By Chris Granozio
Tournaments galore, lots of buckets and overtime thrillers highlighted a busy opening weekend of action across the region. Let’s kick off a comprehensive recap with the best tournament on paper, featuring three of last year’s eight NCAA Regional participants who squared off at the College of Staten Island’s Tournament of Heroes:
STAC Statement
James Patterson averaged 22 points and 8.5 rebounds to lead St. Thomas Aquinas past the Manchester teams for an impressive 2-0 start. In the opener vs. Southern New Hampshire, Patterson and Kyle Pulliam each netted 21 points, the latter sparking a key 12-2 spurt that put the Spartans on top for good, 76-68 with 6:09 to play as STAC avenged its NCAA Tournament loss to the Penmen in its first opportunity back on the court. Matt Becht paced the Penmen with 20 points and career-high six assists in defeat. Not satisfied with that win, the Spartans blitzed last year’s regional host, St. Anselm, dominating the glass, 45-20 (STAC had as many offensive rebounds as St. A’s overall), setting the tone with a 17-0 onslaught to begin the second half, opening up a 59-35 advantage that was never seriously threatened. Jamal Barnes registered 11 of his 19 points during the huge run as STAC doubled up the Hawks in the paint, 44-22 in a rematch of the 2019 regional final. St. Anselm – which wasted a career performance from Keith Robinson (19 points on 7-8 shooting) – had won eight of the prior nine meetings between the powers.
St. Anselm placed five in double figures vs. Staten Island, embarking on an extended 51-18 blitz in transforming a 22-13 deficit into a 73-47 cushion midway through the final period, never allowing their first-time foe within 20 points down the stretch. Josh Morissette kickstarted things with three straight treys, tying teammates Tyler Arbuckle and Sean McCarthy (13 rebounds) with 18 points. Gannon transfer Chris Clancy tossed in 14 off the bench in his Dolphins debut. Southern New Hampshire earned a split by knocking off the hosts in their first-ever encounter, using red-hot 3-point shooting (18-35) and a stellar 25/9 assist/turnover ratio to prevail. A 15-2 second-half run, triggered by a Becht trifecta, put the game on ice at 82-56. St. Peter’s transfer guard Alex Rivera led a balanced SNHU effort, while J.J. Chestnut netted 14 for CSI, which fell to 0-6 in its tournament as a D2 program. But give Head Coach T.J. Tibbs huge cred for always scheduling excellent competition. No cupcakes in this classic!
Topsy-Turvy in Philly
Perhaps the surprise team of opening weekend was American International, which looks experienced and confident after sweeping a pair of Philly teams. In its lid-lifter, the Yellow Jackets outscored Jefferson 15-6 over the last 3:46 in flipping a 57-54 deficit into a 69-63 triumph. Justice Ellison (19 points) was high man for AIC, which has every reason to believe it can snap a streak of eight straight losing seasons since hosting the 2015 regional (66-140 over that stretch). The Jackets capped the weekend with an impressive blowout of Holy Family, spearheaded by Ellison (20 points, eight rebounds, four assists) and Jalen Jordan (18 points, seven boards). Tazir Cantey (18 points) was the bright spot for the Tigers, who struggled from the 3-point line (6-29) in falling to AIC for the fifth time in seven years.
Holy Family earned its third win vs. Franklin Pierce in as many tries, utilizing a 41-20 burst over the final 17:17 in transforming a 45-35 deficit into a 76-65 triumph. Amir Hurst (14 points) was front and center during the run, knocking down back-to-back threes that gave the Tigers the lead for keeps. Cantey again led the way with 20 points. Franklin Pierce earned a split and gave longtime Bridgeport mentor Mike Ruane his first win with the Ravens – against his old team, Jefferson (then Philadelphia University), nonetheless. Ruane deftly subbed in reserve sharpshooter Andrew Politi, who nailed the go-ahead 3-ball with 28 seconds left, and Pierce got a key defensive stop on the final play to secure the spoils. RJ Delahaye (24 points, eight assists), Sean Trumper (23 points, seven rebounds) and Jarnel Snow-Guzman (17 points, 5-7 from deep) were all instrumental for the Ravens, who won despite being outshot (55%-48%) and surrendering 33 points to the region’s deadliest shooter: Eric Timko (13-17 FG, 7-10 from 3, following a 22-point outing vs. AIC). Both teams shot it well from afar (FPU 10-19, JU 14-28) as the Rams started a season 0-2 for the first time since dropping a pair at the 2009 Disney Classic, to Lake Superior State and Southwest Baptist, respectively (that team wound up going 27-8, so there’s certainly precedent for a strong turnaround).
New Era for New Haven; Back to the Future for Saint Rose
Defending regional champ New Haven started the campaign with a split at the Saint Rose Tournament, falling to fellow Nutmeg State rival Post in overtime before rallying vs. Wilmington. In a contest that saw nothing more than a one-possession separation over the final 9:08 of regulation, the Eagles used a 7-0 upswing to begin overtime and held off the Chargers, the clinching free throws coming from Taquon Williams with six seconds remaining. Deng Deang (23 points, 13 rebounds) and Bol Akot (18 points, seven assists) anchored a brand new starting five for Post, which played its third consecutive overtime game in opening weekend tournaments. Jah’likai King exploded in his collegiate debut with 35 points (14-21 FG) in a losing cause for New Haven, whose 12-2 second-half run was essentially the difference in the win vs. the Wildcats, transforming a 48-44 deficit into a 56-50 upper hand with 9:54 to go… a lead that only grew down the stretch. Davontrey Thomas (118 points) sparked the key run with a triple.
Post won its second game in as many tries, upending a remodeled Saint Rose squad. Akot compiled 24 points and five assists, nailing the clinching foul shots with three seconds on the clock after the young Golden Knights slashed a 17-point second-half shortfall to three points before finally succumbing. Tristan Jeffries chimed in with 21 points (8-12 FG, 4-6 from 3) and seven boards for Saint Rose, whose effort was undermined by 21 turnovers. The Golden Knights made it a happy return to the sidelines for Brian Beaury, downing Wilmington in its opener. The backup freshman duo of Christian Pierre-Louis (21 points, 8-9 FG, 2-2 from downtown Albany, nine rebounds) and Jabari Phillip, Jr. (18, 6) did the heavy lifting for the winners. Caleb Matthews totaled 30 points over the weekend for the Wildcats.
A NYCAC Reunion at Molloy
Speaking of overtimes, Queens needed three extra sessions to finish its two games in Rockville Centre, with mixed results. A grueling loss to old NYCAC rival Pace in double OT kicked things off as the Knights squandered a 69-63 lead with just over two minutes to play in regulation as a Jaden Kealey’s put-back with eight seconds left knotted the score, and his missed attempt for the go-ahead 3-point play assured bonus basketball. Neither team blinked during the first OT period, and after Sunnie Diamond opened the second OT with a lay-up, the Setters tallied the game’s final 10 points in handing Matt Healing his 100th win as coach. Justin O’Neill (20 points, 6-8 FG, 5-7 from long range off the bench) was instrumental in the final moments, contributing a dunk and 3-pointer that doubled the lead, ending an insane stretch of nearly 32 minutes with neither team opening up more than a two-possession spread. Bryan Powell totaled 25 points and seven rebounds while playing all 50 minutes for Pace, which shot 11-19 from beyond the arc. Diamond collected 28 points, eight boards and seven assists for the Knights, who trailed most of the night vs. another former NYCAC foe, Adelphi, before pulling out a heart-stopping overtime thriller to gain a split. A 7-0 start to the extra session helped Queens open up its largest lead at 82-73 inside of 30 seconds, but Panther pressure forced successive turnovers that led to Matthew Price 3-pointers, making it a game. Diamond – who led five Knights in double figures with 24 points – rescued his team from disaster with a steal on Adelphi’s final possession, getting hammered while elevating for a dunk with 1.4 seconds showing and hitting the clinching free throw. Dayshaun Walton topped the Panthers’ score sheet with 19 points and five assists in a losing effort.
Walton pumped in another 18 in Adelphi’s opening-night, wire-to-wire win vs. Long Island rival Molloy as the visitors put up the first 10 points en route to a 61-36 lead, maintaining at least an 18-point upper hand over the last 13:12. The foul line was a key factor (AU 19-24, MU 7-16) despite 18 points from freshman guard Chris Stokel. Back-to-back Kealey lay-ups (he lived on the blocks all night for a career-best 23 points) broke a 47-47 tie in the tourney finale as Pace upended the young and talented Lions, who lost for the third time in as many days, Powell made his presence felt once more with 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the winners, who outscored their former NYCAC rivals 20-6 over the final 7:24. Robby Matos chipped in 14 points and four assists for Molloy.
Four Splits Up North
A couple of dramatic finishes in the region’s northernmost precinct led to four teams coming away with 1-1 weekends at St. Michael’s traditional Doc Jacobs Classic. Bloomfield ended its opening game vs. the host Purple Knights with an 8-2 flourish to pull out a four-point win. Trailing 54-52 with 1:38 remaining, Al Fatir Connor spearheaded the attack with the first six points, including the go-ahead hoop at the 18-second mark. He then iced the affair with a steal that led to Deavion Ellis’ final daggers at the stripe two seconds later. The redshirt sophomore Connor finished with 15 points (7-10 FG) in just 19 minutes for the Bears, who saw 11 of 12 players divvy up the 60 points, including inside force Edward Ngene (six points, 12 rebounds, seven blocked shots). Romar Reid turned in a 21-point performance for St. Mike’s, which struggled from the floor (29%) and on the glass (53-38). The Bears had their tables turned the next day vs. Assumption, letting a four-point advantage slip away inside the last 30 seconds of overtime. D3 Transfer Kasey Draper made an immediate impact for the Greyhounds, averaging 24 points and nine rebounds on the weekend, getting fouled shooting a 3-pointer and making good on all three attempts to bring his team within a point. After a missed front end by Connor, Kyle Hicks (20 points, 8-12 FG, 3-3 from 3) converted a floater off glass with nine seconds to go, then Daouda Dembele rejected Starell Hearns’ lay-up attempt to close things out. Izaiah Poole notched a career-best 25 points off the bench for Bloomfield, which also received 16 from Connor in defeat. Draper garnered 21 points and nine rebounds in 42 minutes for the Greyhounds, who shot 8-15 from downtown Burlington. The tug-of-war saw no more than a two-possession margin over the last 18:15.
Felician landed five in double digits in its opening-game win over first-time opponent Assumption. The Golden Falcons led 58-56 with under 11 minutes on the clock before commencing a 19-5 upswing that provided breathing room at 77-61. Dee-End McRae – who sat out last season – eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau for Felician, which saw Nas Amos lead a balanced attack with 15 points. Draper racked up a career-high 27 points and snatched nine misses for the Hounds, whose coach, Scott Faucher, missed the tournament as his wife was giving birth to twins (congrats, coach!). Saint Michael’s managed its split by pulling away from Felician, igniting an 18-3 second-half spree that turned a one-point ballgame into an 80-64 runaway at the 2:47 mark. Darrell Yepdo paced five in doubles for the P-Knights, busting out for 24 of his career-best 29 points after intermission (9-12 FG, 5-6 from distance) while adding seven rebounds and seven assists. Jhamyl Fricas supported with 19 off the bench (8-8 FT). Jaylen Colon and Amos (six assists) poured in 18 apiece for the Golden Falcons.
Make It 3 Out of Four for Western New York
Sean Fasoyiro produced 14 of his 21 points in the second half, and Andrew Mason chalked up 18, including a huge 3-ball that touched off a tiebreaking 11-1 run, powering Daemen past Goldey-Beacom in Buffalo and over .500 for the first time this season. The Wildcats, who improved to 15-1 in their home tourney, saw the Lightning chop its deficit in half twice in the waning moments, slammed the door by sinking seven of eight at the line over the final 54 seconds. Nazim Derry and Zayon Marsh (11 rebounds) each cashed in 15 points for Goldey, which sidestepped one of the biggest collapses in regional history a night earlier, nearly blowing a 32-point second-half advantage against pesky Roberts Wesleyan. In the region’s highest-scoring game of the young season, the Lightning led from wire to wire, constructing a 60-38 halftime chasm and then expanding it to 83-51 nearly six minutes into the second period. It was still 93-62 with just over nine minutes to play when the Redhawks unleashed a 47-18 avalanche, closing within 111-109 at the four-second juncture. But the furious rally would end there as Derry – in his first game back after missing last season – closed the deal with two foul shots for a personal total of 17 points. The NBA-style game saw both teams place five in double figures, highlighted by the Lightning’s Marsh (24 points, 10-14 FG, nine rebounds), Caleb Bates (20 points in 17 bench minutes, plus seven boards) and Cardin Joubert (19 points, 5-6 from 3). Malik Brooks (25 points, eight caroms) and Jermaine Taggart (16 points off the pine, 4-6 from 3) led the way for Roberts.
Brooks remained red-hot for the Redhawks next game vs. Chestnut Hill, sporting 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting, while Kevin Constant managed 21 points, six boards and personal-best four blocks in the win. A Brooks “And-1” touched off a key 8-0 run that afforded Roberts the lead for good at 68-65, while Brooks’ driving lay-up with 53 seconds left proved critical at 79-73. Adam Angwafo was the bright spot for the Griffins with 25 points (9-12 FG, 2-2 from long range). The sophomore center logged 12 points and eight boards in the opener vs. host Daemen but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Wildcats romped in the two programs’ first meeting, racing out to a 40-16 lead and maintaining between a 21 and 43-point upper hand the entirety of the second half. Justin Glover tabulated 15 points (5-7 FG, 3-3 from 3) and Joey Atkins 14 with nine rebounds for the winners, who were the vastly superior shooters (59%-30%), including from long distance (11-18 to 5-29).
CACC Sweeps High-Scoring Caldwell Classic
An unconventional three-day tourney at Caldwell saw the two CACC North teams roll to easy, high-octane victories. Host Caldwell made it 12 out of 12 all-time vs. Mercy, hitting on 60% of its shots and riding a 31-6 second-half wave that expanded a modest 66-57 lead to 97-63 at the seven-minute mark. Fifteen of 16 Cougars scored, fronted by Darnell Evans’ 26-point, seven-assist output. Jayden Dewaal procured 22 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks, who fell two days later to Dominican, which opened the second stanza with a 25-10 uprising to forge a commanding 75-51 lead, the margin bouncing between 24 and 33 over the final 8:40. Javel Cherry paced six in double figures with 24 points (8-12 FG, 6-7 from deep) as the Chargers banged 16 of 31 three-point attempts.
Cherry pumped in 25 more – in just 22 minutes – on Sunday (8-11 FG), with solid support from Josh Serrano (18 points, 8-11 FG, four assists) and Joey Merrill (17 points on 7-11 shooting) as the Chargers made short work of D’Youville, converting nearly 60% from the floor as all 13 players who saw action scored at least one field goal. The game was over early with scores of 14-0 and 38-13. The Saints – who received 17 bench points from Bryson Birdsong – whittled their deficit down to 48-34 by halftime but would get no closer as the gap widened to 41 points before the dust settled. Caldwell also romped vs. the second-year D2 program with Evans again setting the tone (26 points). The Cougars led 25-5 out of the gate on the way to a 51-25 halftime bulge. Nasir Hammonds tossed in 20 in 20 bench minutes (8-12 FG) for D’Youville.
Round-Robin in Connecticut
Alliance University’s closing this summer left a gaping hole in Bridgeport’s Purple Knight Classic, so three teams resolved to play round-robin style, with Southern Connecticut emerging as the undefeated champ. The Owls turned aside District of Columbia at the Moore Field House thanks mainly to Marty Silvera’s 19-point (8-10 FG), seven-assist outing. But it was Saint Rose grad transfer Josh McGettigan (17 points, nine rebounds) who delivered the big blow with just over four minutes remaining and the score knotted up at 59-59. His 3-pointer jump-started a game-defining 16-6 run. Eric Morgan, Jr. hit for 22 to lead the Firebiirds. Two days later, just down I-95, Southern outlasted old NECC foe Bridgeport, maintaining between a three and seven-point lead over the last 11:06, making just enough free throws (5-8) over the last 42 seconds to prevail. Kazell Stewart posted a career-high 26 points (11-15 FG) and snatched seven rebounds for the Owls, who also saw Silvera (19 points, seven assists), McGettigan (19 points, six boards) and Sean James (17 points) make notable impacts. Nick Trail generated 22 points (7-10 FG) in 21 bench minutes to lead five Purple Knights in doubles as UB’s reserves outscored the starters, 54-40. Joshua Dennis was efficient for Bridgeport in its win vs. recent ECC foe UDC, submitting 22 points in 21 reserve minutes as the hosts saw 14 of their 16 players reach the score column while maintaining a double-figure lead the entirety of the second half. Vernon Simmons’ 18 bench points powered the Firebirds in the sloppy contest that saw more than a turnover per minute (UDC 24, UB 18).
And Then There Was One
The weekend’s lone solo contest took place in Lakewood, NJ as #16 Bentley led from pillar to post in a comfortable win in its first visit to Georgian Court’s Wellness Center. Reigning Regional Player of the Year Zach Laput led the charge with 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Falcons, who saw their 47-25 lead pared down to 71-59 with just over six minutes to go before sophomore forward Joe Carroll (12 bench points) scored on back-to-back possessions to spark a 15-2 flurry over the final 6:14. Clint Wright, Jr. scored 15 for the Lions, who were outscored 21-3 on second chances.
Three More Early-Week Affairs
Felician matched a program scoring record and shattered its mark for 3-pointers with 23 in 48 attempts during a 124-98 track meet win over Mercy Monday at Job Gym that tied the Goldey-Beacom-Roberts Wesleyan game above for highest-scoring of the season with 222 combined points. Nas Amos surpassed his personal high with 27 points, including the 1,000th of his career – the second Golden Falcon to reach that milestone already this season! – while dishing out six assists as the hosts trailed just once at 2-0 and piled on after that, boasting leads of 32-10 and 44-18 before managing between a 21- and 37-point upper hand the balance of the ballgame. Jabri Fitzpatrick pitched in with 22 points (7-8 FG, 4-4 from afar) in a reserve role for the victors, while Jayden Dewaal established a new personal best with 32 points (15-18 FG) while grabbing 15 rebounds. The Mavericks have now allowed at least 100 points in each of their first games for a whopping total of 350.
D'Youville is inching closer to its first win of the campaign, seeing its late rally fall short vs. Wheeling (WV) in Buffalo last night. In the ugliest game of the young season, there were 53 fouls whistled (33 on the visiting Cardinals) and 64 foul shots attempted (45 by the Saints). The hosts trailed most of the contest after shooting a dismal 4-31 (13%) in the opening half, and were looking up at a 51-35 deficit nearly four minutes into the final frame when they came to life, shaving the deficit to two on two occasions in the waning moments, the last occurrence at 77-75 following a lay-up by Trayton Trice (15 points, 10 boards) with 55 seconds on the clock. Backup guard Caleb Murray (eight points) thwarted the comeback, however, burying a right-corner 3 on a broken play that essentially ended the threat. Sean Ealy’s 17 bench points led the Cardinal attack.
Finally, Zayon Marsh’s 16-point, 10-rebound double-double wasn’t enough to lift Goldey-Beacom past Lock Haven (PA) in the Lightning’s home opener and region’s first matchup with a PSAC school. Justice Sheats was the best of the bunch for the Bald Eagles with 24 points and five assists as his team took better care of the basketball (20-7 turnover disparity). Lock Haven jumped out to a 31-15 lead and maintained a double-digit advantage for the final 20 minutes, the lead peaking at 70-45.
Exhibition Upsets
With Pace’s most recent victory over St. John’s earlier this month, some readers were curious how many such upsets have happened in our region since Division I schools began scheduling exhibitions vs. D2 schools. Well, here’s what I dug up. The records in parentheses indicate both teams’ final records that season. There’s one final score no one can seem to locate but I can verify that it did indeed happen. If I’m missing any other one, please reach out to me. And until the next column, happy hooping to all!
- Saint Rose 84 Binghamton 76 – November 13, 2004 (CSR 21-9, BU 12-17)
- Bentley 82 Northeastern 76 – November 8, 2005 (BU 21-9, NU 19-11)
- Saint Rose 61 Binghamton 59 – November 4, 2006 (CSR 22-10, BU 13-16)
- Philadelphia over Delaware (no score or date on record) (PU 27-8, DU 13-19)
- Le Moyne 82 Syracuse 79 – November 3, 2009 (LC 18-10, SU 30-5)
- Concordia 82 Manhattan 80 – November 9, 2010 (CC 10-16, MC 6-25)
- Le Moyne 75 Monmouth 66 - November 3, 2013 (LC 17-12, MU 11-21)
- Philadelphia 79 James Madison 76 – November 2, 2014 (PU 28-8, JMU 19-14)
- St. Michael’s 63 Vermont 61 – November 8, 2014 (SMC 18-11, UVM 20-14)
- St. Thomas Aquinas 90 St. John’s 58 – November 4, 2015 (STAC 27-5, SJU 8-24)
- Philadelphia 79 LaSalle 78 – November 7, 2015 (PU 23-9, LU 9-22)
- Le Moyne 73 Siena 71 – November 4, 2017 (LC 27-7, SC 8-24 but wins vacated)
- Pace 63 St. John’s 59 – October 29, 2023 (PU ?, SJU ?
- In-Season Upsets:
- Le Moyne 77 Army 70 – February 7, 1989 (LC 15-12, Army 12-16)
- University of the Sciences 54 Drexel 52 – December 4, 2014 (US 25-6, DU 12-19)
- Caldwell 63 Binghamton 52 – December 8, 2014 (CU 15-13, BU 6-26)
- St. Michael’s 80 Vermont 72 – December 31, 2015 (SMC 19-8, UVM 23-14)
- Caldwell 64 Norfolk State 54 – November 26, 2019 (CU 12-15, NSU 16-15)
- Georgian Court 75 Delaware State 69 – December 10, 2022 (GCU 12-16, DSU 6-24)