The NE10 and ECC comprised the St. Valentine's Day slate, and we begin the regional roundup with some key games in the Northeast Division:
MERRIMACK 85 STONEHILL 74
Juvaris Hayes racked up 24 points, five assists and seven steals, while Khalief Crawford posted 14 of his 16 points in the second half, leading Merrimack past third-place Stonehill in North Easton to complete a season sweep and clinch at least second place in the Northeast Division. After spotting their hosts a 14-4 lead, Hayes scored a lay-up to commence a 13-0 run and the Warriors never looked back. A 12-1 surge early in the second half – capped by another Hayes driving lay-up at the 16-minute mark – extended a 48-41 advantage to 60-42 and the lead remained in double figures for all but one possession thereafter. Troy McLaughlin added 11 first-half points for the winning side, shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the floor (2-of-2 from deep) and 3-of-3 at the foul line. Will Moreton was brilliant for the Skyhawks with 24 points (8-13 FG, 7-8 from long range) and career-high 15 rebounds. He was flanked by Joel Berroa (career-best 21 points, 9-13 FG, eight boards) and Daniel Largey (10 points), though it wasn’t enough to extend their winning streak to five games. Both teams shot it well (MC 54%, SC 50%), with Stonehill making more threes (13-24 to 6-16) and snaring more rebounds (34-28). Merrimack countered with more free throws (15-20 to 5-10), points in the paint (46-18), points off turnovers (29-13) and fast-break points (10-0).
ST. ANSELM 68 SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 59
For the first time since December 14, 2003, Manchester programs St. Anselm and Southern New Hampshire renewed their rivalry at the SNHU Arena (formerly known as the Verizon Wireless Arena), and unlike the last time, St. A’s emerged victorious, rallying from a 41-26 deficit early in the second half to prevail, avenging an early-season home loss and maintaining sole possession of first place. The Hawks – who were fronted by Cody Ball’s 20 points (4-8 from deep) and seven rebounds – fell into a 9-0 hole and trailed the entire first period. They were still down 55-48 after a Chris Walters dunk with 9:11 to play before embarking on a 20-4 run over the final 8:47 to win going away. Tim Guers (13 points, seven rebounds) delivered the go-ahead lay-up with 6:55 left, then delivered a huge 3-pointer at the 3:54 juncture to make it 62-57. Tyler Fortin (13 points, five assists) and Chris Paul (12 points, seven rebounds, five assists) also made impacts for St. A’s, which was much more formidable from beyond the arc (9-25 to 1-14) and dished out 14 of the game’s 16 assists. Walters was high man for the Penmen with 17 points (4-18 FG, 8-8 FT) and six rebounds, followed by Daquaise Andrews (14 points, career high-tying 13 rebounds) and Dimitri Floras (12 points, 6-9 FG, seven boards). SNHU is now tied for fifth with Franklin Pierce for the last playoff spot.
FRANKLIN PIERCE 80 ASSUMPTION 62
Franklin Pierce is back in the playoff picture after thumping Assumption in Rindge. A 21-0 second-half blitz – capped by a Mike McDevitt lay-up – amplified a modest 40-36 lead to 61-36 with 13:12 remaining, and the gap widened to 72-45 on a 3-ball by Asasnte Sandiford (14 points, six rebounds) with 7:47 to go as the Greyhounds came no closer than the 18-point final margin the rest of the way. Doyin Fadojutimi busted out for a career-best 23 points (9-13 FG, 5-7 from 3) and eight rebounds for the Ravens, including a trifecta inside of seven minutes in the opening period that sparked a 9-0 spurt and put Pierce in front for good at 34-25. Jordan Lackey (16 points) and McDevitt (15 points, seven rebounds) played key roles for the victors, who were more efficient at the foul line (6-8 to 8-16) and dominated the backboards, 48-33, leading to a 16-3 advantage in second-chance scoring. Bryan Boehlert and Joe Sullivan (6-8 FG) each netted 16 points for the Hounds, while Matthew Kelly chipped in with 11.
BENTLEY 82 ST. MICHAEL’S 74
Bentley now claims sole possession of fourth place after pulling away late from St. Michael’s at the Dana Center. Ryan Richmond generated 30 points and Chris Hudson 22 (8-13 FG, 3-3 from 3) with nine rebounds for the Falcons, who trailed 33-23 with just over five minutes to play in the first half before catching up early in the second. The lead exchanged hands eight times over a 5:19 span of the final frame, the last time on a Richmond lay-up that made it 60-59 with 11:06 on the clock. The Purple Knights – who received 21 points and four assists from Levi Holmes III – hung around, and were within a point (75-74) with two-and-a-half-minutes left when Jordan Mello-Klein (eight points, six caroms, five assists) knocked down a key jumper to spark a 7-0, game-ending flourish, with the hosts making good on five of six foul shots over the final 1:18. Zach Gilpin contributed 15 points for Bentley, which received no bench points and was outshot, 46%-41%, but fared better at the foul line (15-19 to 7-10), on second chances (20-9) and off turnovers (22-7) to secure the spoils. Jordan Guzman (14 points, 4-4 from downtown Waltham, six rebounds) and Colin Richey (13 points) provided scoring depth in defeat for St. Mike’s.
Le MOYNE 79 PACE 42
In Syracuse, #25 Le Moyne stifled old Mideast Collegiate Conference foe Pace to clinch the Southwest Division crown for a second straight season and lock up home court for the NE10 Tournament. Ten of 11 players scored and nine totaled between seven and 12 points for the balanced Dolphins, led by Robert Jones III (12 points, 4-7 from distance, eight rebounds, career-high six assists) and Tyquan Rolon (12, 10, 4) as they captured their 11th straight victory and established a new program record with 17 conference wins. The Phins led 19-17 before Anthony Richards drained back-to-back threes (he was 3-of-5 from deep for his 9 points) to trigger an 18-4 charge over the last 6:32 of the half, which ended with a 37-21 divide. The Setters – whose lone bright spot was Peyton Wejnert (14 points, seven rebounds) – trailed 41-27 before the hosts unleashed a 38-15 tear over the last 14:04 to win by 37. Le Moyne – which has now won 33 of its 38 NE10 match-ups over the last two seasons – was the vastly superior shooting team (50%-29%), especially from beyond the arc (14-33 to 0-12), while boasting 24 of the game’s 28 assists.
SAINT ROSE 76 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 53
Saint Rose clinched second after topping American International for the second time in seven days, this time at Butova Gym. All 11 players scored and five reached double figures for the Golden Knights, who jumped out to a 21-7 lead on the way to a 37-19 halftime cushion. The Yellow Jackets came as close as 40-24 nearly three minutes into the second half when Michael Wearne scored on a lay-up to instigate an 8-0 run that boosted the advantage to 48-24. The margin maxed out at 65-40 after a triple from Adam Anderson with 3:36 on the clock, ending any lingering doubt. Matt Cerutti recorded 14 points (7-10 FG) and seven rebounds for the winners, who also received a dozen points apiece from Julian Lipinsky (nine rebounds) and Mical-Ryan Boyd, with Wearne and Anderson tossing n 11 apiece off the bench. Zekiah Owens topped the AIC scoresheet with 16 points (3-4 from downtown Springfield) while Tahlib Swan managed 12 points and four assists in his final home game. Saint Rose shot at a higher clip (46%-36%) and enjoyed a 16-4 boon in turnover points. Both teams struggled from long range (CSR 6-21, AIC 5-23). The Jackets maintain a half-game lead on Adelphi for the last playoff spot in the division. The two teams close out the season against each other in Garden City.
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 79 ADELPHI 68
Isaiah McLeod garnered 25 points (11-18 FG) and six rebounds to carry Southern Connecticut past Adelphi to pull within a game of idle crosstown rival New Haven for third. The Owls trailed 17-11 before a Jerry Luckett, Jr. hoop set in motion a 15-0 upswing that put his team on top to stay, 26-17. The Panthers – who were spearheaded by Michael Coffey (19 points) and Terrel Martin-Garcia (16 points, 7-10 FG, six rebounds) – came no closer than eight over the final 20 minutes, and the margin crested at 76-59 on another Luckett bucket with 4:13 left. The senior forward finished with 12 points for Southern, which also received 10 apiece from Ulyen Coleman (eight rebounds) and Taurus Adams II, the latter doing so in a reserve capacity. The Owls outshot (52%-38%) and outrebounded (42-32) Adelphi, while also crafting a 20-7 advantage off of mistakes. The Panthers – who are a half-game out of the playoff picture – stayed close due to more 3-point volume (11-42 to 2-13).
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 97 NYIT 74
In the ECC, St. Thomas Aquinas shot 56% from the floor and cruised past New York Institute of Technology in Sparkill to solidify its second-place standing for the moment. The Spartans trailed just once (5-4) and used a 33-14 run – culminating in two free throws by Shaq McFarlan – in extending a 16-14 lead to 49-28 with 1:22 remaining in the half. A 17-7 start to the second stretched the advantage to 68-38 before the Bears orchestrated a 21-7 counter-run to slash the deficit almost in half at 75-59 after a steal and lay-up by Opong Bramble (11 points off the bench, 5-7 FG) with 7:02 to go. It was all STAC after that as the hosts rattled off 12 of the next 14 points to slam the door at 87-61 with 2:51 on the clock. James Mitchell cranked out 20 points to lead Aquinas, which also placed Jamar Sudan (19 points, 7-9 FG, 2-2 from 3, six rebounds, four steals), Justin Reyes (19 points, 7-8 FG, nine boards in just 18 minutes) and McFarlan (12 points) in twin figures. Jeffrey Hayden finished with 15 points and four assists to lead NYIT, which has dropped a region-high 12 straight. Laurynas Stonkas (14 points, 6-9 FG) and Kieran Hamilton (10) also made their presences felt, but a 28-12 disparity in turnover points severely hampered the Bears’ chances.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 77 LIU POST 69
The quest for the sixth and final ECC playoff berth is officially a four-team race after District of Columbia upended LIU Post in the nation’s capital for its fifth win in seven outings. An extremely tight game, there were nine ties, 11 lead changes and nothing more than a five-point separation until the 3:07 mark of the second half when Traevon Butler (17 points) nailed a jumper to make it 67-60. Two free throws by Danny Shand (17 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals in a reserve role) expanded it to a 73-65 lead with 47 seconds left and the Firebirds converted four straight foul shots over the last 18 seconds to keep their guests at arm’s length. Kevin Cox (11 points, 3-4 from 3) and Paul Eromosele (10) both played well in reserve roles for UDC, which was the more accurate shooting team (49%-39%), helping offset a 42-34 rebounding disparity (16-6 on the offensive end) that resulted in a 20-4 shortfall in second-chance scoring. Kyle McLeggan delivered 19 points (8-13 FG) and five assists for the Pioneers, with support from Jared Rivers (15 of his 17 points in the first half) and Kyle Doucette (nine points, 12 rebounds). LIU Post is now just a half-game up on idle Roberts Wesleyan for fourth place and a first-round home game. UDC is two games behind Molloy and Queens in the loss column for the last playoff spot, with Mercy sandwiched in between.
MERCY 92 MANSFIELD 73
All five starters reached double figures, led by Marko Kozul’s 23-point, six-rebound, four-assist performance, as Mercy blasted Mansfield (PA) at Bowman Gym, reaching double-digit wins for just the second time since 2005. A 16-6 flurry at the outset of the second half fattened a 51-42 advantage to 67-48 following a jumper by Brendon Smith (15 points, 7-10 FG, 13 rebounds, five blocks). The chasm expanded to 80-56 with just over eight minutes remaining before the Mountaineers dispensed 13 straight points to make things interesting at 80-69 with 3:30 to go. Malik Carter provided eight of the points as part of a 26-point, nine-rebound night, but the Mounties would come no closer as Kozul scored eight straight to make it 88-69 with 1:43 on the clock, cementing the result. Kozul, in fact, tallied all 12 of the Mavericks’ points over the final 8+ minutes. Sal Barbetto compiled 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Mavs, who also received a career-best 13 points from Shannon Denny and 10 points with seven boards from Kelvin Howard. Both teams shot it well (MC 51%, MU 48%) but Mercy was more proficient from beyond the arc (10-25 to 3-12). This was the last of 27 games in which East Region clubs squared off against PSAC schools. Our region finished 9-18 in those games.
WHERE THEY STAND
Here are the first rankings from the East Regional Committee, through last weekend’s games:
- Le Moyne
- Bridgeport
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- Saint Rose
- Bloomfield
- St. Anselm
- Dominican
- Stonehill
- Daemen
- Merrimack