STANDISH, Maine — #2N Saint Joseph’s College (14-11, 10-7 GNAC) will take on #3S Regis College (14-11, 10-8 GNAC) in a Tournament Quarterfinals of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference ( GNAC) align :30 p.m.
OVERVIEW:
Tonight’s winner advances to the semifinals and meets the winner of another quarterfinal match between #4N Anna Maria College and #1S University of Saint Joseph – on Thursday, TBD time. The higher seed serves as the host throughout tournament play.
The winner of the GNAC championship game will automatically receive a seat at the 2023 NCAA DIII Men’s Basketball Championship beginning March 3.
BRACKETOLOGY:
Tuesday 21 February – QUARTERFINALS
GAME 1: #4S JWU at #1N Emmanuel – 5:30 p.m
GAME 2: #3N Colby-Sawyer at #2S Albertus Magnus – 7:30 p.m
GAME 3: #3S Regis at #2N Saint Joseph’s Maine – 7:30 p.m
GAME 4: #4N Anna Maria at #1S St Joseph CT – 7:00 p.m
Thursday 23 February – SEMIFINALS
GAME 5: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
GAME 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
Saturday 25 February – CHAMPIONSHIP
GAME 7: with highest seed remaining
SEASON AT A GLANCE:
Saint Joseph:
The Monks lead the conference with three points scored (11.0), attempted (31.1) per game and assists average (17.5), and rank third in the GNAC in points (1,971), scoring Average (78.8), FG% (46.0%). , and 3FG% (35.5%) Six different SJC players average at least 6.5 points per game, including four that average over 10.0 PPG. Saint Joseph’s have had 10 or more three-pointers in 18 different games this winter, while St. Joe’s have won six of their last eight games. The Monks are 10-1 at home this season and averaging 82.1 PPG
Regis College:
The Pride ranks second in the conference for FG% of Opponents (41.0%), fourth for 3FG% of Opponents (31.0%), and fifth in FT% (67.9%), 3FG attempts per game (22.6) and rebound average (38.2) Five Regis players contribute at least 8.4 PPG, including three with double-digit averages. The Pride have won seven of their last nine games
PLAYERS TO SEE:
Saint Joseph:
(#20) Graduate student guard Griffin Foley (Portland, Maine) leads four monks in double digits with 14.8 points per game and ranks among the GNAC leaders in assists (106, 3rd), field goals made (135, 7th) .), points (371, 9th) and scoring average (14.8, 9th) (#35). %) (#24) Freshman guard John Paul Frazier (York, Maine) averages 12.2 PPG and leads the GNAC – and ranks fourth in NCAA DIII – with 48.6% (54-111) 3FG% ( #3) Graduate guard Nicholas Curtis (Windham, Maine) nets 10.7 PPG and ranks third in GNAC in three-point matches (58); He recently became the Monks’ all-time leader in three-point field goals made (315)
Regis College:
(#20) Sophomore forward Russell Rau (Fitchburg, Mass.) averages 16.3 PPG and leads the conference in defensive rebounds (166); He also ranks second in FT% (85.1%), third in rebounding average (8.3) and total rebounds (214), and fifth in points (#2). RPG and 2.1 APG (#23) Freshman forward Jamir Harvey (Robbins, Illinois) averages 10.0 PPG and 5.0 RPG and ranks fifth in the GNAC in FG% (56.1%).
ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP:
Saint Joseph’s: Tyler Ackley – Season 2 (23-29, .442)
Tyler Ackley was named the fifth head coach in the history of the Monks Men’s Basketball program in September 2021. After leading the Royal Blues to a 9-18 overall record — and a 2-9 mark at home games — last season, Coach Ackley took the Monks to their first over .500 record since 2019 and a vastly improved 10- 2 brand at the Harold Alfond Center.
Ackley joins Saint Joseph’s from Colby College, where he served as The John “Swisher” Mitchell assistant coach for four years and in 2020 helped guide the Mules to their first-ever NESCAC championship game appearance as well as their first NCAA tournament Berth in 23 years.
Prior to Colby, Coach Ackley was an assistant coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University for three years, where he recruited and coached seven players who collectively received 14 All-Conference honors, including a Jostens Award winner, three D3hoops.com All-Americans and the Conference Most Valuable Player and NCAA Division III Final Four MVP.
Regis College: Nathan Hager – Season 16 (175-216, .448)
Nathan Hager has been the Regis men’s head basketball coach since the program began in 2007.
A native of Franklin, Penn., who was named Regis’ first men’s basketball coach in November 2006, led the 2007-2008 freshman year program to a competitive campaign with a 9-16 record. Hager quickly turned the Pride into a successful program, finishing the 2010–11 season with a 15–12 record and appearances in the Commonwealth Coast Conference and Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference post-season tournaments.
Coach Hager led the 2015 Pride to a New England Collegiate Conference Championship and the program’s first NCAA tournament berth.
THE LAST TIME WE MEET (SJC 68, Regis 58 Standish 2/14/23):
Those two teams met on the Monks’ home court exactly a week ago, when the Monks ended the opening frame with a 10-1 run to secure a 35-31 advantage before the break.
The hosts grabbed their first double-digit lead of the night when second guard Julian Llopiz (Boston, Mass.) hit a three-pointer to make it a 47-37 game with 11:07 to go. After eight unanswered points — including five from Teagan Hynes (York, Maine) — in two minutes, the Monks held a game-high 15-point cushion (57-42) with 7:07 on the clock.
Saint Joseph’s continued to lead by at least 10 points for all but one Regis possession at the stretch and held off the Pride, thanks in part to a 4-for-5 performance from the FT line in the final 46 seconds.
HISTORICAL TALK:
Saint Joseph’s is 4-1 in series history with Regis College.
GNAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY:
The Monks have never missed the GNAC tournament in 15 seasons as a member of the conference, winning at least one postseason competition in nine of their last 11 trips. Saint Joseph’s is 12-12 in GNAC tournament play with a GNAC Championship in 2009 and title game appearances in 2011 and 2014.
St Joe’s defeated Johnson & Wales, 89-81, on the road in a GNAC first round game last winter before losing in the quarter-finals to top seed University of Saint Joseph, 95-45.
The Pride are making their fourth postseason appearance in five seasons as a GNAC member, advancing to Tuesday’s quarterfinals with a 1-3 record in GNAC postseason play.
Regis achieved the first GNAC tournament win in program history with a 66-59 first round win over Colby-Sawyer last winter. The Pride then suffered a 99-89 quarterfinal loss to perennial GNAC contender Albertus Magnus.
Previously, Regis fell to Lasell University and the University of Saint Joseph in the 2018 and 2020 quarterfinals, respectively.
