The Northeast-10 and East Coast conferences grabbed the spotlight on Wednesday, and we kick off the recap with action in the Northeast-10’s rough-and-tumble Northeast Division, which sees the top five perfectly separated by one game apiece:
BENTLEY 85 SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 78
Keegan Hyland’s 3-pointer beyond the top of the key with 1:21 to play broke a 76-76 tie and highlighted an 11-2 game-ending run as Bentley handed Southern New Hampshire its first loss in six games and first league setback at the Field House this season. The first-place Falcons had led 56-49 just over six minutes into the second half when the Penmen – galvanized by eight points from Rodney Sanders – unleashed a 19-4 burst to pull ahead 68-60 with 9:51 left. The visitors battled back and forged ties at 70, 72, 74 and 76 as the final flourish commenced. Hyland finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for Bentley, while Tyler McFarland registered 27 points (4-7 from 3-point land), including four free throws over the last 15.4 seconds, to go along with nine boards. Alex Furness chipped in with a dozen points as Bentley shot 50% from the field, 12-26 from downtown Manchester and 19-21 from the line (SNHU was 43%, 6-19 and 8-11 by comparison). Sanders was sensational in defeat for the fourth-place Penmen with 30 points (12-20 FG, 4-8 from 3) and six rebounds. He was supported by Chris Walters (18, 7) and B.J. Cardarelli (11 points) in double figures.
ST. ANSELM 93 ASSUMPTION 58
Across the river in Goffstown, St. Anselm remained a game off the pace as 11 of 13 players reached the score column in a thrashing of Assumption. Harrison Taggart led the balanced attack with 19 points (4-5 from long range), six rebounds and five assists, while Cody Ball tied a personal best with 16 points off the bench as the Hawks led from pillar to post, beginning with a 16-5 lead that increased to 45-30 by halftime. The game got way out of hand shortly after the restart as a seemingly harmless foul shot by Chris Braley (11 points, 4-4 from deep) sparked a 40-16 avalanche and the margin mushroomed to 88-49 with 4:24 remaining. Mike McCahey contributed 15 points and eight rebounds for St. A’s, which was the superior shooting team (54%-42%) and did more damage at the foul line (19-25 to 7-10), on the glass (40-22), in the paint (44-26) and on the break (12-2). The Hawks also boasted the stronger assist-turnover line (24/12 to 6/21), fueling a 30-12 domination in mistake points. Mat Sulda notched 12 points on 4-6 shooting from beyond the arc to pace the Greyhounds, who have dropped eight straight. Tre Owens and Kamali Bey added 11 each, the latter in a reserve role.
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 89 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 77
The top two teams in the South Division earned victories last night. In Springfield, Desmond Williams tallied 13 of his 25 points over the final 3:51 – his team’s last 13 as it turned out – as division champ Southern Connecticut held off American International. The senior guard – who also pulled down 12 rebounds – began his personal highlight film with a traditional 3-point play that expanded the Owls’ tenuous lead to 79-71. He followed that with a lay-up 32 seconds later, pushing the margin to double digits, and the Yellow Jackets would not come closer than seven the rest of the way. Austin Carter amassed 18 points and just as many rebounds (matching a career high) as Southern destroyed its hosts on the backboards, 58-33, including 26-6 on the offensive end, leading to a 22-6 second-chance scoring advantage. Jayvon Pitts-Young sported an unusual line for the Jackets with 15 points (1-7 FG), 12 of which came on perfect foul shooting during a 5:05 span in the first half, and six assists. Rasheed Howard (13 points, 6-8 FG off the bench), Juwan Moody (12 points, five helpers) and Cameron Dobbs (11 points) made their presences felt for AIC, which is now a game up in the race for the final playoff spot with three to go. Both teams were dreadful from distance (SCSU 6-21, AIC 5-25) but solid in the ball distribution department (SCSU 19/7 assist-turnover ratio, AIC 17/12). The Owls racked up all five steals and all four blocks during the contest.
ADELPHI 74 SAINT ROSE 69
Manny Suarez totaled 24 points (10-17 FG) and nine rebounds, while Anthony Libroia chimed in with 18 points and five assists, leading second-place Adelphi to victory over third-place Saint Rose in a battle of former NYCAC rivals in Garden City. After falling into an early 19-8 hole, the Panthers clawed their way back, grabbing the lead for good thanks to an 18-3 tear over the last 6:32 of the first half that flipped a 23-14 deficit into a 32-26 upper hand. Suarez spearheaded the run with eight points and three dunks, and the hosts never trailed again, using an 11-2 spurt to fatten the gap to 48-36 at the 12:52 mark. The Golden Knights didn’t go down quietly, however. After the margin barely moved between eight and 11 for nearly nine minutes, Tyler Sayre drilled a 3-pointer with 4:15 on the clock that brought Saint Rose within two possessions at 63-57. They trimmed the deficit to three on two occasions in crunch time, and had a chance to tie after a late steal, but Sayre’s triple try with four ticks left bounced off the front rim. Conor McGuiness snared the rebound, was fouled and sank the clinching free throws with two seconds remaining. Sayre was brilliant in defeat with 33 points (11-19 FG, 11-12 FT), and Mical-Ryan Boyd garnered 16 points and seven boards for the Golden Knights, who were outshot, 47%-39%. Neither team distinguished itself from deep (AU 5-22, CSR 5-24).
LIU POST 60 MOLLOY 57
Just down the road in the ECC, Jared Hall registered 24 points (4-7 from 3) and nine rebounds, while Dillon Burns chalked up 12 points and eight assists in leading LIU Post past Long Island rival Molloy at the Pratt Center to halt a five-game slide. A tight game the whole night, there were 19 lead changes (eight in the first 11 minutes) and only one three-possession spread – that coming at the conclusion of a critical 15-4 uprising that began with the Pioneers trailing 43-39 with less than nine minutes to play and ended with the hosts ahead 54-47 after a big trifecta from Akosa Maduegbunam (nine points off the bench) with 4:24 on the clock. The Lions – who were powered by Curtis Jenkins’ 20 points (4-6 from 3) and eight rebounds in a rare reserve role – rattled off seven straight, knotting the score at 54 after two freebies by Brandon Williams (18 points) with 2:31 to go. Missed lay-ups and offsetting technical fouls kept the score intact until Hunter Powell (three points, six rebounds) delivered the go-ahead put-back with 27 seconds left. Hall followed with four free throws to ice it, rendering Charlie Marquardt’s last-second three a mere footnote. Greg Dotson double-doubled with 10 points and 10 caroms for the winners. Both teams were as cold as the weather as LIU Post shot 34% and Molloy 27%. The fifth-place Pioneers were also more accurate from downtown Brookville (10-22 to 7-19). Molloy is now four games out of the playoff picture in the loss column with six to play.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 102 DOWLING 92
Down in the nation’s capital, the backcourt tandem of Kasim Chandler (eight assists) and Traevon Butler (8-13 FG, 4-8 from long range) netted 23 points each and District of Columbia rode a late 18-6 run to outlast Dowling in a track meet and forge a virtual tie for third place. A tight one most of the night, the Golden Lions were down 76-75 with seven-and-a-half minutes remaining after eight straight points by backup sophomore guard Myron Hickman (11 points, 3-5 from 3). That’s when the Firebirds embarked on their big run, which was triggered by a Butler “And-1” and concluded with a two-handed slam by Jayone Troutman (14 points, 7-8 FG, seven rebounds off the bench), giving the hosts a commanding 94-81 lead with 1:55 to go. Dowling – which once again received strong games from Evan Maxwell (25 points, 10-17 FG, eight rebounds, six assists) and Chris Millender (24 points, 11-17 FG, 10 boards) – slashed the deficit to 96-90 with 56 seconds on the clock but UDC swished six straight at the stripe to nail down its third straight victory. Joseph Nickerson (11 points, 5-7 FG, six assists), Martin Campbell (10 points, eight rebounds off the pine) and Geran Pope (eight points, eight rebounds, five dishes) made impacts for the Firebirds, who were slightly outshot from the floor (55%-53%) but were more efficient from the line (11-12 to 6-14). Both sides posted excellent assist-turnover ratios (UDC 25/11, DC 17/11). Ali Mableton - making his first collegite start - logged a personal-best 15 points (7-10 FG) for the third time in four games for the Golden Lions, who are now three games back in the loss column in their playoff quest.
QUEENS 84 NYIT 78 (OT)
The most hotly contested game of the night took place at Fitzgerald Gym, where both teams scored exactly 35 points in each half before Queens used a 10-3, game-ending spell in overtime to upend New York Institute of Technology. Travis Whitfield was the go-to guy down the stretch, producing the go-ahead lay-up and jumper on the next possession to highlight a 19-point, nine rebound performance. After an early nine-point NYIT lead, the game morphed into a virtual tug-of-war, as evidenced by its 13 ties and 16 lead swaps. The Bears – who were once again buoyed by Khalif Chaplin’s hot hand (36 points, 14-16 FT) – had their chances at the end of regulation, leading 68-65 before Diego Maldonado’s tying triple at the 1:17 mark, then going ahead 70-68 on a Chaplin basket with 55 seconds on the clock before Tyree White – the reigning ECC Player of the Week – converted the tying lay-up 21 seconds later. Jerrel Green – who compiled 21 points (9-13 FG) and 10 rebounds –was fouled with four seconds left, giving the visitors a chance to steal the game. Alas, the senior forward clanged both of his attempts, prompting overtime. As is his wont, White filled the stat sheet with 21 points (10-16 FG), 11 rebounds, five assists and five steals for the Knights, while Maldonado recorded 17 points (3-6 from deep, 8-8 FT) and six rebounds. Paul Little was useful off the bench as well with 10 points on 4-6 shooting. Queens was outshot overall (42%-38%) and allowed more 3-pointers (8-27 to 5-24) but won the glass battle (56-43), including 25-12 on the offensive side, resulting in a 21-7 second-chance scoring advantage. The Knights also fared better in assists-to-turnovers (18/12 to 8/18), plus points off turnovers (19-6), in the paint (46-28) and on the break (14-0).