Two Empire State teams spent Valentine’s Day evening in each other’s company in Valhalla. Here’s how it went down:
ROBERTS WESLEYAN 71 MERCY 66
Manny Joseph’s lay-up with 3:44 to play represented the eighth and final lead change in a 7:14 span as Roberts Wesleyan outlasted Mercy at Westchester Community College in an eyesore of a game between the ECC’s two bottom teams. The junior swingman – who finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and four steals – added another uncontested lay-up nearly a minute later as Roberts took control with a 9-3 flurry to transform a 61-60 deficit into a 69-64 lead with 19 seconds left. A lay-in by Raphael Jennings (11 points) with eight ticks remaining made it a one-possession game, but Isaiah Lewis (14 points) was fouled and sank both of his free throws two seconds later to close out the scoring and snap a 10-game losing streak for the Redhawks, whose three wins this year, oddly, have come against Mercy (twice) and Mercyhurst. Roberts – which also received 14 points from Quinn Carey – led the majority of the game, and by as much as 11 after a 14-4 run opened the second half, stretching a modest 33-32 lead to 47-36 following a Joseph foul shot. After an exchange of hoops, the Mavericks rattled off 13 straight points – the last seven coming from Marko Kozul (11 points, 14 rebounds, four assists) – to edge in front 51-49 at the 11:17 mark, beginning the stretch of lead swaps as neither side opened up more than five points of separation over the final 14:10. After a slow start, Will Robinson wound up pacing the Mavs with 16 points, followed by Ryan Hickey’s 13-point performance. Both teams struggled from the field (RWC 39%, MC 42%), beyond the arc (RWC 6-21, MC 4-16) and the foul line (RWC 19-33, MC 8-16). The Redhawks barely won the glass (43-42) and forced more turnovers (18-14) in the win. Mercy has dropped 14 straight and remains the region’s only team without a conference victory.
POLL POSITION
No regional teams are ranked in the latest NABC/Division 2 Top 25 Coaches’ Poll again this week, though two New York State schools are receiving votes: Le Moyne and St. Thomas Aquinas. Central Missouri – the nation’s lone undefeated program – remains #1. The first regional rankings are due to be released on Wednesday and they will be posted at the end of the next recap.