Willis Posts Season High in Assists as Men’s Basketball Downs USMMA on Senior Night

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — In honor of senior captain Alec Willis, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team hosted Merchant Marine for Senior Night on Thursday. The Bears upended USMMA by double-digits led by three players in double-figures and an all-around showing from the captain. SJC secured a 10-win campaign improving over a 4-21 final mark last season, while they finished seventh in the Skyline and just one spot out of a playoff berth.

The Basics

• Final Score: St. Joseph's 70, Merchant Marine 58
• Records: St. Joseph's (10-15, 9-11), Merchant Marine (9-14, 7-12)
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. — The Hill Center
• SJC Brooklyn Starters: Willis (G), Sirakis (G), Etheart (F), Etheart (F), Meiner (C)

How It Happened

• Willis' first basket came on an early three-ball to propel the Bears to a 5-0 lead (17:25). USMMA tied the game up at six apiece and later took the lead (12-8) following back-to-back made treys (11:51).
• St. Joseph's fought back and reclaimed the advantage, 17-14, thanks to two consecutive Matt McQuillen long-range buckets. A 14-7 run, capped by a flashy steal and triple from Sebastien Etheart, put the Bears ahead by 10 at intermission (31-21).
• To begin the second half, the Bears reached their largest lead of the game (39-26) before USMMA brought it back within single digits (46-38) halfway through the period. St. Joseph's maintained the lead but the visitors continued to chip away, climbing all the way back to within five after a spotless trip to the line (6:18).
• Seven straight points from sophomore guard Dimitri Sirakis pushed the lead back to double digits, 64-51, with just under three minutes to go. The Mariners came back within eight down the stretch, but a nice feed up the court from Sebastien to brother Stephane Etheart for a dagger dunk iced the game, putting SJC up by 10 with under a minute to play.

For the Bears

• Willis capped off his career with eight points, a season-high tying six assists, five caroms, and two steals.
• Stephane finished the season on a 13-game double-digit scoring streak netting a game-high 19 points to compliment 13 rebounds for yet another double-double.
• Sebastien filled the box score with 14 points, six assists, six boards, and four takeaways.
• Sirakis was the third Bear in double-figures chipping in 14 (5-9, 2-5, 2-2) as well as two rebounds.

Inside the Box Score

• The Bears' reserves outscored USMMA's 15-12 behind six points apiece form McQuillen and junior Aaron Parra, while Parra protected the paint exceptionally with a season-high three blocks (3 reb, 3 ast).
• Perimeter scoring proved to be the difference as SJC vastly outshot the visitors from deep (42.3%-26.3%)

The Bear Facts

• Willis rode off on a high note, finishing his senior season with career highs in scoring (12.9 ppg), field-goal percentage (45.7%), three-point percentage (43.8%), free-throw percentage (80.7%), rebounding (3.3/game), assists (2.8/game), and steals (1.8/game).
• The captain ended up with 915 career points, 188 3PM, and a 37.1% three-point clip.