Huge Second Half Hoists No. 1 Men's Hoops Over Dean Tuesday, 81-54

FRANKLIN, Mass. – The Dean College men's basketball team dropped a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game against top-ranked University of Saint Joseph (USJ), 81-54, Tuesday evening in Pieri Gymnasium.  

The Blue Jays, who received 19 of the 25 possible first-place votes this week in the D3hoops.com national poll, are the last remaining unbeaten men's team in Division III.

Senior Mark Blair (Rosedale, N.Y.) paced the Bulldogs with 15 points, nine rebounds and four steals. Junior Jakobi Greenleaf (Houston, Texas) was 6-of-8 for 12 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Junior AJ Weston (Kansas City, Mo.) was the third Dean player in double figures with 11 points.

The Blue Jays received a game best 20 points from senior Delshawn Jackson Jr. (Hartford, Conn.). Graduate student Alec Kinder (West Haven, Conn.) was 7-of-9 from the floor to finish with 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in 23 minutes off the bench. Graduate student Ryan O'Neill (Litchfield, Conn.) added 16 points. Senior guard Jaecee Martin (Hartford, Conn.) contributed 15 points.

Dean took an early 8-5 lead after a Jayden Madise (Palmdale, Calif.) jumper. The next several minutes went back and forth with multiple ties and lead changes. A Kinder layup at 9:28 knotted the game at 18-18. USJ then used a 10-5 run, capped by a Jackson Jr. layup, to take a 28-23 lead with five minutes to play in the half. Dean battled back to eventually tie the score at 31-31 on a Weston lay-in, with 1:50 to play. The Blue Jays scored the final two buckets of the half to lead 35-31 after 20 minutes.

The Bulldogs remained within striking distance for the opening seven minutes of the second frame before USJ began to control the action in the paint and slowly pull away. The Blue Jays defense held Dean to five made buckets in the second.

USJ had a 46-24 margin in points in the paint and a 40-6 discrepancy in bench scoring.

The Blue Jays finished the game 44.6% (29-65) from the floor, while Dean shot 33.3% (17-51). At the free throw line, USJ made 18-of-23 and the Bulldogs were 18-of-35.