MSMC Denies Men’s Basketball Playoff Berth

Written by Andrew Capitelli (SJC-LI Sports Information)

Patchogue, NY| Junior Fernando Vazquez tallied a career-best 28 points as the St. Joseph's College (L.I.) men's basketball team suffered a Senior Day defeat to Mount Saint Mary College on Saturday evening inside the Danzi Center. With the loss, the Golden Eagles were eliminated from Skyline Conference playoff contention and finish the season with 10-15 (9-11) record. The Knights wrap the year with an 8-17 (6-14) mark.

After recognizing the team's four seniors—Billy Heenan, Wade Richardson, Joseph Savaglio and Dominique Spann—the Golden Eagles pulled ahead 14-13 at 15:06 after Vazquez (7-14 3FG) converted on what was already his third three-point at that point. The guard would finish off a layup at 8:24 to increase the hosts' lead to three points (22-19), but a late rally by the Knights saw the guests into the break with an eight-point edge (38-30).

MSMC tallied the first two buckets of the second half to pull ahead 42-30, but an 11-4 run from SJC, capped off by a Heenan free throw conversion, drew the deficit back to five points (46-41) at 13:18.The Knights would then respond with an 11-3 run of their own to establish a 13-point lead (57-44) at 6:47.

Later, down  60-51 with 2:42 to play, the Golden Eagles scooped up the next six points to draw the game back to within three-points (60-57) with 1:01 left in regulation. MSMC's Connor Nicholson responded immediately with a fastbreak layup, and a Tyler McDine free throw put the Knights back up six with 31 seconds to play.

A three-point play saw Vazquez convert a layup and a free throw to cut the Knights' lead in half yet again, and after a conceding another charity stripe attempt, Andy Laurent drained a three with 16 seconds remaining to draw the Golden Eagles back to within one possession of victory (64-63). After being fouled, Connor Bacci drained two free throws (66-63), but Laurent and Vazquez's failed three-ball attempts in the dying seconds wrapped a 67-63 result for the Knights.

Vazquez's 28 points were not only a career-best, but a game-best and came courtesy of 10-19 shooting from the field. Isaiah Moore contributed 12 points and six rebounds, and Laurent went for 10 points and six boards.

SJC needed a victory to claim the #6 seed in the Skyline playoffs, and in failing to do so, enabled St. Joseph's (Brkln) to clinch the berth instead. The Golden Eagles swept the season series with the Bears, claiming victories on Dec. 8 and Jan. 7.