GORHAM, Maine - Senior guard Marcus Alexander (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) led four players in double-figures, notching a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the Saint Joseph's College Monks to a 80-58 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a non-conference basketball game Tuesday evening at Hill Gymnasium on USM's Gorham campus.

With the win, Saint Joseph's improves to 12-5 overall while Southern Maine drops to 6-13 on the season. The win secures the Costello Cup for the Monks who lead the Huskies 10-8 in the overall series. Southern Maine had won the previous three meetings.

Alexander was an outstanding 7-for-9 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line en route to his game-high total. Sophomores, forward Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, N.Y./Albany) and guard R.J. Mattison (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) and grad student Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, Maine/Windham) scored 14 points apiece for the Monks.

Sophomore guard Troy Gabriele (Camden, Maine/Camden Hills) led the Huskies with 11 points off of the bench, while junior guard Josh Daniels (Everett, Wash./
Maine Central Institute) was the only other USM player in double figures with 10 points.

The Monks shot a stellar 51.4 percent (18-for-35) in the first half to open up a 40-29 lead at the break. Alexander scored nine of his 19 points in the opening stanza and senior forward Colby Emmons (Portland, Maine/Portland) tossed in eight points.

Saint Joseph's scored the first seven points of the second half to increase its advantage to 18 points, 47-29, and never led by less than 14 points the rest of the way en route to the 80-58 final.

Southern Maine shot just 32.7 percent from the field, connecting on 18 of its 55 field goal attempts and was hampered by 16 turnovers. The Monks finished the game shooting 52.5 percent (32-for-61) from the floor and were 40 percent (6-for-15) from the three-point line.

The Monks next play host to Thomas College at the Alfond Center in Standish on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 3 p.m.