WEST HARTFORD, Conn. –  The Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team lost a 90-78 game to the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Tuesday evening in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game.

Four players scored in double figures, led by Ray Ford, Jr. (Jersey City, N.J.) who scored 20 points with six rebounds.

Ta'zhon Daniels (New Haven, Conn.) scored 18 points with six rebounds, while Isaiah Earl (Hamden, Conn.) scored 14 points with seven rebounds.  Rodrick Pearson (Hartford, Conn.) scored 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting off the bench to go with a career-high five blocks.

THE BASICS

FINAL: USJ 90 | Albertus 78

RECORDS: Albertus (13-7, 5-2 GNAC)  | USJ (15-6, 8-0 GNAC)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Earl scored the first basket of the game, hitting a floater in the lane. After an answer from USJ, Ford, Jr. hit a three and the Falcons led 5-4 before the first timeout of the game. USJ would take a 10-5 lead after Roel Figueroa hit back-to-back threes at 13:25.
• USJ led 27-17 with 6:36 remaining, but a block on the defensive end from Earl led to a transition three from Ford, Jr. Ford and Earl would then each make a pair of free throws on the next two possessions, trimming the Albertus deficit to 27-24 with 4:37 left.
• Pearson scored four points down the stretch of the first half for the Falcons, but five points from Lance Altenor in the final 3:23 gave USJ a 44-30 lead at halftime. Ford, Jr. led the Falcons with 12 points in the first half, while Earl had seven points and four rebounds.
• The Blue Jays scored the first 12 points of the second half to take a 56-30 lead before Daniels scored five straight – including a transition three off a steal from Ford, Jr. to cut the Albertus deficit.
• Down 68-46 with 12:21 left, the Falcons began chipping away as Pearson and DJ Victory (New York, N.Y.) helped lead a charge to make it a 73-57 before the under-eight minute timeout. Pearson made back-to-back layups and Victory made a jumper and converted a three-point play after being fouled on a layup.
• Over the next four-plus minutes Albertus kept making headway on the USJ lead, going on a 15-5 run to get the Falcons within six points at 78-72. Ford, Jr. started the run with a layup and Daniels followed with a jumper. Earl and Victory converted on free throws and Daniels scored four straight pionts to make it a ten-point game. Ford, Jr. crashed the boards for a tip-in off a miss and Pearson hit a jumper. USJ was able to get its lead back up to double digits with just over a minute left and was able to hold off the rally by the Falcons.

TEAM STATS

Albertus

36.5 FG% | 19.0 3PT% | 80.0 3PT%

USJ

51.9 FG% | 50.0 3PT% | 79.4 FT%

TOP PERFORMERS

Albertus

Ray Ford, Jr. 20 PTS | 6 REBS | 5 ASTS

Ta'zhon Daniels 18 PTS | 6 REBS

Isaiah Earl 14 PTS | 7 REBS | 2 STLS

Rodrick Pearson 10 PTS | 5-7 FG | 5 BLKS

USJ

Lence Altenor 31 PTS | 4-6 3PT | 4 ASTS

Roel Figueroa 18 PTS | 6-8 FG | 3-3 3PT

NOTEWORTHY

Ford, Jr. has eight games this season scoring 20 points or more.

Pearson's 10 points were a season-high.

UP NEXT

The Falcons are back home in The Nest for a 3 p.m. tip against Rivier in a GNAC game on Saturday, February 7^th.