Men’s Basketball Advances to GNAC Semifinals With 92–79 Win Over Dean

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The second‑seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's basketball team pulled away late in the second half to defeat seventh‑seeded Dean College, 92–79, in a GNAC Quarterfinal matchup Wednesday night inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium. With the victory, the Blue Jays improve to 19–7 overall and advance to the GNAC Semifinals, where they will host third‑seeded Albertus Magnus College on Friday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. Dean concludes its 2025–26 season at 15–11.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Blue Jays got off to a red-hot start, using an 11–0 run to open the game and seize control four minutes in. The teams traded baskets over the next several possessions, as a triple from sophomore guard Roel Figueroa (Cidra, P.R.) kept the margin at 11, 17–6, with 13:58 on the clock. Dean responded with a quick 5–2 spurt to trim the deficit to seven, 23–16, with 9:36 remaining in the half. The Bulldogs later pulled within six, 26–20, before five unanswered points from senior forward Deivone Tanksley Jr. (Hartford, Conn.) pushed the USJ lead back to double digits, 31–20, at the 7:12 mark. The Blue Jays continued to build their advantage, as a three-pointer from senior forward Friedrich Feldrappe (Berlin, Germany) capped a 7–0 stretch to extend the lead to 15, 42–27, with 2:57 left in the half. Dean closed the period on a 6–4 run, but USJ carried a 46–33 advantage into the break.

Dean came out firing to start the second half, using a 15–4 run to trim the deficit to two, 50–48, at the 14:01 mark. Senior wing Lence Altenor (Everett, Mass.) halted the surge with a three-pointer that ignited a 9–3 stretch, helping USJ reestablish an eight-point lead, 59–51, with 12:03 on the clock. The Blue Jays built off that momentum, putting together a 13–2 run fueled by triples from Altenor and Figueroa, along with four points from junior guard Alijah Lovelace (Brooklyn, N.Y.), to push the margin back to double digits, 72–55, at the 7:18 mark. Dean attempted a late rally, cutting the deficit to 12, 86–74, with 1:24 remaining, but baskets from Lovelace, a fast-break dunk by Figueroa and a layup from junior guard Jakari Tertulien (Bridgeport, Conn.) sealed the 92–79 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Lovelace paced the team with a career-high 21 points.
• Figueroa, Tanksley Jr and Altenor joined him in double-digits, scoring 19, 19 and 10 points, respectively.
• Tanksley Jr. notched his seventh double-double of the season, hauling in 10 rebounds.
• Tertulien also hauled in 10 rebounds.
• Lovelace and sophomore forward Adelphe Cisse (Pointe-Noire, Congo) dished out a team-best four assists each.
• Terulien, Figueroa and Lovelace all swiped a team-high three steals.
• USJ outreboudned Dean, 42-32.
• The Blue Jays outshot the Bulldogs from the field, 50.0 percent (24-of-68) to 45.3 percent (29-of-64).

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays will host third‑seeded Albertus Magnus College in the GNAC Semifinals on Friday, February 27. Opening tipoff against the Falcons inside the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn., is set for 7:00 p.m.

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