Men's Basketball Lose in Home Return Against St. Joseph's

CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Elms College Men's Basketball team hosted Saint Joseph's College of Maine for a conference game on Wednesday evening.

BASICS
Score: Elms College 74 | Saint Joseph's College of Maine 91
Records: Blazers 8-11, 2-4 (GNAC) | Monks 10-8, 5-0 (GNAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Elms opened the game with energy, as junior guard Andrew Ciaglo (Hadley, Mass.) scored the first basket of the night with a layup just 16-seconds in, assisted by senior forward/guard RJ Mayfield (Springfield, Mass.). Moments later, Ciaglo knocked down a three-pointer off  junior guard Arik Dagan (Southbury, Conn.) assist to give the Blazers an early 5-0 lead. Elms stayed active defensively early, grabbing multiple defensive rebounds to limit Saint Joseph's second chances, with Dagan and Ciaglo controlling the glass. After the Monks responded with back-to-back three-pointers to take the lead, the Blazers continued to battle offensively. Junior guard DJ Watkins (Union, N.J.) got Elms back on the board with a mid-range jumper, and later finished a layup in transition to cut the deficit to 18-11. The Blazers emphasized rebounding during this stretch, as Dagan, Watkins, and first year forward Jaedon Bogar (Aubrey, Texas) secured key defensive boards to slow Saint Joseph's momentum. Midway through the half, Elms found success inside following substitutions. First year forward/center Rayquan Anderson (Waterbury, Conn.) converted a layup off a pass from center/guard/forward Edgardo Jacob Cancel (Northampton, Mass.), and first year guard Jamie Lawson (Charlotte, N.C.) followed with a putback after an offensive rebound to make it an 18-15 game. The Blazers would continue to crash the boards, creating second-chance opportunities that kept the game within reach. As the half progressed, Elms mixed perimeter and interior scoring. Sophomore guard Jack Lo (Harahan, La.) scored on a layup after an offensive rebound by sophomore forward/guard Daniel Villanueva (Seymour, Conn.), while Cancel added a strong finish in the paint. Bogar later connected on a jumper to push Elms to 21-points, while the Blazers continued to pressure defensively with active hands and timely rebounds. Late in the half, Elms attacked the basket and earned trips to the free-throw line. Bogar, Dagan, Watkins, and Ciaglo combined to knock down key free throws, helping the Blazers stay close. Ciaglo added another layup off a Mayfield assist before closing the half with two three-pointers in the final 90-seconds, trimming the deficit heading into the break. At halftime, Elms trailed 49-39, but showed resilience throughout the opening half, totaling 15 made field goals, including multiple layups at the rim, four three-pointers, around 18 rebounds, and eight made free throws, setting a competitive tone going into the second half.

The Blazers opened the second half looking to cut into the deficit, but the Monks struck first with a three-pointer just 28-seconds in to extend the lead. Despite a pair of early missed threes, Dagan stayed active on the floor, grabbing both offensive and defensive rebounds to give Elms extra possessions. Mayfield would get the Blazers on the board at 18:50 with a strong layup, followed shortly by a Watkins jumper after another offensive rebound by Dagan to make it 54-43. Turnovers on both sides led to quick momentum swings, but Saint Joseph's capitalized with a three and a pair of free throws to stretch the lead. Elms responded through Mayfield again, who finished a layup and converted the ensuing free throw for a three-point play. However, the Monks would continue to answer from beyond the arc, keeping the Blazers at arm's length of the Monks. Midway through the half, Elms continued to fight inside. Dagan knocked down a jumper, while Mayfield added another bucket to slow the run. After a timeout and substitutions, the Blazers leaned on effort plays, with Lawson finishing a layup and converting a free throw, and Villanueva cleaning up a miss with a tip-in following an offensive rebound. As the half wore on, Elms showed resilience defensively. Lo and Mayfield each recorded steals, while Cancel added a layup and later a block to spark the bench. Ciaglo attacked the rim and earned free throws, converting multiple attempts to keep the score moving despite Saint Joseph's continued perimeter success. In the final stretch, the Blazers closed the game with energy. Lawson scored back-to-back layups, senior guard/forward Max Rolnick (Vaughan, Ontario) knocked down a jumper, and Lawson capped the night with a late three-pointer followed by another strong finish at the rim. Elms would continue their efforts to out score the Monks on the floor down the stretch, generating second-chance points and finishing the game with momentum despite the score. However Saint Joseph's would take home the conference victory 91-74.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Ciaglo - 19 points, two rebounds, and steal.

• Lawson - 14 points, four rebounds, two steals, and an assist.

• Mayfield - nine points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists.

• Dagan - nine rebounds, four points, a steal, and an assist.

• Watkins - eight points and two rebounds.

• Cancel - six points, two assists, a rebound, a steal, and a block.

• Bogar - five points, a rebound, and a steal.

• Villanueva - three points, two rebounds, a steal, and an assist.

• Rolnick - two points, a rebound, and an assist.

• Lo - two points, a rebound, and a steal.

• Anderson - two points and a block.

UP NEXT: The Elms College Men's Basketball team will have a bye this weekend and will return to action on the road for a conference game in Henniker, N.H. at New England College on Tuesday, February 3rd at 7 pm.

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