In the second half, the Falcons outscored the Monks, 34-13, to improve to 8-2 on the year and 5-1 in conference action. Saint Joseph's shot just 14 percent in the second stanza (4-of27) and missed 9-of-10 attempts from three-point range to drop to 4-9 overall and 1-5 in league tilts.

Freshman forward Shontaey Lovell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and sophomore forward Jaqhawn Walters (Hartford, Conn.) led the AMC rally in the second half, combining for 23 points and 11 rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting.

Over the first nine minutes of the second frame, Albertus Magnus opened on 18-4 run to cut the Monk lead to just three at 43-40 following a layup from Walters.

The Monks would answer with four straight points to build their advantage back to seven before the Falcons charged back to tie the game at 47 courtesy of four points from Lovell and a trey from sophomore guard Chaunce Dunbar (Windsor, Conn.).

Once again, SJC would take a lead and with 2:41 left in the contest a free throw from Walters knotted the tilt at 52. Down the stretch, Walters made a pair of shots and the Falcons held the Monks scoreless to escape with their fifth straight win against Saint Joseph's. Albertus Magnus held the hosts scoreless over the final 3:18 and without a field goal for the last seven minutes of action.

Clinging to a two-point lead during the final minute of play, Lovell recorded a pair of blocks defending the basket to keep the Monks off the board. 

In the first half, SJC shot over 59 percent from the field and held the Falcons to just 23 percent shooting to take the double digit lead. Albertus Magnus struggled from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes, converting just three of 15 attempts.

Offensively, Lovell continued to dominate conference play with a game-high 16 points and 11 boards. It marked the eighth time this winter the 6-5 big man recorded a double-double. Walters also had a double-double courtesy of a 15-point, 12-rebound performance and he scored the final seven points for the guests. Dunbar was the other Falcon in double figures with 12 points thanks to hitting four shots from three-point range.

Albertus Magnus returns to action on Monday, January 11, with a home non-conference clash against Baruch at 7:00 pm inside The Nest at Cosgrove Marcus Messer Athletic Center.

For the latest information on the men's basketball team and Albertus Magnus athletics, follow AMCAthletics on Twitter and visit AlbertusFalcons.com.