BOSTON, Mass. - The Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team continued its 11-season long streak of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship appearances, knocking off the Saints of Emmanuel (Mass.) College in the semi-final round by a final score of 75-71. 

Graduate forward Terry Dawkins (Bronx, N.Y.) led all players with a 27-point outburst, while Kevin Crawford (Bridgeport, Conn.) put together his best performance of the season with a 21-point showing.         

THE BASICS
Final: Albertus Magnus 75  | Emmanuel (Mass.) 71    
Records: Albertus Magnus (18-9) | Emmanuel (Mass.) (18-9)  
Box Score

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Emmanuel opened the game with a quick 5-1 spurt before the Falcons responded with a speedy 7-0 run and a made basket from Crawford to take an 8-5 advantage at the 15:08 mark.  
• The team would trade baskets over the next four minutes, including four straight points from Dawkins, running the score to 12-9. 
• Following an Emmanuel timeout, the teams played tight defense and locked each other down before a pair of made free throws from Malcolm Duncanson (West Haven, Conn.) pushed the Falcon lead to 18-13 with 7:21 left to play in the first frame.   
• The squads traded baskets for the next few minutes until a Crawford lay-up sparked a 4-0 push from the Falcons, expanding the visitor's lead to 28-20 with 3:47 left in the first frame.  
• The Saints closed out the half with an explosive 7-2 run to make it a 30-27 contest, heading into the halftime break. 
• Emmanuel started the second half with the hot hand, racing out of the gate with a 15-7 run to take the lead, 42-37.   
• Albertus stormed back with an 11-2 run to retake the lead, 48-44. Antonio Bonilla (Tenafly, N.J.) scored five points for the Falcons, including a critical three-point swoosh at the 14:18 mark to tie the game at 44-all.  
• The Falcons continued to battle and force the Saints into mistakes, surging ahead 50-45 with a 6-1 run that included baskets from Dawkins, Bonilla, and Tazhon Daniels (New Haven, Conn.). 
• The Saints responded with a 6-3 run to make it a two-point game, 53-51, before Dawkins scored on a traditional three-point play to give Albertus the 56-51 advantage with 8:49 left to play.  
• The teams traded baskets and ran the score to 61-56 with 5:20 left on the clock before a flurry of free throws from both sides pushed the score to 63-58. 
• Albertus created a 5-0 run on a lay-up from Justice Washington (Hamden, Conn.) and a three-point play from Crawford to expand their advantage to 10, 68-58. 
• A 10-5 run from the Saints pushed the score to 73-68 with 20 seconds left on the clock and the anticipation on both sides building.  
• The teams traded foul shots from there, with the Saints desperately trying to make up lost ground, but to no avail, as the Falcons held on to secure the 75-71 semi-final victory and return to the championship floor for the 11th straight time.  

TEAM STATS
Albertus: 35.6% FG | 5.3% 3PT | 66.7% FT
Emmanuel (Mass.): 42.9% FG | 25.0% 3PT | 73.9% FT

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS

Albertus:
Terry Dawkins - 27 points (9-21 FG, 0-1 3PT, 9-12FT) | 12 rebounds | 4 steals 
Kevin Crawford- 21 points (​​7-11 FG, 7-11FT) | 4 rebounds | 2 assists | 2 steals 

Emmanuel (Mass.):
Ryan Grijalva- 21 points (8-17 FG, 2-6 3PT, 3-6 FT) | 8 rebounds | 4 assists 
Donte Pope - 17 points (5-12 FG, 2-6 3PT, 5-8 FT) | 10 rebounds | 4 assists 
Bryant Ciccio - 14 points (3-7 FG, 2-6 3PT, 6-6 FT) | 1 rebound | 1 steal 

NOTEWORTHY

• Tonight's game marked the 41st all-time meeting between the Falcons and Saints.
• After tonight's win, the Falcons lead the all-time series 28-13. 
• Dawkins scored 20+ points for the ninth time this season.
• Crawford tallied a career-high in points with 21. 
• 2023 marks the fourth straight year that the GNAC will see the Falcons and the Blue Jays face off in the conference championship.   
• Albertus is heading to its 11th straight championship game appearance, just seven shy of Gonzaga University and Whitworth University championship appearances total of 18. 

UP NEXT
The Falcons continue their GNAC playoff quest on Sunday, February 26th, as the blue-and-white face-off against the No. 1 nationally ranked University of Saint Joseph's (CT) in West Hartford, Conn., at the O'Connell Athletic Center.