WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team pushed No. 17 University of Saint Joseph (CT) to the brink in the 2020 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Game Sunday afternoon, falling by an 88-84 final score on the road at the O'Connell Athletic Center in West Hartford, Conn.

THE BASICS
FINAL: St. Joseph (Conn.) 88 | Albertus Magnus 84
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (22-5 Overall, 9-2 GNAC) | St. Joseph (Conn.) (26-2 Overall, 11-0 GNAC)
BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Blue Jays took the lead early in the contest, starting the game on an 8-2 run over the first 2:34. Delshawn Jackson Jr. began his strong showing from the start, scoring four of St. Joseph's (CT) eight points over the initial surge.

Albertus answered quickly, tying the score at 9-9 with a 7-1 run of its own over the next minute and a half. A pair of Terry Dawkins (Bronx, N.Y.) layups bookended a deep 3-pointer by Jahmerikah Green-Younger (Norwalk, Conn.).

The Falcons remained within 10 points until the 10:04 mark of the opening half, when the Blue Jays took a 24-14 advantage. St. Joseph (CT) maintained this lead for the remainder of the half, taking a 44-25 lead into the break.

Albertus began to whittle down the margin after the break, drawing within 10 points, 50-40, four minutes into the second half. Senior forward Damian Grant (Waterbury, Conn.) kicked off the Falcons' comeback with a layup and an emphatic two-handed dunk. Dawkins was also critical to the run, pouring in six points.

Down 70-60 with 7:32 left in the game, the Falcons began again to cut at the Blue Jays' advantage. Over the next four minutes, Albertus executed a 14-5 run to cut its margin to one, 75-74. The push began with a Tyreek Perkins (New Haven, Conn.) layup and a pair of free throws from the junior after he came down with a huge offensive board. Dawkins capped the run with a successful and-1 layup.

The Falcons continued to battle in the second half, earning their second tie of the day, 80-80, with 1:51 left on the clock. Following four straight points by Jackson Jr., Albertus found itself within two again, 84-82, following two more Dawkins' free throws. Unfortunately for the Falcons, the Blue Jays made their free throws late to hold on to the victory.

TEAM STATS

• Albertus - 44.6% FG | 41.7%3PT| 75.0%FT
• St. Joseph (Conn.) - 54.5% FG | 43.8%3PT| 56.8%FT
• This game had two ties and two lead changes.

KEY PERFORMERS
Albertus:

• Terry Dawkins - 27 points (9-13 FG, 9-9 FT) | 9 rebounds | 2 assists | 2 steals | 1 block
• Tyreek Perkins - 20 points (7-16 FG, 2-2 3PT, 4-5 FT) | 3 rebounds | 2 assists | 2 steals
• Jahmerikah Green-Younger - 10 points (3-7 FG, 2-3 3PT, 2-4 FT) | 2 assists | 2 steals
• Andrew Rice - 9 points (3-7 FG, 2-3 3PT, 2-4 FT) | 9 rebounds | 1 assist | 1 steal | 1 block

St. Joseph (Conn.):

• Delshawn Jackson Jr. - 46 points (16-23 FG, 6-9 3PT, 8-11 FT) | 7 rebounds | 1 assist | 1 block
• Jaecee Martin - 15 points (5-6 FG, 5-12 FT) | 4 rebounds | 2 assists | 3 steals

NOTEWORTHY

• The Falcons and Blue Jays are now tied in the all-time series with two wins apiece.
• After today, Albertus owns an all-time GNAC postseason record of 35-12.
• Today, the Falcons appeared in their ninth consecutive league championship game.
• Albertus is now 7-2 on the road this season. 
• The Falcons tallied 14 steals on the afternoon, their 15th game with double-digit steals. 
• Dawkins scored 20-plus points in the last two games for Albertus, doing so five times all season.
• Perkins also reached the 20-point plateau today, giving him five 20-point games this year. 
• With nine points and nine rebounds today, Andrew Rice (West Haven, Conn.) averaged 14.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game over the Falcons' three postseason contests. 
• Albertus won the battle on the boards, 39-34, as well as posted a 19-10 edge in second chance points. 
• The Falcons scored 44 of its 84 points in the paint.

GNAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

• Ej Day - Lasell
• Mike Rapoza - Anna Maria
• Terry Dawkins - Albertus Magnus
• Jahmerikah Green-Younger - Albertus Magnus
• Jaecee Martin - USJ
• Jordan Powell - USJ
• MVP - Delshawn Jackson Jr. - USJ