No. 1 Men's Basketball Upset by Albertus Magnus in GNAC Title Game, 83-79

WEST HARTFORD, CONN. – 

The Falcons opened the game strong, taking an early 4-1 lead, but were forced to call a timeout to prevent a tie-up at the 17:59 mark. AMC quickly increased the gap to five out of the timeout, but Jaecee Martin (Hartford, Conn.) sparked a 4-0 stretch after back-to-back driving layups that saw USJ get within one, 6-5 at the 17:24 mark. However, a Tazhon Daniels (New Haven, Conn.) triple moments later reestablished a Falcons four-point edge. Jalen Samuels (Franklin, Mass.) quickly sparked another 4-0 stretch with a jumpshot, capped off by a Ryan O'Neill (Litchfield, Conn.) cutting layup tied the game at 9-9 with 16:22 left in the first half. However, AMC followed up the run with a layup of their own from Justice Washington (Hamden, Conn.) to retake the lead, 11-9, entering the first media timeout at 15:46.

USJ gained momentum out of the break, leveling the score before an Alec Kinder (West Haven, Conn.) tip-in layup swung the lead back in the Blue Jays favor, 13-11, at the 14:40 mark. Martin followed up the layup with a tough driving layup of his own, increasing the gap to four, 15-11. However, a 6-0 AMC stretch, featuring four points from Daniels gave the lead back to the Falcons, 17-15, with 12:38 left in the half. O'Neill did not let the lead last long, quickly deadlocking the score at 17-17, but a Jacqual Gertrude layup at the 12:10 mark, retook the lead for the Falcons, 19-17, heading into a media timeout with 11:54 remaining in the first half.

O'Neill again did not let the Falcons lead last long, making three free-throws, first from a technical followed by a trip to the charity stripe after being fouled, giving the lead to USJ, 20-19, with 11:44 on the clock. The lead continued to swing back-and-forth, with USJ gaining the edge, 22-21, after Samuels slammed home a dunk at the 10:22 mark. Jake Sullivan (Branford, Conn.) increased the gap to three, 24-21, after draining a pair of technical free throws. O'Neill would make a sweet opposite hand layup to increase the lead to five, 28-23, but Robby Simmons (Hartford, Conn.) knocked down a pull-up elbow jumper to cut the deficit for AMC to three, 28-25, heading into a media timeout at 7:36.

It would be the Falcons that gained the momentum out of the media timeout, as a 6-0 stretch saw the visitors take a 31-30 lead at the 5:32 mark. Kinder would tie the game up at 31 a piece with a free throw, but Daniels turned defense into office, recording a steal from an outlet pass before making the easy layup, retaking the lead for AMC, 33-31, heading into the final media timeout of the first half with 3:28 on the clock. The Falcons would increase the gap to five, 39-34, after Jeyson Slade (Stamford, Conn.) made a tip-in layup at the 1:55 mark. USJ would not go away though, getting back within two, 41-39, with 32 seconds left in the half after a 4-0 Sullivan stretch. The Falcons would get one more chance late in the quarter, but Friedrich Feldrappe (Berlin, Germany) came up with a huge chase down block, keeping the score at 41-39 heading into the halftime break.

Samuels would keep the game within two after a pair of free throws to start the second half, but a 10-2 Falcons stretch saw AMC take a 52-43 edge at the 16:12 mark. USJ would try and pull back, as a 4-0 stretch brought the Blue Jays within five, 52-47 at the 15:14 mark. USJ continued to fight as a 4-0 run, capped off by a thunderous Samuels dunk, forced AMC to call for time, leading 54-51, at the 13:29 mark. AMC would respond as Slade scored four unanswered, reestablishing a seven-point edge, 58-51, with 12:41 left to play. However, USJ continued to fight, getting back within three after free throws from Samuels and Chaylyn Martin (Hartford, Conn.) brought the score to 58-54 as the game reached the under-12 media timeout. The Blue Jays continued to push back, as O'Neill knocked down a critical three-pointer from the top of the arc, bringing the hosts back within two, 64-62, at the 8:41 mark. However, Antonio Bonilla (Tenafly, N.J.) sunk a triple of his own, jumping the Falcons' lead back out to five, 67-62, entering a media timeout with 7:48 left to play.

The Falcons gained momentum out of the timeout, as a 7-2 stretch, reestablished a seven-point lead, 71-64, forcing USJ to call for a timeout with 6:14 left to play. AMC would increase the gap to eight, but the Blue Jays would not go down easy. Sullivan would drain a triple from the corner to bring USJ within five, at the 4:54 mark. Martin followed it up by sinking one of two-free throws, bringing the Blue Jays within four, 75-71, as the game reached the final media timeout with 3:58 left.