There was action in all three leagues Wednesday night, and the playoff pictures became a little clearer after the dust settled. Let’s kick off the recap with a couple of clinchers:
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 85 BENTLEY 73
All eight players who saw action scored at least six points, led by explosive senior forward Elijah Bonsignore’s 18 as Southern New Hampshire repelled Bentley in Waltham to wrap up its first-ever Northeast-10 regular-season title (they won the conference tournament two years ago). Bonsignore added eight rebounds for the Northeast Division champs, who have now won four straight and 11 of their last 12 to capture their first regular-season title since the 1998-99 New England Collegiate Conference crown. Rodney Sanders recorded 17 points and four assists for the Penmen, with B.J. Cardarelli (13, 4) and Adrian Oliveira (12 points) also chiming in as the visitors never trailed on the night, sporting leads of 11-2 and 26-12 before the Falcons narrowed the gap in the second half. A 3-pointer from Keegan Hyland (18 points, nine rebounds, four assists) with 16:29 to go sliced the deficit to 41-39 but Cardarelli’s traditional 3-point play triggered a 23-10 surge that gave SNHU a 64-49 lead with 8:15 left. It was still a 15-point spread (73-58) inside the four-minute mark when Bentley made a late push, conjuring up 10 points in just 54 seconds thanks to three successive steals, three straight 3-pointers and a JP Koury free throw with 2:49 remaining. It was 73-68 at that point, but Caradrelli again came through with a huge “And-1” five seconds later, instigating a 12-5 flourish to close out the Penmen’s first win at the Dana Center in 11 tries, dating back to a 79-77 victory on November 30, 2003. Tyler McFarland led the charge for the Falcons with 20 points (5-5 from beyond the arc, 1-5 inside of it) and six rebounds, while Koury totaled 15 points, eight rebounds and five steals in defeat. Southern New Hampshire was the more accurate shooting club (50%-40%) while Bentley – still holding down the fifth and final playoff berth in the division with an outside shot at fourth – won the glass, 42-34.
WILMINGTON 70 GOLDEY-BEACOM 65
Tyaire Ponzo-Meek registered 18 points and Tyrik Gass came up big with 14 points (6-7 FG) and 13 rebounds while drawing a critical charge with 15 seconds to play as Wilmington edged Goldey-Beacom, ousting its Delaware rivals in Pike Creek to clinch the fourth and final playoff spot in the CACC South. It didn’t come easily for the Wildcats, who trailed the entire opening half before opening the final frame with a 10-0 surge, capped by a Gass lay-up that gave the visitors a 36-27 lead. The gap grew to 52-40 with six-and-a-half minutes on the clock before the Lightning struck with an 11-4 charge to draw within a single possession – 64-61 – thanks to a 3-ball from Joey Getz (22 points) with 37 seconds to play. Ponzo-Meek knocked down two big free throws four seconds later and Valentino Thompson (13 points) was fouled after a steal. However, the senior missed the two freebies and Getz scored on a driving lay-up with 30 ticks left to make it 66-63. That’s as close as the hosts would get, however, as Sam Sanders delivered the two decisive foul shots for his only points of the night. Derrick Archie (13 points on 3-of-3 shooting) and Kyle Steinbergin (11) reached double digits for Goldey, which shot better fro the floor (46%-40%) but was hammered on the glass, 47-29 (22-6 on the offensive end) and outscored 24-7 on second chances in falling for a fifth straight time. Wilmington will play in the postseason for the first time since 2010.
ADELPHI 67 SAINT ROSE 60
The longest losing streak in Adelphi’s storied history – is now history. Justin Jenkins busted out with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Duane Morgan added 19 and seven, respectively, as the Panthers rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to overtake Empire State and former NYCAC rival Saint Rose on Long Island, winning its first game in 2015 after a 14-game dry spell. Things looked bleak for the hosts early on as the Golden Knights – winners of four straight coming in – bolted out to leads of 21-8 and 30-15 before settling for a 36-28 halftime bulge. It was 41-33 three-and-a-half minutes into the second stanza when Adelphi unleashed a 21-5 tear that established a 54-46 lead after three straight foul shots from Anthony Libroia (five points, seven assists) with 9:46 remaining. Saint Rose – which currently sits in fifth in the NE-10 Southwest – rattled off eight of the next nine points to sidle within 55-54 following a triple from Jack Jones (18 points, seven boards) with 7:09 to go. The game remained a two-possession affair over the final nine minutes until late Panther free throws opened up a seven-point comfort zone (Morgan hitting the clinching tosses with 34 seconds on the clock). Max Weaver compiled 15 points (3-5 from 3), four assists and four steals in a losing cause for the Golden Knights, who also landed Jamaal Greenwood (11 points) and Chris Dorgler (10) in double figures. Both teams struggled from the floor (AU 39%, CSR 40%), attempted more threes than twos (AU 28/26, CSR 28/27) and submitted positive assist-turnover lines (AU 12/7, CSR 15/8). Adelphi fared better at the line (17-26 to 6-10) and on the backboards (40-28), swinging the pendulum in its favor.
LIU POST 61 MOLLOY 56
Tyuan Williams racked up 18 points and 15 rebounds while converting the go-ahead lay-up with 17 seconds to play, leading LIU Post past Long Island rival Molloy in Rockville Centre, avenging a devastating, buzzer-beating home loss a month earlier. The Pioneers – who also received a lift off the bench from P.J. Torres (13 points) – raced out to a 27-11 lead before the Lions roared back with a 33-12 blitz spanning the halftime break to zoom in front 44-39 after a 3-pointer from Charles Marquardt (four points off the bench) with 11:30 left. Two Williams foul shots sparked a 15-2 counter run that put the visitors back in front, 54-46 at the 3:49 mark. It was 56-48 with 2:45 remaining when Molloy used an 8-0 spurt to equalize at 56-56. Matt McLeod commandeered the spurt with the first six points (he had 13 on the night) and Jaylen Morris (10) hit the tying free throws with 45 seconds on the clock, setting up Williams’ big shot in the lane. After Marquardt missed a potential go-ahead trey with seven seconds to go, Post closed out the scoring with three of four tosses at the stripe in the last three seconds. Maurice Gatson offered 10 points, highlighted by a lay-up at the halftime horn, for Molloy, which was manhandled on the glass, 48-34 (17-6 offensive) and outscored 16-4 on second chances. The game was far from pretty as both teams exhibited a frosty shooting touch (LIUP 33%, MC 34%) and converted a mere four long-range attempts in a combined 31 attempts. There were also 54 fouls, 71 free throw attempts and just nine total assists to 29 turnovers. Both teams are tied with NYIT for fifth place and the last home playoff berth.
QUEENS 80 NYIT 68
For the fifth time this season, a regional player can boast a triple-double. It happened at Fitzgerald Gym as multi-talented senior guard Jerry Mordi amassed 26 points (4-8 from deep), 10 rebounds and 10 assists in leading Queens to an upset win over New York Institute of Technology to remain in playoff contention, two games off the pace with four to play (and with a tiebreaker in hand should these two teams finish with the same league mark). A 33-9 blitz flipped an early 6-1 deficit into a 34-15 upper hand, then an 8-0 start to the second half expanded a 47-36 lead to 55-36 after a Mordi trifecta as the Knights cruised to the finish line with its lead never reduced to single digits. Diego Maldonado was lights-out from downtown Flushing, ringing up 18 points on 6-of-9 shoting from distance as his team shot a sizzling 15-for-30 from beyond the arc (NYIT was 8-of-23), attempting one more shot outside the arc than inside. Paul Little chipped in with 10 points and 13 rebounds for the victors, who also received 10 points and four assists from Kyhiem Chaplin. Khalif Chaplin (no relation) was high man for the Bears with 18 points (4-6 from 3), with Kachi Nzerem (13 points) and Darian Hooker (12) lending support, the latter being held 17 points below his national-best 29.1 ppg average on 4-of-16 shooting. Both teams were terrific distributing the ball (QC 17/9 assist-turnover ratio, NYIT 11/5). The Bears – who are part of that three-way logjam for fifth place – accounted for practically all the game’s points at the line (22-34 compared to 1-3 for QC). Mordi joins Daemen’s Gerald Beverly, USciences’ Garret Kerr, New Haven’s Eric Anderson and Dominican’s Kristopher Hargraves in this year’s triple-double class – the most by far in a regional season since these reports began in 1998. There have been only seven other such feats in all of Division II this winter.
DOWLING 89 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 68
The fourth Long Island club in the playoff mix – Dowling – remains a half-game ahead of the other three after blasting District of Columbia in Oakdale and leaving their guests' fading playoff hopes dangling by a thread. The big story in this one was the return of Preseason Co-Player of the Year Darien Davis after a month’s absence as the senior guard logged 17 points (3-5 from long range) in a reserve role, helping the Golden Lions’ depth. Evan Maxwell topped the score sheet with 25 points (9-13 FG) and nine rebounds, while Tristan Brown (17 points, 9-10 FT, five assists) and Donte Adams (13 points, 11 boards) also fared well for the hosts. A 7-0 flurry out of the break lengthened a 42-32 lead to 49-32 and the margin never dipped into single digits thereafter, maxing out at 87-61 before all was said and done as Dowling outshot UDC (50%-35%), was more efficient from behind the 3-point line (7-16 to 7-25), more prolific at the foul line (24-35 to 7-10) and more proficient in the assist-turnover realm (12/9 to 7/14). Eric Senegal (10 points) and Reggie Sidbury (13) were the top options for the Firebirds, who were stronger on the boards (42-38), accounting for 18 of the game’s 22 second-chance points.
ST. ANSELM 105 MERRIMACK 81
Roy Mabrey exploded for 32 points (13-19 FG, 5-10 from long distance) to lead five in double figures as second-place St. Anselm mauled Merrimack in Manchester for its sixth straight home victory of at least 20 points. A 31-5 avalanche set the tone early as the Hawks jumped out to a 33-11 lead before taking a 59-34 cushion into the locker room. The lead crested at 76-43 after a Mabrey three with 15:28 to play and the Warriors never came closer than 22 points the balance of the ballgame. Chris Santo produced 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for St. A’s, which also placed Mark Schulze (12, 5, 6), Harrison Taggart (11 points, nine caroms) and Victor Joshua (10 points, seven assists) in twin figures. Travonne Berry-Rogers poted a career-best 18 points off the bench in a losing effort for Merrimack, which also saw Gelvis Solano accumulate 18 points, four assists, three steals and three blocked shots. Kyle Howes (14 points) and JT Strickland (10 points, four helpers) rounded out the double-digit scorers. Both teams shot well from the floor (SAC 57%, MC 50%) but the Hawks made twice as many triples (12-28 to 6-22), dished out more than twice as many assists (26-11) and won the rebound war (43-31). The Warriors can only make the postseason if they win their last two and Bentley loses its last two.
STONEHILL 65 FRANKLIN PIERCE 63 (OT)
Franklin Pierce is still a game back of Bentley for the final playoff berth after losing a tough one to Stonehill in Rindge. Carter Smith produced 19 points (4-5 from deep), including the winning jumper with four seconds left in overtime as the Skyhawks secured a playoff spot and remained tied for third place with St. Michael’s. The very tight contest featured no fewer than 13 ties, including second-half deadlocks at 37, 40, 42, 46, 49, 52 and 59. Pierce was up 59-55 after a lay-up from Mike McDevitt (11 points) with 5:34 remaining in regulation, but the hosts would not score again in the period as Ryan Logan (14 points, seven rebounds) laid one in and Pierce Cumpstone (eight points, 10 rebounds off the bench) nailed the tying baseline jumper with 40 seconds to go. Overtime became reality after Paul Becklens’s game-winning lay-up attempt was rejected by Jack Cole, who reached the 1,000-pont plateau with his 16-point, 15-rebound, four-block effort. There wasn’t much scoring in the extra session as Stonehill twice grabbed two-point leads only to see the Ravens tie it up – the last time on a McDevitt put-back with 26 seconds on the clock, leading to Smith’s clutch bucket. A lay-up attempt by Becklens (six points, four assists) at the final horn was off the mark as Franklin Pierce lost despite making more 3-pointers (11-25 to 5-14) and distributing the rock more effectively (14/9 assist-turnover line compared to SC’s 7/16). The Skyhawks made up for those disparities with a 42-22 pounding on the glass. Ryen Vilmont paced the Ravens with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Tyler Iacuone knocked out 11 points (3-4 from 3) and four assists. Free throws weren’t even a factor (SC 4-8, FPU 2-5).
ST. MICHAEL’S 75 ASSUMPTION 68
Michael Thompson tallied 17 points, including the first six of the second half, uncorking a 15-5 run that put St. Michael’s ahead to stay in its game vs. Assumption at the Ross Sports Center, keeping the Vermonters tied with Stonehill for the third-place bye in the Northeast Division and clinching a playoff spot in the process. After an up-and-down first half that saw four ties, seven lead changes and nothing more than a two-possession separation, the 15-5 burst gave the Purple Knights a 44-35 advantage. It reached double figures at 60-50 before the pesky Greyhounds used a 10-4 uptick to draw within 64-60 following free throws from Kamali Bey (15 points, seven rebounds off the bench) with 3:07 to play. But the Hounds could get no closer as Corey Crawford II (nine points) connected on a huge 3-pointer with 1:20 left and St. Mike’s locked up the result with a 6-of-8 performance at the line over the last 35 seconds. Valuable reserves Greg Grippo (16 points, 4-8 from downtown Burlington) and Matt Bonds (10 points, seven rebounds) came up big for the winners, who were outshot from the floor (39%-36%), manhandled in the paint (38-14) and outscored 12-2 off turnovers. They made up for those deficiencies by dropping more threes (9-25 to 2-17) and feasting at the foul line (28-36 to 12-14). Karl Ziegler (13 points) and Jimmy Zenevitch (12 points, seven caroms) played well for Assumption.
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 104 PACE 74
A 61-32 second-half ambush carried #25 Southern Connecticut past Pace in Pleasantville for its eighth straight triumph and continued possession of first place in the Southwest Division. The game was literally a tale of two halves as the lead changed hands 11 times in the first 20 minutes, the last occurrence on a dunk “And-1” by Jack McCarthy right before the halftime buzzer, representing half the big man’s point total off the pine as the Owls went up 43-42. Boosted that big play, Southern ran away and hid in the second half thanks to runs of 16-0 and 22-3 as the lead crested at 104-70, belying what was a competitive game for over 20 minutes. Luke Houston led five in double figures with 21 points (7-11 FG, 3-5 from deep) and 10 rebounds. Michael Mallory followed with 18 points off the bench, including the 1,000th of his career (a rare feat for a sophomore reserve) while adding four assists to his resume. Desmond Williams (17 points, 12 rebounds), the unrelated Stefon Williams (14, 8) and Tylon Smith (13 points, eight assists) also made their presences felt for Southern, which made half of its shots (60% after the break), scored nearly twice as often in the paint (50-26) and more than doubled its hosts in rebounds, 52-25, including an 18-2 dominance on the offensive glass that fueled a 21-0 blasting in second-chance points. Kyle Pearson deposited 22 points for the Setters, who also saw Shelton Mickell (14 points, six rebounds, five helpers), Mike Demello (13 points, 3-6 from 3) and Victor Jusino (10) reach double digits in the scoring column in falling for an 11th straight outing. Both teams shot fairly well from long range (SCSU 10-22, PU 9-21).
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 71 NEW HAVEN 57
American International remains a game back of first after defeating New Haven at Butova Gym for its fourth straight triumph. Cameron Dobbs was the ringleader in a rare reserve role, stroking eight 3-pointers in 11 attempts for a game-high 24 points, while Marcus Porter stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Yellow Jackets. Bobby Harris flirted with a triple-double, gathering 12 points, eight boards and seven assists as the hosts led from wire to wire, orchestrating an 18-9 upswing at the start of the second half in lengthening a 41-27 lead to 59-36 following back-to-back Dobbs bombs. The Chargers charged back, trimming their arrears to 59-48 on a lay-up by Jemal Mosley (14 points) with 7:10 remaining, but a traditional 3-point play by Porter 19 seconds later kicked off an 8-0 spurt that thwarted the comeback attempt, making it 67-48 as the visitors came no closer than the 14-point final margin. Eric Anderson boasted another double-double (17 points on 8-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds) for New Haven, which also received solid efforts from Samir McDaniels (12 points and rebounds) and Levy Gillespie (12 points, 4-5 FG, four assists in a backup capacity). Powered by Dobbs’ hot hand, the Jackets were far more formidable from distance (12-24 to 3-17) and punished its guests 26-8 off of turnovers. Neither team distinguished itself at the stripe (AIC 3-8, UNH 6-11). The Chargers – who are a half-game ahead of Le Moyne for the third and final first-round bye in the Southwest – held a slight edge on the glass, 36-34.
GANNON 70 Le MOYNE 49
The last non-conference game of the regular season took place in Syracuse, where Gannon upended former MECC rival Le Moyne to avenge losses in each of the last two Gary Miller Classics in Erie, including last Thanksgiving weekend. Gibran Smith led a balanced attack with 15 points (3-4 from deep), six rebounds and four assists for the Golden Knights, who seized control with a 17-1 spell over an 8:35 stretch spanning the halves, expanding a 24-20 lead to 41-21 shortly after the restart. The gap remained in double digits from that point forward, with the Dolphins coming as close as 52-40 on a 3-ball by reserve rookie Zach Quattro (personal-best nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from 3) with 9:23 to go. Raphell Thomas-Edwards (11 points, seven boards) countered with a put-back on the next possession to ignite a 15-5 run, putting the game out of reach at 67-45 as the thin Phins dropped their fourth in a row. Ryan Romich was their lone double-digit scorer with 10 points for Le Moyne, whose 49-point total was its lowest in 125 home games dating back to a 57-49 loss to Franklin Pierce on January 5, 2006. Gannon – the nation’s second-best team in scoring defense and rebound margin – outshot (50%-39%) and outrebounded (39-24) the Dolphins in its first game at the Henninger Athletic Center in 20 years.
POLL POSITION
The first official NCAA Regional Rankings were released on Wednesday, covering games played through last Saturday. Here’s how it all shapes up thus far:
1. Southern Connecticut
2. Southern New Hampshire
3. St. Anselm
4. Bridgeport
5. American International
6. St. Michael’s
7. University of the Sciences
8. Stonehill
9. Holy Family
10. Bentley