MIDDLEBURY, VT. - St. Joseph's College of Maine rallied from a 5-point halftime deficit and the Monks defeated Cortland, 83-69, in the opening round of the Middlebury College Invitational men's basketball tournament.
 
Cortland (2-6) will face Vassar in the tournament's third-place game Saturday at 3 p.m., while St. Joseph's (7-4) will play in the championship game at 5 p.m. versus the host Panthers. Middlebury defeated Vassar, 99-87, in Friday's second game.
 
Kendall Arcuri (Staten Island/St. Joseph by-the-Sea) led Cortland with 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists. He hit 9-of-19 field goals, including three 3-pointers. Kendrick Wilson (Wheatley Heights/Moravian Prep (NC)) finished with 11 points and two assists, Gerrad Beaubrun (Baldwin) scored eight points and shared the team lead with eight rebounds, and Jaylen Warmack (Utica/Utica Notre Dame) added eight points and two assists.
 
Remijo Wani led four St. Joseph's double-figure scorers with 22 points and he also grabbed five rebounds. He made 7-of-9 shots, including 3-of-4 from the arc. Silvani Ismail hit 6-of-9 field goals and all seven of his free throws for 19 points and added three steals. Wani Donati pitched in with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists and John Paul Frazier scored 15 points.
 
The first half was close throughout, with the largest lead for either team Cortland's 36-31 halftime advantage. The Monks outscored the Red Dragons 16-4 over the first four minutes of the second half to take a 47-40 lead, and a 6-0 run midway through the period extended a 57-51 lead to 63-51. The closest Cortland got from that point was 78-69 with 1:17 remaining.
 
St. Joseph's shot 58 percent in the second half and finished the game at 53 percent. Cortland shot 45 percent in the first half but just 30 percent in the second to end at 38 percent.