The Northeast-10 and Central Atlantic Collegiate conferences ended regular-season play and crystalized their playoff pictures on Tuesday. Let’s begin the recap with an epic game between two crosstown rivals that lasted 50 minutes and culminated in a buzzer-beater:
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 70 ST. ANSELM 68 (2 OT)
B.J. Cardarelli’s running lay-up rolled around the rim and fell through the hoop as time expired, lifting Southern New Hampshire past archrival St. Anselm in double overtime, sending a SRO crowd into a frenzy at the SNHU Fieldhouse. The Penmen trailed 56-41 approaching the midway mark of the second half before the latest chapter in the Battle of Manchester provided several plot twists down the stretch. A 13-2 run, punctuated by a Rodney Sanders 3-pointer with 5:59 to play, brought the hosts within 58-54, and they eventually tied it at 62-62 on a pair of free throws by Chris Walters (16 points, career high-tying 16 rebounds, personal-best six blocked shots) with 1:43 left. That would be the final scoring play of regulation as both sides went cold, with Sanders missing a well-defended 3-pointer right before the horn. Scoring remained at a premium throughout the extra sessions as both teams only tallied four points apiece in the first OT. The Hawks had a great chance to pull out the win on their final possession of the period as Harrison Taggart (eight points, 12 rebounds) missed a corner three and Mike McCahey’s tip at the buzzer fell off the rim. Chris Braley (10 points, 12 boards) and Daquaise Andrews – who recorded the only eight bench points for either side in 69 combined minutes – exchanged lay-ups in the second OT before Cardarelli (nine points) curled into the lane with the dribble and floated up the winning shot. Sanders finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Penmen, who were outshot (39%-35%) and outrebounded (51-42) but did more work at the foul line (16-19 to 5-10) and forced more turnovers (23-15) to pull it out. Devin Gilligan chipped in with 11 for the victors, who clinched fourth place and a home date vs. American International in Friday’s playoff opener. McCahey topped the St. A’s scorecard with 18 points and seven caroms in 47 minutes of action, while Tim Guers (16 points, 7-11 FG, eight rebounds in 47 minutes) and Victor Joshua (16, 6) also made impacts in a losing cause. The #21 Hawks earn the two-seed and will next host Saint Rose in Sunday’s quarterfinal round.
BENTLEY 97 MERRIMACK 95
Things were just as tight down the road in Waltham as Bentley edged Merrimack by two points for the second time in as many meetings this winter to claim the Northeast Division crown. The prolific triumvirate of Keegan Hyland (28 points on 10-17 shooting plus seven rebounds), Alex Furness (27 points, 10-14 FG, 5-7 from long range, six rebounds) and Tyler McFarland (23 points, six boards, four assists, three blocks) all churned out at least 20 points for the fifth time this season, and they were supported by Ryan Richmond’s 11-point (5-7 FG) bench effort as the Falcons sprinted out to leads of 23-9 and 38-23 before the Warriors whittled it down to a manageable 48-43 by halftime. The game remained air-tight for most of the final frame, though the visitors only managed one tie – at 75-75 following a JT Strickland triple with 6:56 remaining. Hyland restored the lead with a trey 42 seconds later, and Bentley rattled off nine straight to open up an 89-79 advantage after a Hyland 3-point play the hard way with 3:57 to go. Merrimack – playing for its postseason lives – battled back with an 11-2 counter-run, drawing within 91-90 on a trifecta from Troy Hammel (25 points, 5-10 from deep in his final collegiate game) with 1:29 on the clock. Hyland proceeded to convert 3-4 at the line over the next two possessions, extending the lead to 94-90 with 32 ticks left but Gelvis Solano – who stuffed the stat sheet one final time with 26 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals – buried a three six seconds later to make it a one-point game again. Furness followed with a breakaway lay-up but Hammel answered with a jumper at the 10-second stage to make it 96-95. McFarland split a pair at the stripe three seconds later, affording the Warriors one final chance, but Ryan Boutler’s 3-pointer for the win bounced off the back rim to end the drama. Strickland capped his career with 18 points and seven assists for Merrimack, which furnished the stronger assist-turnover line (18/9 to 15/13) but was outshot from the field, 51%-46%. Bentley awaits Frday’s Le Moyne-Franklin Pierce winner in a Sunday home quarterfinal.
FRANKLIN PIERCE 78 ASSUMPTION 66
Donte Gittens hit for 22 points (7-12 FG) and snatched six rebounds as Franklin Pierce thumped Assumption in Rindge to grab the fifth and final playoff berth in the Northeast Division. The Ravens led this one from pillar to post, zooming out to leads of 12-0, 37-13 and 46-19 before the Greyhounds began chiseling the deficit down, pulling within 68-60 after a Justin Tuckson triple with 5:55 to play. However, Jordan Lackey – who came through with a 15-point effort (6-7 FG) in a reserve role – scored inside to spark a 10-4 spurt that put the game out of reach at 78-64 in the waning seconds. Matt Banton contributed 13 points (3-5 from beyond the arc) off the bench for Pierce, which did more damage at the line (17-31 to 9-15), in the paint (38-24) and on second chances (15-6) to prevail. Tuckson was top dog with 18 points for the Greyhounds, who also landed seniors Julian Aiken (17 points) and Tre Owens (13 points, 10 rebounds) in double figures in their swan songs. Assumption ends the season with a region-worst 12 straight losses while Franklin Pierce travels to Le Moyne for a first-round playoff clash on Friday.
STONEHILL 84 ST. MICHAEL’S 71
Up in Vermont, Stonehill topped St. Michael’s in a battle of the purple-clad conference clubs to lock down its 20th win and the #3 seed. Carter Smith (11-12 FT) and Pierce Cumpstone (10-15 FG, 4-7 from long distance) each netted 24 points (the latter hauling in nine rebounds to boot) as the Skyhawks used a 14-5 second-half spurt to expand a modest 52-50 lead to 66-55 after a Cumpstone dunk with 7:06 remaining. They systematically increased the lead to 74-59 after a 3-pointer from Adam Bramanti (17 points, 8-8 FT, five assists) at the 3:23 mark and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way despite being outshot on the night, 45%-42%. Isaiah Bess made the most of his first career start with 13 points and four helpers for Stonehill, which feasted at the foul line (24-31 to 5-8) and compiled the superior assist-turnover line (17/9 to 14/15). Greg Grippo chalked up 16 points in his final collegiate contest for the Purple Knights, who also received 16 points and 16 boards from Matt Bonds, as well as 12 points (2-2 from deep) and five assists from backup sophomore guard Colin Richey. Stonehill will travel to Adelphi in Sunday’s tourney quarterfinals.
ADELPHI 88 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 71
Adelphi used the 3-point line to its advantage yet again in beating American International going away at the Center for Recreation and Sport, generating 18 triples in 47 attempts to AIC’s 5-17 in reaching 20 wins for the first time in four years and dramatically improving upon last year’s six-win showing. Michael Coffey (28 points, 9-16 FG, 7-14 from 3) and Anthony Libroia (career-high 26 points, 4-8 from afar, nine assists) did the heavy lifting for the Panthers, who strung together 12 straight second-half points in inflating a tenuous 63-57 lead to 75-57 with 6:42 to go. Coffey lit the fuse with three straight bombs and a lay-up, and the hosts established four 19-point leads in the closing moments to earn the 2 seed over idle Saint Rose. The late run spoiled a personal-best 28-point explosion from freshman guard Jayvon Pitts-Young, who was flanked by Nolan Woodward (seven rebounds) and Rasheed Howard (six), both of whom tabulated 11 points in defeat. The Panthers distributed the ball more efficiently (20/7 assist-turnover ratio compared to AIC’s 8/13 mark), resulting in a 16-7 second-chance scoring boon and offsetting a 39-35 rebounding disparity. The Yellow Jackets – defending tourney champs – back into this year’s playoffs with the 5 seed and will travel to Southern New Hampshire on Friday.
Le MOYNE 60 NEW HAVEN 52
Russell Sangster registered a career-high 17 points on 8-10 shooting and Le Moyne used a 9-0 spree to start the second half and claim the lead for good at 36-27 in clinching the 4 seed in the Southwest Division and a home date with Franklin Pierce in Friday’s playoff opener. Connor Mahoney cashed in five of his nine points at the start of the spurt as the Dolphins broke a 27-27 deadlock, eventually stretching the gap to 45-32 on a 3-ball from Tanner Hyland (nine points, six rebounds off the bench) with 12:16 to play. The Chargers responded with a 10-2 “charge” to close within 47-42 after a Joshua Guddemi foul shot with 9:05 on the clock but a Hyland foul-line jumper thwarted the momentum and spun off a 7-1 flurry to put the visitors back in control at 54-43 as the lead barely budged between eight and 11 points over the final 6:14. Guddemi submitted a career-high 16 points and six rebounds while playing all 40 minutes in his final game. Fellow senior Samir McDaniels also went the distance, driving home 13 points and 10 boards for depleted New Haven, which would have crashed the playoff party with a victory. Tommy Hunt added 14 for the Chargers, who were outshot, 48%-38% and 60%-30% after intermission. Le Moyne owned the glass (37-25) and converted all 10 of the game's second-chance points while dominating in the paint, 38-18. New Haven stayed close by getting to the line with more frequency (16-27 to LC’s 3-6).
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 74 PACE 69
Pace gave regular-season champ Southern Connecticut a scare at the Goldstein Center in hopes of making the tournament, riding a 17-4 wave out of the halftime break to flip a 37-34 deficit into a 51-41 lead before running out of gas. A put-back by Austin Mofunanya (15 points, 12 rebounds) topped off the upswing, and the lead was still 57-49 inside of the 12-minute mark when the Owls took flight. A lay-up from Jack McCarthy (10 points in a reserve role) commenced a 17-6 run that ended with Southern back in front, 66-63 with 3:57 to play. A tying trifecta from Shelton Mickell (17 points and six rebounds in his finale) ensued before the visitors pulled ahead 72-69 after a free throw by Michael Mallory (13 of his 15 points in the second half plus five assists) with 16 seconds left. The Setters had one last chance but Mickell misfired on another tying trey attempt and the long rebound resulted in a punctuation-mark slam by Desmond Williams just before the final buzzer. Williams continued his torrid play of late, amassing 30 points and 11 rebounds for the Owls, who were slightly outshot (44%-42%) and doubled from distance (6-17 to 3-18) but crafted the more efficient assist-turnover ratio (19/11 to 11/15), which held them in good stead as they now await the AIC-SNHU winner on Sunday. Freshmen Ryan Peterson (15 points, 4-7 from 3, eight rebounds) and Luke McLaughlin (10 and 7, both personal bests) were solid in support for Pace, which ends the season on a five-game losing skid. Both teams were an identical 9-13 from the free-throw line.
CHESTNUT HILL 74 PHILADELPHIA 70
There was one upset in the CACC as surging Chestnut Hill stunned crosstown rival Philadelphia at the Gallagher Center. A 13-4 second-half spell turned things around for the Griffins, erasing a 43-41 deficit and putting them ahead 54-47 with 7:10 remaining. They would not relinquish the lead, although it shrunk to a single point on four occasions down the stretch, the last time at 71-70 following a right-corner 3-pointer from Mike Louden (his only offense in a reserve role) with 18 seconds on the clock. After a free throw from Bryant Quill (11 points off the bench) doubled the lead, T.J. Huggins was fouled at the nine-second stage but failed to convert either of his freebies. The Rams were forced to foul but sent the wrong guy to the stripe in Demetrius Isaac (21 points, seven rebounds, four assists), who sealed the deal with a pair at :05, as he wound up swishing 9-10 from the foul line over the last 3:03. Edward McWade notched a game-high 21 points for fourth-place Chestnut Hill, which will play at North Division champ Bloomfield in Saturday’s quarterfinals. Huggins was high man for the Rams with 20 points and five assists in 40 minutes. He was flanked by Eric Long (15 points in 40 minutes, 6-9 FG), Peter Alexis (14 points, 7-8 FG, 13 rebounds, also playing the entire game) and Brendan Kilpatrick (13 points). In a bit of a role reversal, the Griffins beat Philadelphia at the foul line (18-24 to 8-12) while shooting a robust 51% from the field. And even though they committed more turnovers (9-7), they outscored their hosts 18-10 off of those miscues. The Rams will host Concordia in their first-round game.
POST 62 DOMINICAN 43
The 2 seed in the North goes to Post, which smothered Dominican in Orangeburg to avenge a home loss and boast the program’s best defensive effort during its NCAA era (since 1999). Tyler DesRosiers delivered 18 of his 29 points in the second half, making 5-9 from 3-point land and 12-13 from the line on the night as the Eagles led from start to finish, establishing leads of 9-0 and 17-1 en route to a 33-18 halftime bulge. The Chargers never came closer than 11 over the final 20 minutes as the margin bounced between 18 and 24 over the last 9:38. David Seymour turned in a 13-point (5-7 FG), seven-rebound performance for Post, which was the lesser of two evils from the floor (38%-35%) but was much more effective from beyond the arc (7-15 to 2-11) and at the foul line (19-24 to 11-19), helping offset a 34-29 rebounding shortfall. Gerrel Irvin was the lone double-digit scorer for Dominican with 10 points and just as many rebounds in a reserve outing. Post will host University of the Sciences on Saturday while Dominican draws the short straw as the 4 seed in the North and will play at Holy Family.
BLOOMFIELD 83 NYACK 77
Nyack came within a couple of possessions of sneaking into the playoff bracket, falling to North Division champ Bloomfield at the Deacons Den despite a career night from Jaron Smith (28 points). Claude Blue erupted for 26 points (11-15 FG), 10 rebounds and four blocked shots, while Nick Davidson totaled 17 points and seven boards off the bench for the Bears, who seized the reins with a 22-9 flourish over the last 6:40 of the half to transform a 30-25 deficit into a 47-39 lead. An 8-2 spurt upon the restart (30-11 overall run) fleshed out the advantage to 55-41 following a Safee Abdus-Sabur put-back, but the Warriors clawed their way back into the contest, coming as close as 74-71 after a jumper from Robert Tyler (nine points) with 1:34 to go. Davidson snuffed out the rally with a lay-up, though, and the hosts sank 7-10 from the line over last 45 seconds to keep Nyack at arm’s length. Andus-Sabur dropped 12 points and grabbed six boards in a reserve role for Bloomfield, which also placed Juan Brown in twin figures with 10 points and four assists. Ga’Briel Chandler was strong in a supporting role for the Warriors with 16 points (7-9 FG) and six rebounds, while Imran Ritchie pitched in with 15 points in a losing effort. The Bears – who host Chestnut Hill in Saturday’s playoff opener – were slightly outshot (48%-46%), but punished Nyack at the line (25-31 to 10-16) and off turnovers (20-6).
HOLY FAMILY 96 WILMINGTON 89
All five starters sported double digits in scoring and Holy Family procured a program NCAA-era record with its 23rd win – a high-scoring affair vs. Wilmington in Delaware that featured five ties and 10 lead changes before a late pull-away. Reggie Charles again led the charge for the Tigers with 19 points, seven rebounds and career-best 14 assists, while Derrick Stewart (14 rebounds) and Marvin Crawford (7-10 FG) each rang up 15 points. Six was the largest spread of the night until a 27-10 power run reversed a 52-49 deficit and opened up a 76-62 upper hand with under nine minutes to go. Back-to-back Crawford lay-ups ignited the streak and gave the visitors the lead for keeps despite the nation’s stingiest defense taking the night off by allowing a season high-tying 89 points. A 3-pointer from Eric Fleming (12 points, four assists) with 3:32 on the clock forged the widest divide of the night at 88-71, rendering moot an 18-8 game-ending Wildcats run. Isaiah Gans was the fifth double-digit Holy Family scorer with 14 points as his team racked up 29 assists (WU had just nine by comparison) and attempted 40 of its 69 shots from distance. Regional scoring leader Tyaire Ponzo-Meek collected 28 points and seven rebounds for the Cats, who also received a career-high 27 points and seven boards from Sam Sanders, as well as 20 and seven, respectively, from Drew Johnson. Holy Family will host Dominican in Saturday’s quarterfinal action.
FELICAN 85 CALDWELL 75
Three days after logging his 1,000th career point, Jeyvi Miavivilulu powered Felician past North Jersey rival Caldwell in the battle for last in the North, garnering 25 points and seven rebounds in his final collegiate game – and the last one played at Job Gym. Jamal Reid dispensed 20 points (8-13 FG) and seven assists for the Golden Falcons, who allowed the first 13 points of the second half in seeing a 36-27 lead evaporate into a 40-36 deficit before reeling off 11 unanswered to jump back in front 47-40 following a lay-up from Kennedy Chukwuocha (12 points in his career finale) with 12:19 to play. The game remained a one-possession affair for the next four minutes, and was 65-64 with just over three minutes left when Miavivilulu sank a pair at the line and Reid drained a huge triple to kick-start a 7-0 surge that gave the hosts a 72-64 edge. They added 7-8 from the stripe in the waning moments, and Miavivilulu provided the punctuation mark with a slam as Felician outshot (59%-43%) and outrebounded (38-25) the Cougars, also bettering them at the line (17-21 to 14-29), in the paint (40-24) and on the break (10-0) despite three players fouling out. Marko Kozul pitched in with 13 points (3-4 from downtown Rutherford) for the victors, who finished the game with four on the floor but sill prevaile3d. The senior trio of Billy McDonald (20 points, 8-12 FG), Dawan Lighty (19 points, including eight during the 13-0 run) and Brian Kenny (13 points, 3-4 from 3) all went out on personal high notes for Caldwell.
GOLDEY-BEACOM 85 GEORGIAN COURT 65
Down the Garden State Parkway, Sameen Swint led a balanced attack with 18 points (4-5 from long range), six rebounds and five assists as Goldey-Beacom hammered Georgian Court in the season-ender for both squads. Corey Taite recorded 15 points, four assists and four steals for the Lightning, which ended the half on a 12-2 jaunt to take a 45-22 cushion into the locker room. Elijah Tillman (6-8 FG, six rebounds) spearheaded the run with eight of his 12 points, and a 27-12 blitz when play resumed - capped by a Taite trifecta - turned the game into a 72-33 rout. Daniel Cooper tossed in 14 points (5-6 FG) off the bench for Goldey, which outclassed its hosts from beyond the arc (13-33 to 6-20) and boasted the superior assist-turnover line (27/10 to 14/18). Seven-foot sophomore center Jakov Pilic came up big with a career-high 19 points on perfect 7-7 shooting to lead the Lions, who ended the contest on a 32-13 run and concluded the campaign with seven straight setbacks. Nikola Vujovic (13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists), Juwuan Carter (11 points, 3-4 from 3, six caroms) and Michael Pierre (11 points off the bench) made their presences felt in a losing effort.
POLL POSITION
The latest NABC Division 2 Top 25 Coaches’ Poll features a new #1 in Wheeling Jesuit (WV), as well as a re-entry by St. Anselm at #21. Southern Connecticut is still receiving votes while Holy Family no longer is. The latest regional rankings – through last Sunday’s action – will be released later today and will appear in the next report.