PROVIDENCE, RI - Tyler Kelley '11 (Saco, ME) paced the Monks with 23 points and Rashon Jones '11 (Bridgeport, CT) posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 caroms to help Saint Joseph's (5-1, 2-0 GNAC) top Johnson & Wales (4-5, 2-1 GNAC), 74-70, in GNAC Men's Basketball action on Thursday evening.

Lamonte Thomas '12 (Providence, RI) led all scorers, and mustered half of the Wildcats' offensive output, with 35 points off a 14-27 shooting effort. Calvin Jones '12 (Providence, RI) added 14 points and 9 boards for JWU in the losing effort.

The Monks tied a season high with 22 turnovers and made just 59.1% (13-22) of their FT attempts, but compensated by shooting 53.7% (29-54) from the floor and outrebounding the hosts by a 48-25 margin. Johnson & Wales shot 38.6% (27-70) from the field, including a paltry 24% (6-25) from beyond the arc.

Saint Joseph's, which shot 64% (16-25) from the floor in the first half, held the lead for almost the entire game, as the Wildcats' only lead came on their first possession of the contest, but JWU made the final minutes very interesting. The Monks held a game-high 16 point advantage, 67-51, after Kelley made a layup with 6:55 remaining, but the Wildcats, with the aid of 8 points from Thomas, surged with a 14-1 run to make it a three-point game with 2:36 to play.

On the next St. Joe's possession, Kelley drained a three to extend to double the SJC lead, but Thomas answered with a layup, making it a four-point game with 1:18 remaining. Sloppy play by both teams ensued, and the Monks' woes from the charity stripe on this night nearly sabotaged a sure victory, as Alberto Rue '10 (Jamaica Plain, MA), Kelley and Jones combined to miss four FT attempts in the final minute. Kelley hit on one of his attempts with 10 clicks to go, but after Jones misfired on both shots from the stripe, JWU drove the court and Thomas sank his fourth three-pointer of the evening, making the score 72-70 with six seconds left.

JWU guard Matt Williams '13 (Mt. Kisco, NY) immediately fouled Kelley on the inbounds play, and the junior, who entered the game just 1-5 from the line, made both freebies to put the Monks ahead by four. The Wildcats were unable to muster a shot in the final five seconds as Saint Joseph's escaped with a 74-70 win.

Ray Eatmon '10 (Huntington, NY) turned in his most complete game of the season, notching 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocked shots in the triumph. Chris Petzy '12 (Kensington, NH) was 4-5 from the floor and netted 10 points for the Monks, while Rue chipped in with 6 points and 6 caroms in the victory.

St. Joe's will host GNAC rival Suffolk University (4-5, 0-1 GNAC) on Saturday at 3:00 PM, while Johnson & Wales is off until January 7^th when the Wildcats play host to non-conference opponent Connecticut College at 7:00 PM.

Newspaper Box Score
St. Joseph's (Me.) vs Johnson & Wales
12/10/09 7:00 p.m. at Providence, R.I. (Harborside RAC)
At Providence, R.I. (Harborside RAC)
ST. JOSEPH'S (ME.) 74, JOHNSON & WALES 70
ST. JOSEPH'S (ME.) (5-1, 2-0 GNAC)
Tyler Kelley 8-14 5-6 23; Ray Eatmon 6-9 2-2 14; Rashon Jones 4-4 4-8 12;
Chris Petzy 4-5 1-2 10; Alberto Rue 3-7 0-2 6; Anthony Savino 2-3 1-2 5;
Zach O'Brien 2-11 0-0 4; Craig Merrick 0-1 0-0 0; Tom Ray 0-0 0-0 0. Totals
29-54 13-22 74.
JOHNSON & WALES (4-4, 2-0 GNAC)
Lamonte Thomas 14-27 3-3 35; Calvin Jones 6-15 1-2 14; Louis Ferreras 2-6
1-2 5; Tavarius Roberson 1-4 3-4 5; John Alexander 2-5 0-0 4; Matt Williams
1-3 2-2 4; James Folk 1-5 0-0 3; Paul Nicholson 0-0 0-0 0; Kelley Davis 0-1
0-0 0; Richard DiLascio 0-0 0-0 0; Justin Adams 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 27-70
10-13 70.
St. Joseph's (Me.)............   39   35  -   74
Johnson & Wales...............   30   40  -   70
3-point goals--St. Joseph's (Me.) 3-7 (Tyler Kelley 2-5; Chris Petzy 1-1;
Craig Merrick 0-1), Johnson & Wales 6-25 (Lamonte Thomas 4-10; James Folk
1-3; Calvin Jones 1-4; Matt Williams 0-2; Justin Adams 0-3; Tavarius
Roberson 0-1; Louis Ferreras 0-2). Fouled out--St. Joseph's (Me.)-None,
Johnson & Wales-None. Rebounds--St. Joseph's (Me.) 48 (Rashon Jones 11),
Johnson & Wales 25 (Calvin Jones 9). Assists--St. Joseph's (Me.) 15 (Ray
Eatmon 5), Johnson & Wales 10 (Justin Adams 4). Total fouls--St. Joseph's
(Me.) 11, Johnson & Wales 17. Technical fouls--St. Joseph's (Me.)-None,
Johnson & Wales-None. A-187