STANDISH, Maine - Emmanuel men's basketball had its season come to a close on Friday night in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semifinals, falling to the top-seeded team in the playoffs, the Saint Joseph's Monks, 69-61, at Mike McDevitt Court. Despite the loss, the Saints still secured their first winning record since 2022-23, finishing this season at 14-13.

Tied at 46-46 with 11:36 remaining, Friday's semifinal came down to the final minutes to determine its winner. The Monks pushed out to a seven-point lead with the help of a 10-3 surge spanning 5:31. Four different Monks scored in the run that lifted Saint Joseph's to a 56-49 edge.

Emmanuel responded quickly, cutting the deficit back down to one possession, thanks to baskets by junior Cameron Snowden and Noah Beaudet, and first-year Danny Adams, as the Saints trailed 60-58 with 3:06 to go.

In the final minutes, the Monks made the scoring plays, while holding the Saints to just 1-of-5 shooting. Saint Joseph's outscored Emmanuel 9-2 in the last 3:06, as the top-seeded Monks held off the Saints to advance to the championship, 69-61.

For the Monks, Remijo Wani scored a game-high 26 points in a full 40 minutes. Davis Mann added 15 points, while Wani Donato finished with nine points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds.

The Saints had four player finish in double figures, led by Snowden and his 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Beaudet added 14 points, four rebounds, and two steals. Junior Mahari Guerrier and Adams each scored a dozen, while Guerrier added 11 rebounds and six assists.

The Monks advance to the GNAC Championship Game against the University of Saint Joseph on Sunday, March 1, at 2:00 p.m.