All three conferences were in action on Wednesday, with playoff implications attached to nearly every game. We start the regional rundown with the playoff scenarios in the Northeast-10:
Le MOYNE 78 ADELPHI 75
Russell Sangster’s driving baseline lay-up with 13 seconds to play gave Le Moyne the lead for good in an upset of former Empire State rival Adelphi in Syracuse. Stan Buczek amassed career highs of 27 points (9-12 FG, 6-8 from 3-point land) and 12 rebounds, with all his scoring coming in the first 24:05 as the Dolphins ended the game with a 13-4 run to tie Pace for the final playoff position in the Southwest Division. In a tight contest that was tied for seven-and-a-half minutes of game time (12 total deadlocks), the Panthers rode a 13-2 wave, capped by an Anthony Libroia lay-up, to open up the game’s largest margin at 67-58 with five-and-a-half minutes left. It was still a 71-65 game inside of three minutes when Eriq Jenkins sparked the home team’s final flourish with a 3-pointer, steal and breakaway lay-up to represent half of his point total. After Tanner Hyland (13 points off the bench) nailed two free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining to give the Fins a 78-75 lead, Libroia – who finished with 22 points (7-11 FG) and five assists – fired up a half-court shot that nearly banked in at the buzzer. Sangster finished with 12 points for Le Moyne, which won its third straight, all against former Mideast Collegiate Conference foes (Pace and Gannon were the others). Reserve rookie Jack Laffey canned 6-7 from beyond the arc for his 18 points in a losing effort, while Michael Coffey (12 points) and Manny Suarez (10 points, all in the second half) also reached double figures for second-place Adelphi, which shot a shade better from the field (51%-49%) and from long range (11-22 to 10-27). Both teams finished with solid assist-turnover lines (LC 13/5, AU 12/8), but the Dolphins accounted for 12 of the game’s 14 second-chance points.
SAINT ROSE 59 PACE 56
Tyler Sayre compiled 21 points and career-best 11 rebounds to lead Saint Rose past former NYCAC rival Pace at the Goldstein Center in a super-tight game that saw neither side open up more than a two-possession spread all night (there were 10 ties and 17 lead changes). Three was the largest divide of the second half until an 8-0 Golden Knights spurt, capped by two Sayre free throws, erased a 51-48 deficit and put the visitors in front to stay, 56-51 with 40 seconds to go. Damon Coleman – who totaled 11 points, six rebounds and six assists – sank three of four at the stripe over the final 26 seconds to salt it away, rendering Bryan Rivers’ 3-ball at the final horn meaningless (PU’s only hoop over the last 6:49). Shelton Mickell (18 points, six rebounds) and Rivers (11 points, five assists) were the top threats for the Setters, who won the glass (43-31) and are now tied with Le Moyne for the fifth and final playoff spot with two games to play. Saint Rose is now a game out of second place, with tiebreaker in hand. Both teams were frigid from the floor (CSR 35%, PU 34%).
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 86 NEW HAVEN 71
Michael Mallory delivered 29 points (11-18 FG, 5-10 from 3), 12 of which came during a 21-5 spree over the final 6:21 of the first half, fueling Southern Connecticut’s victory over crosstown rival New Haven at Moore Fieldhouse. The run fleshed out a 30-29 lead to 51-34, and the Chargers only came within single digits once over the final 20 minutes – 54-45 after a 3-pointer from Jemal Mosley (15 points, 4-8 from deep) early in the period. Mallory’s traditional 3-point play quashed any momentum, however, and the Owls built as much as an 82-62 lead after a Mallory trey with 3:10 on the clock while coasting to the finish line. Desmond Williams pitched in with 23 points and 11 rebounds for Southern, which had clinched the Southwest Division title over the weekend. Joey Wallace added 10 points and six assists in support as the hosts proved the better shooting team (53%-37%) while compiling a terrific 16/4 assist-turnover ratio. Tommy Hunt led a balanced New Haven attack with 16 points and four assists, while Josh Guddemi (14 points), Samir McDaniels (12 points, nine rebounds) and Ben Vezelle (personal bests of eight points and 13 boards) also played well in defeat. The Chargers – who are still alive for a playoff berth, two games back with two home games left – did more damage at the foul line (21-26 to 8-13).
ST. ANSELM 71 STONEHILL 66
The top of the Northeast Division is still very much in flux after St. Anselm held off Stonehill in Manchester to remain a game out of first. The Hawks flew out of the gate with a 40-16 lead and looked to be in total control, but the Skyhawks closed the half with 12 unanswered points to draw within a dozen. A 24-10 second-half run slashed a 58-42 deficit to 68-66 after a Carter Smith 3-pointer with 39 ticks remaining. Harrison Taggart – who spearheaded the St. A’s attack with 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists – knocked down a pair at the foul line with 19 seconds to go, restoring a two-possession advantage, and Smith missed a driving lay-up that represented his team’s final chance. Victor Joshua offered 10 points for the victors, who were the superior shooters (48%-34%) but were outhustled on the boards, 46-33, including 18-4 on the offensive end, resulting in an 18-7 second-chance scoring edge. Smith recorded 20 points for Stonehill, which also received solid outings from Adam Bramanti (14 points, four steals), Pierce Cumpstone (13 points, career-high 18 rebounds) and Ryan Logan (10, 9). The Skyhawks slip into a third-place tie with Southern New Hampshire.
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 89 FRANKLIN PIERCE 75
Across the river, Chris Walters erupted for 28 points (9-12 FG, 9-9 FT), nine rebounds and three blocked shots to lead Southern New Hampshire past Granite State rival Franklin Pierce at the SNHU Field House to tie Stonehill (its next opponent, Saturday on the road) for third place. The Penmen trailed just once in this one (2-0) before establishing a 54-38 halftime advantage after Walters ended the period with a three and dunk. A 7-0 flurry upon the restart expanded to a 61-38 bulge and the differential hovered between 16 and 23 until the waning seconds. Daquaise Andrews contributed 19 points (7-9 FG, 5-5 FT) in a reserve role for SNHU, which also received 10 apiece from B.J. Cardarelli and Rodney Sanders. Donte Gittens registered 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists to pace the Ravens, who also landed Mike McDevitt in twin figures with 13 points and six caroms. Franklin Pierce – which is up two games with two to play in the race for the last playoff spot – was better on the backboards (44-32) but was outworked at the stripe (20-22 to 16-26) and outscored 22-10 off of turnovers.
MERRIMACK 70 ASSUMPTION 55
A 25-5 spell spanning the halves was the difference for Merrimack in its win over Massachusetts rival Assumption in Worcester, keeping its flickering playoff hopes alive. Gelvis Solano (19 points, eight rebounds, four assists) and Troy Hammel (18 points on 8-9 shooting) did the heavy lifting for the Warriors, who trailed 34-24 before engineering the big run that culminated in a 49-39 upper hand nearly five minutes into the final frame. The Greyhounds – who have now dropped a region-worst 10 in a row – got as close as 54-48 after two free throws from Kamali Bey (13 points, eight rebounds off the bench) with 7:57 on the clock, but Solano ripped off three straight baskets to initiate a 16-7, game-ending rush. Anthony Barry (11 points), Kyle Howes (10 off the pine) and James Kennedy (four points, 14 rebounds) offered useful support for Merrimack, which needs two wins, two Franklin Pierce losses and Stonehill to finish ahead of Southern New Hampshire to back into the playoffs. Julian Aiken was top dog for the Hounds with 14 points (4-6 from 3) but his team was soundly outshot (51%-32%) and outrebounded (43-31). Both teams distributed the ball beautifully (MC 18/8 assist-turnover ratio, AC 11/5).
BENTLEY 77 ST. MICHAEL’S 60
Bentley remains the frontrunner in the division after a wire-to-wire rout of St. Michael’s at the Dana Center. Keegan Hyland collected 23 points and nine rebounds for the Falcons, who bolted out to leads of 14-0 and 23-3 en route to a 43-21 halftime cushion. A trifecta by Alex Furness (13 points) just over three minutes into the final frame lengthened the lead to 50-25, and it bounced between 16 and 26 the remainder of the ballgame as the hosts punished the Purple Knights 29-8 off turnovers and outscored them 14-4 on the break. Tyler McFarland (nine rebounds) and Ferguson Duke (six assists) each posted 10 points for Bentley, which was slightly outshot (41%-40%) and outworked on the glass (43-34) but flexed its collective muscle beyond the arc (15-40 to 3-16), attempting only 22 shots inside of it. Matt Bonds double-doubled yet again for St. Mike’s with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Colin Richey matched a career high with 15 points in reserve duty.
CONCORDIA 87 CALDWELL 58
The CACC North playoff picture is slightly clearer after last night’s action. In Bronxville, Peter Aguilar chalked up 24 points (9-14 FG, 3-4 from deep) and 10 rebounds while Stephen Milhaven nearly equaled the double-double with 19 and nine, respectively (7-11 FG, 3-5 from distance) as second-place Concordia clobbered Caldwell to clinch a postseason spot and move within one win (or Domincan loss) of their first-ever home playoff game. A 10-2 spurt coming out of the break widened a 43-34 lead to 53-36 after two foul shots by Jalen Heath (16 points, four assists, four steals). Then, after the Cougars pulled within 56-44, Aguilar converted a lay-up to set in motion a killer 24-4 blitz that put the game out of reach at 80-48 with 6:03 to play. Justyn Gardner continued his strong play off the bench with 10 points (5-6 FG) and seven rebounds for the winners, who were the more accurate shooters (48%-36%), more determined rebounders (47-33) and better passers (15-4 in assists) while also outscoring their guests 21-9 off of mistakes in avenging a 27-point road loss back in November. Billy McDonald (13 points) and Dawan Lighty (12) topped the scorecard for Caldwell, which remains a game out of the playoff picture with two left.
NYACK 81 POST 71
Robert Tyler led five scorers in double figures with 19 points and Nyack used a 37-16 upswing spanning the halftime break to transform a 16-12 deficit into a 49-32 lead in a must-win game vs. Post at Bowman Gym. The victory – which snaps a four-game losing streak – moves the Warriors within a game of their guests for the last playoff spot in North. Jaron Smith hit for 17 points (5-9 from long range) for Nyack, which maintained between a 10- and 17-point lead over the last 15 minutes. Shawn Witherspoon (13 points, 5-7 FG), Ga’Briel Chandler (12 off the bench, 6-9 FG) and Imran Ritchie (10 points, six rebounds, five assists) all played well in support for the Warriors, who shot a season-high 58% from the field (PU was a solid 47%) and outscored the Eagles 24-10 off of turnovers. Tyler Desrosiers garnered 18 points (5-10 from 3) and five assists to pace Post, which also benefited from Tamas Okros’ 13-point effort (3-4 from deep), but it wasn’t enough to avoid a fourth straight setback. The Eagles are a game up on Nyack and Caldwell for that final, coveted playoff spot.
DOMINICAN 64 FELICIAN 55
Glenn Scalia sported a career-high 14 points (5-8 FG 4-6 from beyond the arc), including a dagger 3-pointer late, and Dominican solidified its third-place standing by knocking off Felician in Orangeburg, extinguishing its guests’ playoff hopes as a result. The Chargers rattled off the first 11 points and led the entire way, though the Golden Falcons crept within 51-49 with under three minutes remaining. Scalia then buried a big triple with 2:23 on the clock, igniting a critical 9-2 charge that effectively iced the contest at 60-51 with 1:12 to play. Joe Clinton produced 12 points and six assists for Dominican, which also placed Altine King in double digits with 12 points and eight rebounds in a reserve role. Jeyvi Miavivilulu turned in a 17-point, 11-rebound performance for Felician, including the 1,000th point of his career. Jamal Reid also drove home 17 and dished out four assists while playing all 40 minutes in a losing cause. The Chargers outshot (46%-34%) and out-assisted (18-9) their guests, faring much better from long range (9-21 to 2-18) in offsetting an 11-0 disparity in second-chance scoring.
HOLY FAMILY 73 CHESTNUT HILL 56
It’s official: Holy Family is the South Division champion after outlasting Philadelphia rival Chestnut Hill at the Campus Center for its ninth straight win and region-best 17th straight home victory. Reggie Charles came up big with 23 points and six assists to lead the Tigers, who trailed only once (5-4) before establishing a 29-14 upper hand. The Griffins – who were fronted by Edward McWade’s 15 points – tallied the last eight points of the half, then inched within 45-42 after the lefty forward’s 3-pointer at the 10:41 mark, before Holy Family unleashed a 20-1 tear, topped off by a Charles lay-up, that ended all doubt at 65-43 with 4:25 to go. Turhan Griffin (11 points off the bench) and Derrick Stewart (eight points, 10 rebounds) made impacts for the Tigers, who cranked out all 18 second-chance points and outscored the Griffs 18-9 off turnovers, offsetting atrocious 6-32 shooting from beyond the arc (CHC wasn’t much better at 6-25) and a 15-28 performance at the line as both teams left a lot to be desired in the shooting department (HFU 38%, CHC 32%). Demetrius Isaac and Bryant Quill cashed in 11 points for Chestnut Hill, the latter off the bench. The Griffins are one win – or one Goldey-Beacom loss – away from securing a playoff spot.
SCIENCES 76 GOLDEY-BEACOM 49
Across town in University City, third-place University of the Sciences pushed Goldey-Beacom to the brink, using a 22-8 surge to start the second half in establishing a 60-31 chasm, with the margin ranging between 23 and 30 over the final 12:49. Will Gregorits generated 23 points (9-15 FG, 3-3 from 3) and seven rebounds for the Devils, who led from pillar to post, zooming out to leads of 18-4 and 25-9 in the runaway. Sho Da-Silva racked up 14 points and 11 boards for the winners, who also saw Wes Kerr provide 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Shakeem Wilson was the lone double-digit scorer with 10 points for the Lightning, which needs two wins and two Chestnut Hill losses to play in the postseason. The Devils were the vastly superior shooters (48%-27%), rebounders (46-25) and passers (20-7 in assists) while also dominating the paint (36-16).
DAEMEN 96 ROBERTS WESLEYAN 88
Just one game in the ECC on Wednesday, as Daemen outlasted Western New York rival Roberts Wesleyan at Lumsden Gym in a snow make-up to clinch their first ECC playoff berth since joining the conference (first year of eligibility). Deion Hamilton exploded for a career-best 24 points (9-14 FG and four steals for the Wildcats, but it was Torrence Dyck who logged 23 points (3-6 from downtown Buffalo) and eight rebounds, dispensing the big scoring plays in crunch time as the hosts won their 10th straight in the series and 17th in the last 18 meetings vs their former NAIA brethren. The Redhawks used an 11-2 run over the final 5:17 of the half to take a 41-38 lead into the locker room, then broadened it to 61-53 after a trey by Marcus Gooding (18 points) with 13:14 to play. Daemen moved back in front, 75-72, on the strength of a 22-11 jaunt, but ties developed at 75, 77 and 79 before Dyck touched off a key 10-3 uprising with two free throws at the start and alley-oop dunk as the punctuation mark with 1:05 left. Roberts – which received a terrific 26-point, 13-rebound effort from Tyrel Dixon – came no closer than four points thereafter as the Wildcats made just enough free throws (5-8) to keep their longtime rivals at arm’s length. Ryan Grandits played well off the bench for the winners, submitting 10 points, eight boards and four assists as his team fared better at the foul line (14-18 to 6-10) and on the fast break (18-5). Zack Panebianco (16 points, 3-4 from 3, four assists) and Malik Dare (12 points, six caroms) made their presences felt in defeat for the Redhawks, who won the glass battle, 43-37. Both teams were excellent in the ball distribution arena (DC 18/6, RWC 16/8). Second-place Daemen is a game up on District of Columbia for the second-place bye.
REGIONAL RANKINGS
The first (yes, the first) official regional rankings were released yesterday, and here’s how the committee stacks up the Top 10, with yesterday’s results not included:
- St. Anselm
- Holy Family
- Southern Connecticut
- Stonehill
- Bentley
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- Philadelphia
- Adelphi
- Franklin Pierce
- Southern New Hampshire
POLL POSITION
For the first time all season, there are now no regional teams ranked in the NABC/Division 2 Top 25 Coaches Poll. St. Anselm dropped out but is the top team receiving votes (effectively #26), Joining them are Holy Family and Southern Connecticut. Western Oregon remains the #1 team in the land, for what it's worth.