DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The UMass Dartmouth men's basketball team edged No. 25 ranked University of Saint Joseph, 84-83, on Sunday afternoon to be crowned the 2025 LaFrance Hospitality Tournament Champions. The Corsairs wrapped up the 2025-26 season opening weekend with a 2-0 overall record after defeating the Bluejays in their first meeting in program history from the Tripp Athletic Center.
Senior center
Ryan Flauto kicked off the scoring in the championship matchup with a made layup to put UMass Dartmouth up 2-0. Friedrich Feldrappe knocked down a triple to give the Bluejays a 5-4 edge at the 17:43 mark. Saint Joseph continued to generate their offense and take a 12-7 advantage thanks to four points scored by Roel Figueroa. Senior guard
Nic Boyd disrupted the Bluejays rhythm with a three-pointer off the assist from first year
Strada Joseph to make it a 12-10 game. Sophomore guard
Danny Reyes posted his first bucket of the contest followed by two made free throws from senior center
Cam Dunbury to keep it a one possession.
Passing the midway point of the opening half, first year
Mahdee McNair and Boyd each drained a triple to grab a 22-19 lead in the game. After Billy Barness III finished an and-one play to tie the score up at 24-apiece, the Corsairs went on a 6-2 run that was capped off by a jumper from sophomore guard
Camden DiChiara. Both teams continued to exchange shots in the closing minutes of play before the Bluejays connected nine straight points late in the half. Senior guard
Darius Peterson nailed a triple while Joseph finished a layup to narrow Saint Joesph's lead to 42-40 just before the break.
McNair started the second half strong for UMass Dartmouth by knocking down three triples, featuring two assists from Reyes, to even the score at 49-apeice. The Bluejays extended their lead to 59-53 thanks to a three-pointer by Lence Altenor with 13:00 minutes left on the clock. McNair fired up the Corsairs offense with two quick layups followed by a bucket from Dunbury to give the home team a two-point advantage.
The pressure intensified for both squads entering the final minutes of the game. After Feldrappe made a three-pointer for the Bluejays, Peterson answered with a triple and two good free throws to put the home team up 69-68 with 5:58 remaining. Although Saint Joseph regained a 73-71 lead, the Corsairs responded with a 10-4 run highlighted by a pair of triples from Reyes to claim a four-point lead over the visitors. McNair added another three-pointer to extend UMass Dartmouth's advantage to 84-78 1ith 1:37 left on the clock. Despite the Bluejays going 5-for-7 from the charity stripe, the Corsairs held on to defeat Saint Joseph, 84-83, in the LaFrance Hospitality Championship game.
Boyd, who was named the 2025 LaFrance Hospitality Most Valuable Player, lead the squad with 21 points (7-14 FG, 3-5 3FG, 4-4 F) to go along with a game-high seven assists, two rebounds, and one steal. McNair earned LaFrance Hospitality All-Tournament Team honors for his performance this weekend, finishing the game with 19 points (7-15 FG, 5-9 3FG). Reyes also had a strong effort going 4-for-8 from the floor featuring two triples and 3-of-4 free throws for 13 total points. Flauto notched his second consecutive double-double this weekend with 11 points (4-7 FG, 3-4 FT) and 14 rebounds against the Bluejays.
Peterson finished the afternoon with eight points (2-7 FG, 2-5 3FG, 2-2 FT) while Dunbury posted six points (2-6 FG, 2-2 FT) with four rebounds, one steal, and a block. DiChiara hauled in five defensive boards as well as four points (2-9 FG) and a pair of steals.
The Corsairs travel to Bridgewater State University for their next non-conference tilt on Wednesday, November 12 scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
