A thoroughly captivating NCAA East Regional culminated on Tuesday as two Northeast-10 divisional rivals clashed in Philadelphia, and the tite tilt will go down as one of the greatest ever played:
STONEHILL 82 ST. ANSELM 76 (OT)
Just two days after hitting the winning lay-up in overtime to turn aside Southern New Hampshire in the regional semifinal, Carter Smith repeated the feat with 26 seconds left in overtime of a breathtaking championship game, lifting Stonehill past St. Anselm for the first time in three meetings this season and into the Elite-8 for the third time in the last 11 years. In an air-tight contest distinguished by an amazing 13 ties, 21 lead changes and no spread larger than six points in 45 minutes, the Skyhawks needed another Smith driving lay-up with 14 seconds to play in regulation just to draw even at 69-69, only 12 seconds after Chris Braley drilled a left-corner 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring to put the Hawks ahead. After Josh Heyliger buried a three at the halftime buzzer to put Stonehill up 38-37, the two rivals - playing their 115th game all-time - locked horns throughout a tense and taut second stanza. The Hawks appeared primed to seize the reins after a Victor Joshua lay-up capped a 9-1 run that flipped a 57-54 deficit into a 63-58 advantage with 5:22 remaining. Back came the Skyhawks, however, with nine unanswered to reclaim the lead at 67-63 following a free throw from Adam Bramanti (11 points, six rebounds) with 1:39 to go. St. A’s countered with back-to-back 3-balls by Tim Guers (12 points, five assists) and Braley, setting up Smith’s tying lay-in. The Hawks had two shots to win in regulation, but Joshua’s well-defended attempt in the lane and Braley’s follow both missed the mark, necessitating the extra five minutes. Isaiah Bess opened the scoring in OT with a lay-up before Harrison Taggart connected from downtown Philly for the Hawks’ final lead, 72-71. The junior – who recorded five of his 21 points in overtime while also pulling down nine rebounds – knotted the score at 74-74 with a jumper at the 1:32 mark before Smith put the Skyhawks ahead, and they sank six straight foul shots over the final 19 seconds to secure the spoils. Smith was named the regional’s Most Outstanding Player after generating 25 points (8-12 FG, 4-6 from deep) and three assists in 40 minutes of action. Ryan Logan racked up 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the winners, while Bess chipped in with 14 points. Braley compiled 14 points and 10 boards for St. Anselm, while Joshua finished his career with 14 points and fell 14 short of 1,000. Both teams shot it well from the floor (SC 49%, SAC 47%), with Stonehill faring better at the foul line (16-23 to 8-13) and knocking down more triples (10-26 to 6-17). Next up for the champs is an Elite-8 rematch with #5 West Liberty (WV), winners of their fifth Atlantic Region crown in six years after blowing out Kutztown (PA) in Wheeling. The last time the two teams met, in the 2012 national quarterfinals in Northern Kentucky, the Skyhawks rallied to upset the top-ranked Hilltoppers, 91-90 en route to the Final Four. Tip-off will take place at 3:30 pm at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas on March 23.
HISTORIC TIDBITS
- Stonehill becomes the first 4-seed to win the regional since the tournament format was expanded to eight teams in 2003.
- St. Anselm - which won the 2000 regional - was playing in its second Sweet 16 contest in three years
- This was the first regional championship game to be decided in overtime since 1999, when St. Rose outlasted Adelphi at UAlbany, 72-67 in double-OT. As it turned out, it was the Golden Knights’ second consecutive double-overtime championship after edging Stonehill a year earlier at Siena, 97-87.
- This was the first time that the regional champion needed overtime to prevail in both the semifinal and final round.
- The Skyhawks become the first team since Bloomfield in 2011 to win the regional by sweeping three Northeast-10 opponents.
- Stonehill coach Chris Kraus becomes the first person to win three regionals with one school: one each as a player, assistant coach and head coach.