When and Where:
February 18, 2026 – Patchogue, NY (John A. Danzi Center Gym)
Records:
St. Joseph's (L.I.), 12-12, 8-7 Skyline St. Joseph's (Brkln), 8-16, 5-10 Skyline
Results:
The St. Joseph's University (L.I.) Golden Eagles used a dominant first-half performance and clutch plays down the stretch to hold off a furious second-half comeback by St. Joseph's (Brkln), securing a 60-55 victory in a key Skyline Conference matchup on Senior Night.
Top performers:
- Kenny Rodriguez led the Golden Eagles with 21 points (8-19 FG, 2-9 3PT, 3-3 FT), adding a double-double with 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.
- AJ Esposito posted a double-double of 13 points (5-13 FG, 3-6 FT) and a game-high 19 rebounds (9 offensive), plus two assists, two steals, and three blocks.
- Jaiden Gaston contributed 8 points (4-8 FG, 0-2 3PT, 0-2 FT), two rebounds.
- Matthew Maxwell added 7 points (1-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, 4-4 FT), three steals, two assists, and one rebound.
- Corey Sommervil came off the bench for 4 points (2-5 FG), one rebound, one assist, and two blocks.
- Colin Mills paced the Bears with 18 points (6-15 FG, 2-6 3PT, 4-7 FT), two rebounds, and one steal.
- Jacob Idowu added 9 points (3-10 FG, 1-4 3PT, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, and one steal.
How it happened:
- The game opened with a back-and-forth battle as neither team gained a lead larger than three points through the first few minutes, with the Bears jumping out to an early 6-0 advantage on threes from Cummings and Mills before the Golden Eagles responded with inside scoring from Gaston and Todd to tie it at 8-8 midway through the half.
- St. Joseph's (L.I.) broke through with a 10-2 scoring run fueled by layups from Esposito and Rodriguez, plus a three from Hawkins, building a 18-10 lead with under 10 minutes left in the first half.
- The Bears answered briefly with a layup from Idowu, but the Golden Eagles dominated the boards and paint, going on a 12-3 burst capped by a Rodriguez three and Esposito dunk to extend the margin to 30-13.
- The first half came to a close as St. Joseph's (L.I.) traded buckets with the Bears down the stretch, taking a commanding 36-21 lead into halftime behind strong rebounding (26-16) and six blocks.
- The Bears opened the second half with renewed energy, starting with a 7-0 run on threes from Nazon and Corozzo to cut the deficit to 36-28, prompting a Golden Eagles timeout.
- St. Joseph's (L.I.) responded with back-to-back layups from Rodriguez and Gaston to push the lead back to 42-30, but the Bears mounted a 13-4 scoring burst fueled by fastbreak layups from Nazon and Mills to bring it within three (46-43) with under 9 minutes remaining.
- The Golden Eagles answered with a 6-2 run, including a Rodriguez layup and Esposito free throws, to regain a 52-45 advantage, but the Bears clawed back again with a three from Idowu and layups from Mills to make it 56-53 in the final two minutes.
- Strong free throw shooting in the closing seconds from Maxwell and Rodriguez, plus key defensive stops and rebounds from Esposito, secured the victory for the Golden Eagles despite the Bears' late push in a hard-fought Skyline Conference battle.
Notes:
- St. Joseph's (L.I.) shot 33.8% from the field (23-68) and 18.2% from three (4-22), while going 10-17 (58.8%) from the free-throw line.
- SJLI dominated the boards 47-43 (15 offensive boards) and scored 32 points in the paint, with a clear edge in blocks (6-2) and points off turnovers (15-10).
- St. Joseph's (Brkln) shot 31.1% overall (19-61) and 26.9% from three (7-26), going 10-13 (76.9%) from the line.
- The Golden Eagles had an edge in bench scoring (11-15) but committed 11 turnovers compared to the Bears' 12.
- Maxwell, Todd and Gilad Shafir were all honored in pre game ceremony for this years graduating seniors.
Next up:
The Golden Eagles continue Skyline Conference play on Saturday, February 21, when they travel to Old Westbury at 2:00 pm.
