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Tale of the Tape: #7 USJ vs. #1 Albertus Magnus, For GNAC Title 
Posted: Feb 23, 2019

Tale of the Tape: #7 USJ vs. #1 Albertus Magnus, For GNAC Title 

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's basketball team is just hours away from its first-ever Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship game against Albertus Magnus College (AMC) in its inaugural men's basketball season. Here is a break down of the Connecticut Clash, the Battle of the Birds, and everything you need to know before tip-off.

How They Got Here

The Blue Jays (16-11, 5-6 GNAC) earned the seven seed in the GNAC Tournament, knocking off #2 Suffolk, 95-84, on February 19 in the Quarterfinals, before knocking off #6 Saint Joseph's (ME), 91-86, on February 21 in the Semifinals. USJ has a chance to win the GNAC Championship with three consecutive road victories.

The Falcons (19-7, 9-2 GNAC) earned the number one overall seed in the GNAC Tournament, defeating #8 Lasell, 99-79, on February 19 in the Quarterfinals, before taking care of business against #4 Emmanuel, 104-93, on February 21 in the Semifinals. Albertus Magnus is playing in their eighth consecutive GNAC Championship game.

Who To Watch

USJ: Freshman guard Chris Childs (Bronx, N.Y.) has been the Blue Jays most efficient scorer all season, despite starting only half of the team's games. Childs finished third in the GNAC in three-point field goal percentage (51%), and sixth in the GNAC in points per game (18.5). Childs has scored 20 or more points 15 times this season, including eight of USJ's final nine games (6-3). He has found ways to hit clutch shots at the right time and is capable of scoring in bunches. Childs was 7-for-16 from the floor with 22 points in an 88-84 loss vs. Albertus Magnus on February 5.

AMC: Freshman guard Davon Warner (New Haven, Conn.) has been on a tear the last five games, scoring 17 points or more, good for five Falcon victories. The last game he didn't reach 17? February 5 against USJ, where he scored just four points on 1-of-8 shooting. Warner, playing in front of family and friends Saturday, will look to avenge his latest performance against the Blue Jays with the GNAC Title at up for grabs.

Where to Watch 

The game is being held inside the Albertus Magnus College Cosgrove Marcus Messer Athletic Center:

  • Gym doors open at 12:00 p.m., one hour prior to tip-off. The gym capacity is roughly 700 people.
  • All tickets are first-come, first-serve: General Admission ($5), Senior Citizen ($3), 12U (Free) - No reserved seating.

There are other ways to watch/follow the GNAC Championship game:

A Tale of Two Coaches

The Blue Jays are coached by three-time NCAA Division I National Champion and basketball Hall of Famer, Jim Calhoun, who made his return to the hardwood after nearly a six-year absence. In a coaching career spanning more than four decades, Calhoun led the Huskies to basketball supremacy with National Titles in 1999, 2004 and 2011. Calhoun currently sits at 889 career wins, as he continues to close in on third-place Bobby Knight in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball All-time Wins List:

Mike Krzyzewski- 1,110

Jim Boeheim- 933

Bob Knight- 902

Jim Calhoun- 889

Dean Smith- 879

The Falcons are coached by Mitch Oliver, who picked up his 250th career win in AMC's semifinal victory over Emmanuel on February 21. Oliver's first season was his only losing record in his tenure, with GNAC Championships in 2010, 2012-2015, and 2017. Oliver is in his 12th season.

Blue Jay Archive

The Blue Jays are in their inaugural men's basketball season and will play in their first-ever title game. A win would give USJ its third GNAC Championship in school history (1996-97 Women's Basketball, 2000 Softball).

The Falcons have set the bar for GNAC Men's Basketball since its inception in 1995, winning seven GNAC Championships in 23 seasons (No other team has more than two). They have also appeared in the title game four other times and lost, for a total GNAC Championship game record of 7-4. This will mark the 12th appearance in the title game for the Falcons.

The Falcons have averaged 92 PPG in their seven title wins, and just 74 PPG in their four losses in the title game. They won it four straight times from 2012-2015 and last won in 2017.

Bottom Line

The Blue Jays are 3-7 in games decided by single digits this season, including an 88-84 loss to the Falcons on February 5, but Saint Joe's has come alive when it has mattered most, winning two road playoff games by an average of five and a half points. In order to bring home the trophy and earn a bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, they must be gutsy on the road one last time.

It is no secret that the Falcons are one of the most physical teams in Division III men's basketball. The Falcons led the GNAC in offensive rebounds per game with more than 15 a night. AMC was also plus 14 in second-chance points the last time these two teams did battle (and plus 10 on the glass), but the Blue Jays led the GNAC in total rebounds per game (45 RPG). It may very well come down to who wins the battle inside to claim GNAC supremacy.

Up Next
It's all on the line Saturday, February 23, when USJ heads down I-91 to New Haven to take on top-seeded Albertus Magnus in the GNAC Championship. Albertus Magnus defeated Emmanuel 104-93 in their Semifinal game Thursday evening. The winner earns a birth to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Tip-off is slated for 1:00 p.m. inside the Cosgrove Marcus Messer Athletic Center. The Blue Jays lost to Albertus Magnus, 88-84, on February 5 inside the O'Connell Center.

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