Standish, ME- The Dean College men's basketball team fell in their regular season finale to Saint Joseph's College of Maine 83-69. Dean finishes the season with a record of 15-10 (7-7), while the Monks finish at 21-4 (13-1). With the final game in the books, Dean has officially clinched the number seven seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament.
The game started with a fast pace. Ja'maine Davenport (Mays Landing, NJ) got the Bulldogs on the board early with a mid-range jumper. Dean kept it close in the first half, responding to each Monks' run with key baskets. Frankie Idlett (Miami, FL) provided a spark with a putback layup off an offensive rebound, while Billy Ray Barnes III (Inglewood, CA) knocked down a three-pointer to cut the deficit to just two midway through the half. However, Saint Joseph's capitalized on late turnovers, extending their lead to 40-35 heading into halftime.
Dean came out aggressive to start the second half, with Davenport continuing to attack the basket, scoring on back-to-back drives to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance. A fast-break layup by Idlett brought Dean within four points, but the Monks answered with a 7-0 run to push their lead back to double digits. The Bulldogs fought to stay in the game, with Barnes hitting a tough contested jumper and Idlett converting an and-one opportunity in the paint. However, Dean struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 4-of-20 from three, making it difficult to keep pace with the Monks' efficient offense.
As the game progressed, turnovers and missed opportunities proved costly for Dean. Midway through the second half, a key steal by Anthony Miranda led to a fast-break opportunity, but the Bulldogs couldn't convert. On the other end, Saint Joseph's capitalized on second-chance points, extending their lead to 15 with under six minutes to play. Davenport continued to battle, hitting a tough fadeaway jumper and a pair of free throws, but the Monks controlled the tempo down the stretch, preventing any late comeback attempt from Dean.
Davenport led the Bulldogs with a game-high 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting, adding three rebounds. Idlett recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Barnes contributed 12 points and five boards.
Dean is officially locked-in as the number seven seed in the GNAC playoffs. They will host #10 Anna Maria College on Monday night at 5PM inside of Pieri Gymnasium. Admission for the game will be five dollars, and all Dean students can enter free with valid college ID.
