STANDISH, Maine – Despite a career-high 32-point performance from senior Andre McCauley and five players scoring in double figures, the Husson University men's basketball team dropped a high-scoring 108-98 decision to RV Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Wednesday evening inside the Harold Alfond Center.
The Eagles (0-2) put together a strong offensive showing, shooting 47.8 percent (32-of-67) from the floor while connecting on nine 3-pointers, but the Monks (2-0) countered with 12 triples and a 44-33 advantage on the glass to secure the nonconference victory.
Saint Joseph's jumped out to an early 8-1 advantage before Husson responded with seven consecutive points, highlighted by baskets from junior Dylan Burpee, senior Tope Alao and junior Jakub Pasieczny, to even the contest at 8-8 with 15:54 remaining in the opening half.
The Monks answered with a 14-2 run to build a 22-10 advantage midway through the period, but the Eagles refused to go away. Sophomore Derrick Carroll sparked the Husson offense off the bench, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers, while McCauley began to find his rhythm offensively.
Trailing 36-29 with just over five minutes remaining in the half, Husson used an 11-1 stretch to pull even at 37-37 following back-to-back 3-pointers from McCauley, including the tying basket with four minutes remaining. However, Saint Joseph's responded with timely perimeter shooting down the stretch, taking a 51-44 advantage into the halftime break.
The Monks carried their offensive momentum into the second half, eventually extending their advantage to as many as 19 points. Husson continued to battle, producing 54 second-half points behind McCauley and a balanced offensive attack, but was unable to overcome the deficit as Saint Joseph's held on for the 10-point victory.
McCauley led the Eagles with a game-high 32 points on an efficient 10-of-16 shooting performance, including a perfect 3-for-3 effort from beyond the arc. He also finished with a team-high eight rebounds, five assists and career-high five steals while connecting on nine free throws.
Carroll provided a significant spark off the bench, finishing with a new career-high 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including three 3-pointers, in just 19 minutes of action. Alao added 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting to go along with three rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Burpee contributed 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Freshman Amir Morton chipped in nine points and two assists off the bench, while sophomore Christian Smith finished with eight points, three rebounds and three assists.
As a team, Husson recorded 17 assists and 11 steals while forcing 21 Saint Joseph's turnovers, converting those opportunities into 22 points. The Eagles also held a 38-44 disadvantage in points in the paint while receiving 28 points from their reserves.
The Eagles will look to get in the win column this weekend when they head to Worcester Polytechnic Institute for the Ted Coghlin Tournament, as Husson will battle Framingham State University on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
