Surprises and down-to-the-wire finishes highlighted a busy Wednesday in the region as all three conferences featured crucial games. We begin the big roundup with the top two CACC clubs going down:
USCIENCES 74 GOLDEY-BEACOM 73
Jon McGill delivered 21 points and the big jumper from the right baseline with 23 seconds left that lifted USciences past Goldey-Beacom in Delaware to avenge a heartbreaking November home loss and move one step closer to a playoff berth. It was an uphill battle for the Devils, who trailed most of the game, and by as much as 48-37 after a 3-pointer by Riyan Williams (13 points) early in the second half. It was 63-53 with nine-and-a-half minutes to play when the visitors initiated an 11-2 run, pulling within 65-64 on a McGill triple at the seven-minute mark. After falling behind 70-66 with just over four minutes remaining, the Devils clamped down on “D” and rattled off six straight, capped by a Brian Okolo lay-up that gave them a 72-70 lead with 1:20 to go. Sameen Swint – who tallied 14 points off the bench – connected on a left-wing three that gave the Lightning their last lead with 51 seconds on the clock, setting up McGill’s winner. Goldey – which landed five in double figures fronted by Shakeem Wilson’s 15 points (3-3 from long range) – misfired on a shot in the waning seconds, and had one more opportunity after two missed Okolo free throws but couldn’t muster a shot before the horn, cementing the result. Okolo totaled 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the winners, who shot 58% from the floor and also received stellar efforts from Beni Toure (15 points, 6-8 FG, seven boards, two blocked shots) and Will Gregorits (13 points, 6-9 FG, six assists). A home win vs. Chestnut Hill or any Holy Family loss in its last two games gives Sciences the fourth and final playoff spot in the CACC South. Dante Thompson (13 points, 5-7 FG, seven rebounds) and Parris Ridgeway-Higgs (11 points, 3-4 from 3) provided quality depth for the Lightning, which shot a strong 49% overall though it wasn’t enough to prevent a drop into a second-place tie with crosstown rival Wilmington, half a game behind idle Philadelphia. Both teams were effective from beyond the arc (US 6-12, GBC 10-19).
CONCORDIA 93 BLOOMFIELD 80
A monster game from Jalen Heath – 23 points, 4-7 from deep, career-high 19 rebounds, five assists – powered Concordia past Bloomfield at the Meyer Center to keep its playoff hopes alive and delay its guests’ hopeful North Division title celebration at least until the weekend. The Clippers – who landed six players in twin figures – fell behind 15-4 and 33-22 before narrowing the deficit to 41-35 by halftime. It was 49-47 nearly four minutes into the second stanza when a Heath tip-in commenced a 19-6 run that put the hosts in the driver’s seat at 66-55. A 14-5 burst later in the period increased a 79-69 advantage to 93-74 following a Steven Milhaven lay-up with 1:56 to play, and the horse was well out of the barn. The sophomore forward chalked up 16 points (7-10 FG) and seven caroms, while Jamie Holder (14 points in a reserve role), Justyn Gardner (13 off the pine), Cedrc McFadden (12 points, eight assists) and Elijah Brown (10 points, six rebounds, four helpers) also played key roles in the victory. Concordia – which is a game behind Caldwell for the last playoff slot in the North – outshot its guests 56%-36% after halftime and 50%-43% overall while also logging more treys (12-28 to 7-23), assists (22-8) and fast-break points (19-4). Marcus Fleming (six rebounds) and Ahmid Williams each posted 14 points for the Bears, who also placed Ignacio Diez (12 points, six boards) and Rawan Kelly (11, 12) in double digits.
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 94 FRANKLIN PIERCE 92
Both Manchester teams won squeakers on the road by a collective three points. In Rindge, Dimitri Floras led all five starters in double figures with a career-best 24 points (10-16 FG) and five assists, while Devin Gilligan drove home 20 in Southern New Hampshire’s thrilling victory over Granite State rival Franklin Pierce, moving within a game of clinching the NE10’s Northeast Division crown. After falling behind 13-0 right out of the chute, the Penmen rallied and the game became a rollercoaster ride with 19 lead changes and six being the widest margin of the entire second half. A 10-3 spurt, culminating in a lay-up by Falu Seck (11 points off the bench, 4-5 FG), gave the Ravens a 78-77 lead with 6:40 remaining, and that was the first of 12 consecutive scoring plays that flipped the lead. The last occurrence came with 2:21 left – a Floras lay-up that instigated a 7-0 upswing and put the visitors in front 94-88 at the 1:18 juncture. Pierce – which was spearheaded by Jordan Lackey’s career-high 31-point (12-15 FG, 4-5 from 3), 11-rebound outing – didn’t roll over, though, as Donte Gittens (nine points, nine boards, six assists) scored a lay-up and dunk in successive possessions to make it a two-point game, then - after emerging with the ball from a scrum - raced down the right sideline and shot a 3-ball for the win that bounced off the back rim at the buzzer. Chris Walters produced 17 points and 11 rebounds for SNHU, while Daquaise Andrews (seven rebounds five assists) and Jerome Harris (4-5 from distance) each dropped a dozen. Both teams shot 55% and nearly matched each other from long range (SNHU 9-16, FPU 9-18), while also fashioning strong assist-turnover ratios (SNHU 14/7, FPU 19/8). Franklin Pierce – which still maintains fourth place – won the glass, 37-31.
ST. ANSELM 85 STONEHILL 84
Tim Guers exploded for 26 of his career-high 37 points in the second half, including all 14 of a critical 14-2 run that transformed a 67-62 deficit into a 76-69 lead with 2:49 to go as St. Anselm nipped Stonehill at Merkert Gym to avenge an early-season home loss and stay within two games of its crosstown rivals for first (the two close out the season against each other). A tight contest the whole way, the widest gap was five points with the exception of that 76-69 Hawks lead, that itself was short-lived as the Skyhawks whittled it down to 83-81 on a KJ Lee lay-up with 4.1 seconds on the clock. However, Guers had the final answer, knocking down the icing foul shots (he was 13-of-16 from the stripe, as well as 10-of-16 from the floor and 4-of-8 from downtown Easton), rendering an Isaiah Bess buzzer-beater from just inside half-court a mere footnote. Harrison Taggart recorded 15 points and six rebounds for St. A’s, which won despite being outshot (55%-46%) and outrebounded (33-30). Ryan Logan generated 29 points (13-22 FG) and eight rebounds for Stonehill – which also saw Bess and Lee (seven boards, five assists) gather 16 in defeat. The Skyawks are even with Bentley for the fifth and final playoff spot, albeit with the tiebreaker in hand.
BENTLEY 93 ST. MICHAEL’s 75
Matt Barr submitted career bests of 20 points (9-14 FG) and nine assists, while Ryan Richmond churned out 19 and five, respectively, as Bentley forged a tie with Stonehill for that final playoff berth by knocking off St. Michael’s in Vermont thanks to a 58-29 doubling in the second half. The game was leaning heavily in the other direction late in the first frame as the Purple Knights carved out a 44-29 lead en route to a 46-35 bulge at the break. Fortunes quickly shifted upon the restart as the Falcons opened with a 17-5 spree to grab a 52-51 lead. Then, after four lead swaps and a 57-57 tie with 11-and-a-half minutes to play, Richmond scored inside to trigger a 20-8 run that put the visitors on top for good, 77-65; the gap ranging between nine and 18 points the rest of the way as Bentley outshot its hosts by a whopping 70%-28% over the final 20 minutes (52%-38% for the game). Chris Hudson offered strong support off the bench for the winners with a personal-best 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Brandon Wheeler double-doubled with 13 points and 12 caroms. Levi Holmes III topped the St. Mike’s scorecard with 17 points and four assists, followed by Matt Bonds (15 points, 17 rebounds despite severe foul trouble), Stan Foster (13 points in reserve duty, 5-7 FG, 3-3 from deep) and Zaire Williams (12 points). Both teams distributed the ball effectively (BU 23/11 assist-turnover line, SMC 15/12), although Bentley enjoyed a 14-5 advantage in mistake points.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 84 DAEMEN 50
The much-anticipated rematch between ECC leaders St. Thomas Aquinas and Daemen at Aquinas Hall did not live up to the billing as STAC annihilated its closest competitors to avenge a road loss and snap their five-game win streak while earning a first-round bye and bolstering its position for the division crown. Adam Koziol stepped up with a career-high 23 points (8-12 FG, 7-10 from downtown Sparkill) to fuel the Spartans, who led the entire way, pouncing early at 25-8 and then using a 19-4 power run spanning the halves in expanding a 28-20 lead to 47-24 following a 3-ball by Aaron Cust (16 points). It only got uglier from there, with the lead maxing out at 82-40 before all was said and done. Justin Reyes (18 points) and Chaz Watler (13 on 5-of-7 shooting) made impacts for STAC, which outshot its guests from the field (53%-35%) and from beyond the arc (11-24 to 2-20) while punishing them 20-2 off turnovers. Deion Hamilton was the lone double-digit scorer with 10 off the bench for the Wildcats, who are now tied for third and who took solace in a 37-32 rebounding edge that led to a 16-6 advantage in second-chance scoring.
BRIDGEPORT 75 QUEENS 73
Make it five straight for Bridgeport, which has taken hold of second place in the ECC pecking order after rallying to clip Queens in Flushing, gaining revenge for a home loss. Montana Mayfield’s go-ahead lay-up with 28 seconds left was the cornerstone of a 13-4, game-ending flourish as the Purple Knights were staring at a 69-62 deficit with just over four minute to go before getting off the mat. The P-Knights still had to sweat out the closing seconds as Kyheim Chaplin (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Diego Maldonado (three points on uncharacteristic 1-of-9 shooting) both missed go-ahead threes in what may wind up being their final moments on the Fitzgerald Gym floor. Stefano Osuji once again led the charge for Bridgeport with 24 points (10-15 FG) and eight rebounds, followed by Mayfield (19 points, 8-12 FG in a reserve role) and Kyle Benjamin (14 points, 12 boards, five assists, five blocks). Simon Green (6-8 FG, six rebounds off the bench) and Tyree White (four assists, three blocks off the pine) each netted 14 in a losing effort for the sixth-place Knights, who are holding down the final playoff spot by a half-game. The Purple Knights shot better from the floor (49%-40%), offsetting less effective 3-point shooting (9-21 to 6-21) and a 41-35 rebounding disparity, which led to a 19-9 shortfall in second-chance scoring.
MOLLOY 88 NYIT 80
It was a welcome return to the lineup for Charlie Marquardt, who notched 27 points, including a key 3-pointer and six straight free throws in the final two minutes to propel Molloy past fellow Long Island rival New York Institute of Technology at Quealy Gym to remain tied for third place. In a game of streaks, the Lions found themselves behind 77-76 after a Leonard James lay-up with 2:19 on the clock. Marquardt answered from deep 30 seconds later to launch a 12-0, game-clinching uprising that resulted in an 88-77 lead with 20 seconds to play; the hosts nailing 9-of-10 from the line over that key stretch to fortify their lead. Fellow senior and coach’s son Jaylen Morris turned in a 24-point, eight-rebound performance for the Lions, who also received solid support from Nick Corbett (14 points) and Curtis Jenkins (10 points, four assists) while outshooting their guests, 51%-39% and nearly doubling them off turnovers (19-10). James was high man for the Bears with 20 points (8-13 FG) and nine boards off the bench. He was flanked by Jon Feiler (17, 12), Kachi Nzerem (15 points), Walter King (12 points, 11 rebounds, six assists in 40 minutes) and Jeffrey Hayden (11 points). NYIT – which has dropped seven in a row and was eliminated from playoff contention – dominated the backboards, 47-31 (18-4 on the offensive end), accounting for all 19 of the game’s second-chance points.
LIU POST 88 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 67
Don’t look now but LIU Post is a half-game out of the playoff picture after crushing District of Columbia in Brookville for its fourth straight victory. Jemal Mosley garnered 19 of his 22 points (8-13 FG, 4-5 from long range) in the opening half, while Jared Hall pitched in with 16, including a lay-up that sparked an 11-2 surge, lengthening a 38-33 lead to 49-35 shortly before intermission. An 11-3 spurt on the other side of halftime (22-5 overall run) fattened the advantage to 60-40, and the margin bounced between 15 and 23 the balance of the ballgame. Aary Bibens (13 points) and Kyle Doucette (10 points, nine boards) were solid in support for the Pioneers, who were the superior shooters (48%-40%), especially from downtown Brookville (9-22 to 5-24), while feasting both on second chances (23-7) and off turnovers (18-5). Joseph Nickerson cashed in 18 points and handed out four assists to lead the Firebirds, who also placed Traveon Butler (15 points), Anthony Matthews (13) and Kasim Chandler (12) in double figures. UDC – which maintains sole possession of fifth place – did more damage at the foul line (20-26 to 11-13).
POST 73 DOMINICAN 65
Tyler Desrosiers erupted for a career-best 31 points (10-16 FG, 9-9 FT), and Post used a 31-13 tear over the last 12:26 of the opening half in stunning second-place Dominican in Orangeburg to clinch a playoff spot. The Eagles – who avenged an early-season home loss and snapped their hosts’ four-game win streak – flipped a 10-7 deficit into a 38-23 cushion at the break before the Chargers charged back, eventually closing within 60-58 on a Daniel Grant slam with 4:58 left. They would get no closer as Desrosiers – who did most of his damage inside the arc for a change of pace – converted back-to-back baskets to restore some breathing room at 64-58. A lay-up by Travis Cook (20 points) chopped the deficit in half to 68-65 at the 2:15 mark, but Jonathan Garcia (five points off the bench) just missed a tying trifecta, leading to a dagger three by Desrosiers with 52 ticks remaining. The junior sharpshooter added the cherry to the sundae with two foul shots 20 seconds later to close out the scoring and land his team in the postseason for a 12th straight season – the longest such streak in the CACC. Naasir Williams sported 13 points and Matt Mareno 11 for third-place Post, which still has a shot to usurp Dominican for second place in the CACC North. Grant led the charge for the Chargers with 22 points, while Gerrel Irvin just missed a double-double with nine points and 15 rebounds in a losing cause. Dominican can clinch second with a win in either of its last two games or a Post loss in its finale.
CALDWELL 78 FELICIAN 65
Ahmad Harrison came alive with a career-best 20 points (7-12 FG, 3-5 from deep) and Zay Jennings contributed 16 off the bench in powering Caldwell past Garden State rival Felician at the Newman Center, ousting its guests from the playoff picture while inching closer to a postseason spot itself. The Cougars led from stem to stern in this one, bolting out to a 21-9 lead, then using a 7-0 spurt out of the break to open up a 45-30 advantage following a bucket by Austin Woods (11 points, seven rebounds, four blocked shots). The margin grew to 64-46 with 9:17 to go when the Golden Falcons made a late push, scoring 14 of the next 15 points on to creep within 65-60 after a traditional 3-point play by Tim Massado (season-high 14 points and seven rebounds) with 5:45 on the clock. Jennings quelled the momentum with a jumper and Eric Johnson-Alford (12 points, 5-6 FG, eight boards) followed with a dunk at the forefront of a 13-2 run as the hosts put the game away at 78-62. Gjaimeir Stanford registered 16 points in a reserve role for Felician, which also received 10 from Damiun Moore. The third-place Cougars made their presence felt in the paint (34-18) and boasted the stronger assist-turnover line (17/13 to 8/19). Both sides struggled from the stripe (CU 15-26, FU 12-20).
WILMINGTON 70 CHESTNUT HILL 63
Tyaire Ponzo-Meek rang up 17 points and pulled down six rebounds, while Nick Richards racked up 14 points, 10 boards and five assists in leading Wilmington past Chestnut Hill in Newark to gain a share of second place in the CACC South, half a game behind idle Philadelphia. In a game that featured nine ties and just as many lead changes, the Wildcats stumbled out of the gate, 17-8 and trailed most of the first half. They were still behind 40-35 four-and-a-half minutes into the second period before setting in motion a 12-2 run; the last seven coming from Ponzo-Meek as the Cats jumped in front 47-42 with 10:56 to play. The margin grew to a game-high nine (62-53) following a Ponzo-Meek triple at the 4:08 mark and the Griffins came no closer than five thereafter, despite noteworthy individual efforts by Chris Evans (19 points), Bryant Quill (13 points, six rebounds in his first start of the season) and Demetrius Isaac (10 points, eight boards, four assists). Drew Johnson II chipped in with 16 points, seven rebounds and four dishes for Wilmington, which was the lesser of two evils in the shooting department (36%-34%), including from 3-point land (8-21 to 8-30) while faring much better at the foul line (20-24 to 9-12) and scoring more frequently on second chances (13-5).
MERRIMACK 80 ASSUMPTION 74
Ryan Boulter collected 21 points and nine rebounds, and Merrimack used a 15-4 game-ending charge to pull away from Commonwealth rival Assumption at the Volpe Center to remain tied for second in the NE10 Northeast. The Warriors were staring at a 70-69 deficit with five-and-a-half minutes left when reserve rookie guard Devon Moore (personal-best 12 points) drained his third 3-pointer in as many attempts to touch off the run with Boulter coming through with the tiebreaking trey that put the hosts ahead for good at 75-72. Anthony Barry tacked on 16 points (7-11 FG), including a huge lay-up with 49 seconds remaining that made it a 78-74 game. The grad student forward added four steals to his stat line as all nine Merrimack players who saw action scored, shooting a combined 50% (AC was 43%) and dominating both in the paint (40-14) and on the break (10-0). Damien Rance accumulated 24 points (8-14 FG), eight rebounds and four helpers for the Greyhounds, who also received solid efforts from Branislav Vuyadinovic (18 points, 6-9 from distance, four assists) and Karl Ziegler (11 points). The Hounds – who have dropped five straight – made more threes (12-28 to 7-18) and free throws (16-19 to 11-17) while corralling more rebounds (33-31) to remain competitive throughout.
Le MOYNE 83 ADELPHI 65
The top two teams in the Southwest Division – as well as in the regional rankings (see chart below) – earned comfortable wins in the Empire State. In Garden City, Russell Sangster equaled his career high with 24 points (10-15 FG) and Isaiah Eisendorf compiled 17 points and eight rebounds in leading Le Moyne past old Mideast Collegiate Conference rival Adelphi for its fifth straight conquest. The first-place Dolphins were nursing a modest 42-40 advantage just over a minute into the second half before unleashing a killer 35-11 blitz, punctuated by a 3-pointer from C.J. Asuncion-Byrd (13 points) as the lead ballooned to 77-51 with 6:27 remaining, enough to absorb the hosts’ 14-6 game-ending rush. Stan Buczek accounted for 13 points (5-7 FG) and six caroms for the Fins, who forced more than twice as many turnovers (21-10), fueling a 29-10 scoring boon. Michael Coffey – Buczek’s high school teammate – procured 17 of his 25 points in the opening half while playing all 40 minutes for the Panthers, who also placed Jack Laffey (17 points) and Chris Millender (11) in twin figures. Both teams shot the rock well (LC 52%, AU 48%), with Adelphi making twice as many triples (8-24 to 4-15) and Le Moyne faring better on second-chance scoring (15-5). Adelphi is locked into the #4 spot and will host a first-round playoff game. The Dolphins need one win or one Saint Rose loss to clinch the Southwest Division.
SAINT ROSE 70 PACE 49
Tyler Sayre’s traditional 3-point play with 6:34 to go ignited a 19-6, game-ending outburst as Saint Rose pulled away from Pace at Nolan Gym for its fourth straight triumph, remaining a half-game off the pace. Trailing 17-13, the Golden Knights embarked on a 21-9 run over the last 7:26 of the first half – with Sayre accounting for the last nine – to seize the lead for good at 34-26. An 11-0 jaunt when play resumed stretched the advantage to 45-26 after a three by Mical-Ryan Boyd (13 points, 3-5 from distance), but the Setters countered with a 20-6 spell to pull within 51-43 following a Peyton Wejnert 3-ball with 7:53 on the clock, setting up the strong close-out. Sayre finished with 18 points and Jack Jones 13 off the bench, while Chris Dorgler stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the winners, who were outshot (41%-36%) but capitalized at the line (19-22 to 5-9), off turnovers (24-6) and on second chances (15-5). Ryan Peterson “paced” Pace with 16 points, followed by Wejnert (11 points, seven rebounds) and Austin Mofunanya (10 points), though a 20-9 turnover disparity harpooned any chance for an upset.
NEW HAVEN 79 SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 68
Third-place Southern Connecticut lost to crosstown rival New Haven at Charger Gym as Mihailo Vasic matched his career high with 24 points (9-12 FG) for a second straight game and added six rebounds to his ledger. Michael Bourke tabulated 14 points (despite 4-for-17 shooting and 3-of-13 from 3), including the go-ahead free throws and ensuing 3-pointer as the Chargers embarked on an 18-6 romp over the last 8:55 to hand Ted Hotaling his 100th coaching victory. In a game that saw seven ties and 11 lead changes, the Owls rode a 19-5 wave to erase a 56-43 deficit and inch in front 62-61 after two freebies by Isaiah McLeod (seven points, 1-11 FG) with 9:39 to play, setting the stage for the late comeback. Danny Upchurch (12 points, six rebounds), Roy Kane, Jr. (11 points) and Kessly Felizor (eight points, 14 rebounds, personal-best five assists) made their presences felt for New Haven, which was the superior shooting club (50%-37%) on the night. Michael Mallory hit for 18 points (6-21 FG) and Austin Carter supplied 10 with 13 boards for Southern. Both teams exhibited a frosty shooting touch from beyond the arc, combining for 15 makes in 53 attempts. New Haven will play a first-round road game when the NE10 Tournament commences.
REGIONAL RANKINGS
The first East Region rankings were released on Wednesday, and here are the Top 10, which do not take into account any games this week:
- Le Moyne
- Saint Rose
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- Southern New Hampshire
- Merrimack
- St. Anselm
- Southern Connecticut
- Bloomfield
- Goldey-Beacom
- Philadelphia