No. 6 USJ Wins Sixth Straight, Downs Dean In GNAC Opener, 98-67

FRANKLIN, Mass. — The No. 6 University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's basketball team was rarely under threat in a 98-67 rout of the Bulldogs of Dean College (DEAN), 98-67, in its Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) road opener inside Pieri Gymnasium Saturday afternoon. With the win, USJ extends its record-breaking start to the season to 6-0, including a 1-0 mark in GNAC play. Dean meanwhile dips to 5-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

The Blue Jays set a single-game record with 37 three-pointers attempted on the day, and made a season-high 13 of them (35%). It also marked the most triples made in a single game for Saint Joseph since they knocked down 15 against Castleton on Jan 6, 2020. Other records fell Saturday also as senior point guard Jaecee Martin (Hartford, Conn.) dished out a program-best 18 assists, shattering his own benchmark of 13, set in a 101-66 blowout of Rivier on Jan 25, 2020. Senior forward Jordan Powell (Middletown, Conn.) also tied for the second most made field goals in a game without a miss, shooting 9-for-9 on the day, one shy of his 10-of-10 performance against Albertus Magnus College back on Jan 29, 2020.

A total of 13 players scored for USJ, who dished out 29 assists as a team (one shy of the team record) on 52.7% (39-74) shooting from the field. Saint Joseph never trailed in this one, dominating the team stats across the board, including a 53-18 advantage in points off the bench and a 50-18 edge in points in the paint. Junior forward Jalen Samuels (Franklin, Mass.) finished with 11 points on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, to go along with five rebounds and four assists in his return back to Franklin, Mass. Senior guard Jared Simmons (Newington, Conn.) scored nine points, all from downtown, in his first appearance this season for the Blue Jays.

GAME INFORMATION 
Score: Saint Joseph 98, Dean 67 
Records: USJ 6-0 (1-0 GNAC), Dean 5-2 (0-1 GNAC)
Location: Pieri Gymnasium | Franklin, Mass. 

COACH QUOTE [Glen Miller] "We expected to face zone defense for 40 minutes, prepared for it, and executed very well all game. It was great to see Delshawn Jackson Jr. and Jared Simmons combine to make eight three-pointers! Ryan O'Neill has also been a high-performer from three this season. Our big-to-big passing versus the zone was also terrific. A fantastic effort all around by the team."

UP NEXT 
The Blue Jays will look to extend their record-breaking start to the season once again when they take on the Blazers of Elms College in their GNAC home opener on Thursday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m. You can secure your tickets, or catch all the action live on www.usjbluejays.com.

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