By Chris Granozio
Just when I thought there was nothing new that I could learn from a tactical rules standpoint, along comes a play at Staten Island last Saturday that had me – and many knowledgeable basketball people – thrown for a loop. In case you haven’t heard by now, CSI was down three with the ball and fab freshman guard Aaron Goldstein was speed-dribbling into the frontcourt. To that point, the Dolphins had connected on a sensational 18 of 39 from beyond the arc, so with six seconds left, St. Thomas Aquinas elected to foul him. A common strategy, for sure. Now from this point forward, the action never leaves the CSI side of the floor, and believe it or not, without benefit of an offensive rebound or a turnover, the hosts managed to attempt a game-winning shot. Now you may be asking yourself: how is that possible? What ensued in those final seconds may have never occurred in regional history. Perhaps Division 2 history. Here’s the breakdown:
- Shooting the front end of a one-and-one, Goldstein sinks the first foul shot to make it 79-77. As he releases the ball, Staten Island Head Coach T.J. Tibbs notices that Spartans sophomore guard Kyle Pulliam steps into the lane, prompting the referee to raise his hand. Because the shot is good, no lane violation is called.
- Anticipating Pulliam would do the same on the second attempt – the intention being to have a lane violation negate an intentional miss and potential tying put-back – Tibbs is ready with an audible. As Goldstein lifts the basketball but before releasing the free throw, Pulliam does indeed step into the lane and the referee raises his hand again.
- However, this time, Tibbs promptly commands Goldstein to “airball the shot,” which he proceeds to do. Being a second attempt and therefore a live-ball rebound situation, the airball is, in itself, a violation since the shot must make contact with the rim. Knowing his Dolphins have the possession arrow in their favor, a double violation is called and becomes a dead-ball situation, reverting to the arrow. Genius.
- The plan works, as the Dolphins are awarded possession underneath their own basket. Goldstein receives a pass in the corner and attempts a game-winning 3-pointer, but it’s offline and hits the side of the backboard. Tibbs and his assistants win the battle but lose the war, 79-77.
“I think the refs were unsure,” Tibbs told D2easthoops.org following the game. “Two of them huddled before the second attempt. Pulliam stepped in, both refs signaled and we had Aaron airball the free throw.” Tibbs deflected all praise for the brilliant strategy, crediting his staff for having that play in their bag of tricks. “We actually practice that,” he admitted.
STAC Head Coach Matt Capell, after his team escaped The Tank with the victory, had nothing but praise for his counterpart on the sidelines.
“T.J. is an amazing coach… he’s a great guy and does a hell of a job. Would expect another good game at our place in January.”
Tibbs returned the compliment.
“He told me they may not have deserved to win that game. He is full of class and I have the ultimate respect for him… they did a great job defending the last shot attempt.”
Mutual Admiration Society between two excellent coaches and truly awesome dudes.
Even before the unprecedented ending, this was one roller coaster ride of a game in its own right. STAC held a 47-35 advantage early in the second half before the Dolphins rattled off a 19-2 run to surge in front, 54-49 following a Messiah Mallory basket with 10:20 to play. The lead grew to 62-55 with just over six minutes left when the Spartans unleashed a 12-2 flurry, reclaiming the upper hand, 67-64, on a Pulliam trey with 3:46 remaining. Bryce Waterman – who finished with 26 points and four assists – banged threes on successive possessions, the last one giving CSI its final lead at 70-69 with 3:07 to go. St. Thomas Aquinas scored the next seven, culminating in a pair of James Patterson free throws at the 90-second mark, setting up the late-game theatrics. STAC was the more accurate shooting team on the afternoon (53%-42%) and outscored its hosts from the line, 12-1 (yes, Goldstein’s two memorable tosses represented the Dolphins’ ONLY trip to the stripe all afternoon!). Staten Island nearly overcame those deficiencies thanks to its 3-point proficiency (18-40 to 7-20) with Waterman (8-14) and Goldstein (5-10) responsible for the lion’s share of the output. Pulliam (20 points, four assists, one lane violation) and Patterson (17 points, 6-9 FG, eight rebounds, seven assists) topped the scorecard for the Spartans, who snagged their region-best eighth straight triumph, becoming the first team in the East to reach double figures in the win column.
Their previous game vs. District of Columbia in the nation’s capital saw Patterson go off for 31 points (13-14 FT), eight rebounds and four assists as the Spartans won despite being outshot, outrebounded and out-assisted. Three-point shooting was key (9-27 to 2-6), as was a 9-0 run to open the second period, snapping a 41-41 tie for good as STAC pushed its advantage to 90-74 before the dust settled. Hartnel Haye (22 points, 7-9 FG) and Micah Campbell (16 points, 10 rebounds) were the top dogs for the Firebirds.
Bombs Away
If you thought Staten Island’s 18 triples were a lot, check out what Bentley accomplished in a rare Tuesday matinee vs. Felician at the Dana Center. In their first meeting since a one-sided, first-round NCAA Tournament game two years ago, the Falcons once again annihilated the Golden Falcons, connecting on a whopping 23 shots beyond the arc in 46 attempts, shattering their program record in the process. Five Bentley players scored in double digits and five splashed at least three treys on the day, surpassing the previous mark of 19, done three times… the last instance during that previous meeting (also in 1992 vs. Southern Connecticut and 1996 vs. Assumption). Zach Laput (20 points, 5-7 from deep) and Kellen Bochenek (17, 5-6) were the featured performers, the latter contributing seven assists as the Falcons dealt a dazzling 31 helpers on 38 baskets. Felician – which had given Division 1 Merrimack all it could handle on Saturday in an 89-85 setback (more on that below) – stayed in Massachusetts and held an early 15-13 lead vs. Bentley before the wheels fell off. A 37-19 close to the first half and 17-2 start to the second (54-21 overall romp) put the game on ice at 67-36. The Golden Falcons have now dropped all four meetings with the Falcons by an average margin of 28.8 points (35.0 in Waltham). The 23 threes are the most by an East Region team since Bridgeport drilled 24 in 51 attempts vs. LIU Post on February 20, 2019.
Slowing Down the Pace
Speaking of Bridgeport, the Purple Knights pulled off an early-season stunner last night, rallying from 10 down in the second half and nipping Pace, 62-61 (How about that loaded CACC North, by the way?). It was the P-Knights’ second consecutive win over a Northeast-10 team (two more follow, with road games at Adelphi and Bentley). Joshua Dennis provided the spark off the bench with 19 points, capped by the tying and winning free throws with 3.5 seconds on the clock. Just before that, Jayden Iturmendi – who had been 0-10 from the floor to that point – nailed a huge 3-pointer to bring the hosts to the doorstep. Mark Dadika was the top option for the Setters with 17 points (7-10 FG) and seven rebounds in a reserve role, his lay-up at the 1:14 mark giving his team a 61-57 lead and its final points of the evening. Pace – which has dropped three straight after winning its first seven – was the superior shooting (47%-34%) and rebounding (38-33) club but was bettered from long distance (8-27 to 2-10). The Setters have now come up short in two one-point games to teams nicknamed the Purple Knights (St. Michael’s was the other, 12 days earlier). One game prior, Bridgeport received 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists from Bluefield State (WV) transfer Sam DeSouza, along with 19 points and eight boards from Iturmendi in downing American International, also at “The Hub.”
Saints Alive!
D’Youville earned its first-ever weekend conference sweep, upending Queens and Molloy, on the road no less. In Friday’s opener, Bryson Birdsong’s 17-point outing off the bench was pivotal vs. the Knights, who were buoyed by fellow reserve Shamar Chester’s 18-point (12-12 FT), eight-rebound effort. Two days later in Rockville Centre, Chase Jenkins exploded for a career-best 29 points (11-16 FG, 7-10 from afar) and six rebounds, while Trayton Trice also enjoyed a personal best with 24 and eight, respectively, as the Saints smacked the Lions, bursting out of the gate with a 33-10 lead. The hosts pulled within eight on five occasions before back-to-back Jenkins jumpers sparked a 19-5 run that provided ample distance at 65-41. D’Youville shot an impressive 15-30 from long distance and boasted a brilliant 24/6 assist-turnover ratio, rendering Robbie Matos’ 27 points a mere footnote. The Saints made it three straight for the first time as a D2 program by virtue of their non-league victory over Edinboro (PA) last night. Trice (24 points, 9-11 FG, 4-5 from downtown Buffalo) and Jenkins (19 points, eight rebounds) once again did the heavy lifting for the victors, who feasted off mistakes to the tune of 25-9 and again converted half of their 3-point attempts (8-16) as Mason Putnam’s trey to beat the halftime buzzer gave the hosts the lead for keeps at 35-32, the lead maxing out at 61-46 with 5:29 to go.
Close Calls
In the last edition of Around the Rim, I pointed out how St. Michael’s had won three straight games by a solitary point. Amazingly, around the very same time last year, the Purple Knights nearly did the reverse: dropping three one-point decisions over a four-game stretch. That got me thinking about close games and the comparison to this time last winter (data through December 13 both seasons). Here’s what I unearthed:
One-point finals: THIS YEAR: 8 LAST YEAR: 15
Two-point finals: THIS YEAR: 9 LAST YEAR: 13
Three-point finals: THIS YEAR: 10 LAST YEAR: 12
Overtime Games: THIS YEAR: 10 LAST YEAR: 5
So, there have been fewer one-possession final margins this season, but twice as many overtime games – a number inflated by Queens College, which has amazingly played bonus basketball in four of their 10 games. One caveat to mention: last year, there were more games played since Le Moyne and Alliance were members of the regional landscape. Another note of interest… three of last year’s five OT games through this part of the schedule were played on the same day – November 22.
Dribbles...
- Bol Akot collected 20 points and four assists in Post’s 75-70 win at Assumption – the Eagles’ first win in the series since December of 2007, when they actually topped the Greyhounds twice in 12 days (once at home, once in tournament action).
- Since I’ve been covering this beat, the East Region has had a collective losing record to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference every single year during regular-season play. This time out, the PSAC holds a slim 18-17 advantage with one game left on the schedule. And it’s a tough one as Goldey-Beacom travels to East Stroudsburg on January 10. No pressure, Goldey, but a .500 record vs. the PSAC would be a moral victory for the East.
- Last week, I remarked how D’Youville had played a really tough slate. But the team with the most challenging strength of schedule in the region is unquestionably Chestnut Hill as former coach J.J. Butler (now an assistant at D1 Delaware) did his successor, Andrew Radomicki, no favors. Eight of the Griffins’ 10 opponents thus far have winning records, including nationally-ranked West Liberty (WV) and California (PA). The Hill's opponents have an absurd combined record of 58-30 for a .659 winning percentage. Add to that an almost entirely new roster and that 1-9 record doesn’t seem quite so bad. In their penultimate game, Chestnut Hill fell at Seton Hill in the first-ever meeting between the two teams who share the nickname Griffins (on November 26, Dominican and New Haven squared off in the battle of the Chargers). The visitors were only down a point (52-51) before Seton Hill closed out the contest on a 35-9 spree, including the last 19 points. Next afternoon at #13 California, the Vulcans shot 60% in both halves in constructing an 87-39 lead – the largest spread in any regional game this season. The next toughest opponent schedules are: Saint Anselm (48-27, .640), Saint Rose (46-27, .630), Southern New Hampshire (50-32, .610) and New Haven (53-34, .609).
- After a year at Division 1 New Hampshire, Nazim Derry is back with Goldey-Beacom – a rare event in today’s college game. And the re-acquisition has paid dividends as the Lightning have been a tough out this far, nearly upsetting perennial power St. Thomas Aquinas on the road and coming close to upending a tough Millersville (PA) squad on the road. In a game that saw six ties and 16 lead changes, Goldey held a 79-78 edge before the Marauders reeled off 10 straight in the closing moments. Derry contributed 20 points (5-9 from 3) and six assists in the setback while emerging star Ayshion Centeno topped the score sheet with 22 points. The junior guard tossed in another 22 (7-10 FG) and pulled down seven rebounds in a reserve role the previous game at fellow PSAC East school West Chester, while Derry reached the 1,000-point plateau the game before vs. Lincoln (PA) in Pike Creek. Zayon Marsh paced five in double figures with 19 points and eight rebounds as the Lightning saw a 21-point second-half lead dwindle to four in the final minute before closing it out with 3-4 at the line.
- Sticking with matchups vs. PSAC teams, Wilmington snagged a pair of home Ws vs. Keystone State rivals, blasting Kutztown with Taalib Holloman spearheading a balanced attack (17 points). The Wildcats shot 9-17 from behind the 3-point line in building a 50-32 halftime bulge and then maintained a double-digit lead the remainder of the ballgame. Two days later, the Cats bolted out to a 35-13 lead, only to see Lock Haven battle back to within four (84-80) with 32 seconds to play before succumbing. Amiri Stewart paced five in doubles with 23 points (8-10 FG, 2-2 from deep), while Nalik Veasley made his presence felt inside with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Stewart remained hot in last night’s overtime win vs. Queens, leading six in double digits with 25 points (11-15 FG), eight caroms and five assists as Wilmington captured its fourth straight. For symmetry’s sake, the Wildcats won the first half, 45-36 while Queens took the second by the very same count. The extra session was all WilmU as the visitors claimed the first 10 points as they only trailed once on the night (at 5-3). The Knights – who were down by as many as 14 in the second half – forced OT on Malik Bentinck’s put-back with 1.9 seconds showing. Zyeir Lawrence totaled a career-high 17 points in 42 minutes for Queens, which also placed six in doubles and was playing its region-high fourth overtime game (Wilmington and Post are the only other regional teams that have played multiple OT contests this season – with two apiece).
- Queens’ previous game, against ECC foe Daemen, was a true taffy-pull with 22 ties and just as many lead changes (not to mention 49 fouls and 58 free throws). Bentinck tallied six of his 15 points in the bonus round, but it was Sunnie Diamond who “shined” brightest on this Sunday afternoon, racking up 33 points (one off his personal best), 11 rebounds and five assists, including a big go-ahead three in OT. Nick MacDonald had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, but his long-range attempt was off the mark as time expired. Dylan Fasoyiro was the Wildcats’ top option with 25 points as his team shot a fantastic 29-33 from the stripe. The result snapped a six-game Daemen win streak at Fitzgerald Gym dating back to a 71-56 Knights triumph on February 28, 2016.
- Daemen landed all five starters in double figures vs. Molloy in the first leg of its downstate trip – a win at Molloy. Joey Atkins amassed 17 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and three blocked shots for the Wildcats, who used a 10-2 flurry to snap the last of seven second-half ties and take control for good, 68-60. Back-to-back bombs by Fasoyiro triggered the run, negating another nice outing from Matos (19 points).
- Southern New Hampshire climbed out of a 15-point, second-half hole and stole a road win vs. Bloomfield. Kurtis Henderson’s right-wing jumper with 2.6 seconds left snapped a 67-67 tie, made possible by a 3-pointer from Deavion Ellis (18 points, four assists) with 25 seconds remaining. The Penmen trailed 55-40 at the 14:32 juncture and 64-57 inside of six minutes when Matt Becht scored the first five points of a 10-0 spurt, setting up Ellis’ tying triple. Ellis had a chance to be the last-second hero, but his potential game-winning 3-point attempt was blocked by Preston Santos at the buzzer, giving SNHU its fifth win in six all-time head-to-head meetings. Before that, the Penmen outlasted Bentley in Manchester. A top-of-the-key three by Becht ignited a 6-0, game-closing flourish after the Falcons had shaved their deficit to 58-57 on a Laput jumper inside the two-minute warning. The defending NE10 Player of the Year finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Becht dropped 18 for the winners.
- St. Michael’s remains sizzling hot, taking its seventh in a row with a successful first trip to the Voller Center, repelling Roberts Wesleyan in Rochester thanks to a career day by Romar Reid (32 points, 13-15 FT) as the Purple Knights maintained a double-figure lead over the last 9:26. Malik Brooks posted 17 off the bench for the Redhawks, who also received a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double from Isaiah Elmore. Reid sank half of St, Mike’s 26 foul shots and one more than the entire Roberts team (13-12). Both teams had a frigid touch from the floor (SMC 36%, RWC 34%). It was just the second-ever meeting between the two programs, with the only other one being an 85-69 victory at the Le Moyne Tournament on December 29, 1999 when the Redhawks were among the NAIA ranks.
- Roberts recovered nicely last night, topping Mansfield (PA) thanks to another 17-point outing by Brooks and a perfect shooting night by Ryan Garwood (5-5 FG, 3-3 from 3, 4-4 FT). It was a fundamentally flawed affair, as evidenced by 48 fouls, 37 turnovers and combined 57% foul shooting (37-65), but the overall field goal percentages lifted the level of competition (RWC 57%, MU 50%) as the Redhawks missed chances to salt the game away at the line but survived Jordan Montgomery’s tying 3-point try.
- Both teams placed six in double figures as East Stroudsburg ran past Holy Family in the Poconos, 113-93. A 24-4 first-half upswing proved the difference in this one as the Warriors flipped a 12-11 deficit into a 35-16 lead that was never seriously challenged. Eleven unanswered out of the break saw the gap mushroom to 68-36 before the Tigers slashed it to 16 late. Holy Family shot a sizzling 18-34 from beyond the arc, the most makes for the program since a 20-42 effort in a 94-80 win at Assumption on December 19, 2015. The Tigers followed that up with a rout of winless, unaffiliated Cheyney (PA) at the Campus Center, powered by career games from Jason Shields (23 points, 5-9 from deep, 10 rebounds) and Tairi Ketner (19 points, four blocks). A 22-3 blitz over the last 5:20 of the first half stretched a modest 35-29 lead to 57-32 and the margin bounced between 20 and 34 the balance of the ballgame. Both teams stunk up the joint at the line (HFU 10-21, CU 7-17).
- Ahmed Barba-Bey (23 points, 12 rebounds, five assists) and Erik Timko (22, 7, 5) were the key ingredients in Jefferson’s rout of Bloomsburg (PA) at the Gallagher Center. The Rams forced 28 turnovers while only committing 11 of their own and snared 11 of the game’s 14 offensive rebounds, resulting in a huge disparity in shot attempts: 82-50. The game was never close as Jefferson raced out to leads of 16-0, 41-10 and 51-19 before easing off the gas a touch in the second half.
- Caldwell has found itself in a funk, dropping four in a row, the last two at NE10 gyms. A 44-25 second-half snapped a 44-44 deadlock and propelled Franklin Pierce to a comfortable victory in Rindge, behind the 1-2 punch of Jarnel Snow-Guzman (22 points) and Ugo Nwachukwu (20). Last night vs. Adelphi, in a game that marked a reuniting of the Cougars with last year’s D2 blocked shot leader, Jarnel Rancy, who transferred over the summer. The two clubs were neck and neck most of the night (there were 12 lead changes), thanks in large part to a breakout performance by Caldwell rookie guard Isaiah Philbert (20 bench points, 7-11 FG, 5-8 from 3), but with the visitors clinging to a 57-56 lead inside of the five-minute mark, Rancy sank a tying free throw and then scored the go-ahead lay-up that commenced a game-defining, 8-0 spell that put the hosts ahead to stay, 64-57 with 2:19 remaining. Rancy finished with 10 points (4-4 FG), six rebounds, four assists and six swats for Adelphi, which also received solid outings from Elijah Lewis (17 points, 6-8 FG), Connor Regan (15 points, nine rebounds) and Dayshaun Walton (14, 11).
- Mercy is still seeking its initial victory on the campaign, dropping a home contest to Staten Island despite 10 points and 12 rebounds from Jayden Dewaal, and falling at District of Columbia with Alex May notching 19 points. The Mavericks haven’t enjoyed a lead in their last three games, but the matchups are getting more competitive, with Mercy closing within a dozen points twice in the latter affair before the Firebirds sank their last six free throws to slam the door. Hartnel Haye cashed in a 17-point (8-10 FG), 10-rebound double-double for UDC. One bright spot for the Mavs was Garrett Kirkland eclipsing Chanze Wellington’s all-time program record for 3-pointers with his 183rd Saturday in Washington.
- Redshirt freshman Ethan Simmon chalked up a personal-best 27 points (9-13 FG, 7-10 from distance) in under 25 minutes and New Haven banged 14 of 27 from downtown West Haven in blasting Georgian Court in crossover competition. Ten different Chargers claimed assists in the blowout, which saw the hosts forge leads of 10-0 and 19-2 en route to a 45-21 halftime divide. Lions Head Coach Terrence Stewart missed the game due to illness (get better, coach!).
- The new NABC/Division 2 Coaches' Poll is out and St. Thomas Aquinas pops in at #19. Four other regional teams are receiving votes: Post, St. Michael's, Dominican and Southern New Hampshire. Defending D2 national champion Nova Southeastern (FL) remains #1.
- And we’ll leave you with this: Felician’s loss at Merrimack on Saturday – its second game at a D1 venue already this season – was the two teams’ first meeting in 20 years, as the Warriors earned an 89-79 win in the same Volpe Complex on January 1, 2003. This game was played across the lobby in Lawler Arena as Merrimack placed all five starters in double figures just to hold off the Golden Falcons, 89-85. Jaylen Colon registered 20 points (8-12 FG) and four assists to guide Felician, which came within a deuce three times in the final 1:06 before falling short.
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