NASHUA, N.H. – The No. 8 University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's basketball team used another monster second half to pick up its 15th straight win and 13th this season, this time over the Raiders of Rivier University (RIV) 84-54, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup inside the Muldoon Center. With the win, USJ remains undefeated and extends its record-setting start to the 2021-22 season, improving to 13-0 overall and 8-0 in GNAC play. Rivier drops to 6-8 overall and 2-5 in the GNAC with the setback.

Saint Joseph, which remains the only unbeaten team in Division III, relied on a heavy dose of senior guard Tyree Mitchell (East Hartford, Conn.) and senior forward Jordan Powell (Middletown, Conn.), who combined for 28 of the Blue Jays' 49 points in the second half. Mitchell scored a team-high 18 points, while Powell collected his third double-double of the season (17 PTS, 13 REB). USJ's defense was the story in this one, holding the hosts to a season-low 54 points. It marks the seventh time this season USJ has held an opponent under 60 points. Saint Joseph also held the GNAC's leading scorer, senior forward Miles Gillette (Washington, DC), to a difficult 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting (1-5 3FG). Gillette entered the game averaging over 23 points per game.

GAME INFORMATION 
Score: Saint Joseph 84, Rivier 54
Records: USJ 13-0 (8-0 GNAC), RIV 6-8 (2-5 GNAC)
Location: Muldoon Center | Nashua, N.H.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Blue Jays held an 8-12 point advantage through most of the first half. Just as the Blue Jays looked like they were going to create some separation, the Raiders kept the visitors in check with some timely buckets down the stretch on their home floor. Rivier scored seven straight points at the end of the first half to trim the gap to single digits, 32-26, with seconds to play. Rivier's Senior guard Pharaoh Davis (Plainville, Mass.) connected on a jumper with five seconds to go, but the Blue Jays quickly responded with a buzzer-beating three from freshman guard Tyshawn Jackson (Hartford, Conn.), to take a 35-26 lead into the break.

In the second half, the buckets continued to be traded before the Blue Jays finally started to wear down Rivier with their tenacious defense. Rivier scored just seven points over the final 9:49, while USJ racked up another 26 before the final horn. Mitchell caught fire in the second stanza which included 4-of-7 from downtown and 6-of-10 overall. Powell had 11 of his 17 in the second half as well.

COACH QUOTE [Glen Miller]
"Today was another good road win for us. When we play with simplicity, we play with consistency, and that makes us a tough team to beat. Jordan Powell had a terrific game, and the defense that Jake Sullivan and Jalen Samuels played on Miles Gillette, the leading scorer in our league, was outstanding!"

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The bench game ultimately turned out to be the game itself as USJ boasted a sizeable 47-7 edge in points off the bench. Mitchell's 18 were a big piece of that, as were Jackson's 14. Jackson added eight rebounds and five steals in the triumph, putting in one of his best outings to date. Jackson has now scored more points in his last two appearances (29) than he had in his first nine career games (22).

Powell finished with his third double-double of the 2021-22 season (17 PTS, 13 REB), and also had three big-time blocks. Powell was perfect once again, shooting 6-for-6 from the field. With the perfect day from the floor, Powell now takes over the top spot in the nation in field-goal percentage, shooting it at a 75.5% (74-98) clip through 13 games this year. Saint Joseph also still maintains the top scoring margin in the country, winning by an average of nearly 28 points per game.

UP NEXT 
The Blue Jays continue their critical five-game GNAC road trip with a visit next to the Wildcats of Johnson & Wales University on Wednesday, January 26 at 7:30 p.m. Fans can head to www.usjbluejays.com to follow all the action.

Follow USJ Athletics 
For the latest on University of Saint Joseph athletics, follow the Blue Jays on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Fans can also download the USJ Front Row Mobile App and subscribe to our Newsletter and Text Alerts. #FearTheFlock #GoBlueJays