BANGOR, Maine – The Husson University men's basketball team brought the Alumni Cup back to Newman Gymnasium as it defeated Saint Joseph's College of Maine 90-75 on Saturday afternoon at Newman Gym.
Saint Joe's (1-3) started strong in the opening 15 and a half minutes as it showcased some hot shooting from beyond the arc to gain a 34-25 edge with just under 4:30 to play in the opening half.
Husson (3-0) would take control of the remainder of the half as they closed the half on an 18-3 run to take a 43-37 edge into the locker room.
Junior Riles Neff paced the Eagle offense in the opening half, as he put in 11. Senior Jeremy Moronta stuffed the stat-sheet in the opening frame, tallying eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Graduate student Luke Caruso made an instant-impact off the bench, nailing two three-pointers and connecting on another jumpshot for a total of eight first half points.
Husson finished the opening half shooting at a 52% clip, including nearly 37% from three-point range, in addition to forcing the Monks into 11 first half turnovers.
The Eagles continued their offensive flurry in the second half as they totaled 47 points during the frame, including 15 from Neff, who continued his hot start to the season.
Husson continued to pick apart the St. Joe's defense, including the Monks' full-court pressure late in the game, finishing the afternoon with 58 points in the paint in the non-conference, rivalry matchup.
Neff led the Eagles with his 26 points, in addition to tallying six rebounds and three steals. Moronta concluded his busy outing with a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double. The senior guard also finished two assists shy of a triple-double and recorded six steals.
Senior Scott Lewis, freshman Andre McCauley, and Caruso all scored in double-figures, as Lewis tallied 16 points and six rebounds, while McCauley recorded 12 points and Caruso poured in 11.
Husson finished the outing shooting over 54% from the field, including 30% from three-point land. The Eagles won the rebounding battle 39-34 and forced St. Joe's into 19 turnovers to conclude an all-around effort.
The victory concluded a brief two-game homestand for Husson, as it will hit the road on Monday and head to Henniker, N.H. to battle against New England College. Tip-off for this non-conference contest is set for 6 p.m.
