Plenty of of key games in all three conferences on Wednesday as the calendar flipped to February. We begin the big recap with a premier match-up of regional powers from Upstate New York:
Le MOYNE 84 SAINT ROSE 70
C.J. Asuncion-Byrd led five in double figures with 19 points (8-12 FG, 3-5 from long range) and career-high eight rebounds as Le Moyne defeated Thruway rival Saint Rose in an offensive thriller at the Henninger Athletic Center, annexing sole possession of second place in the NE10's Southwest Division, a half-game behind idle Southern Connecticut. The Dolphins - who never trailed in the contest - were only ahead 53-51 after a traditional 3-point play by Chris Dorgler (16 points, six assists) with 12:21 to play before a Dan Kaigler lay-up sparked a 22-6 run that put the hosts in a 75-57 comfort zone with 4:15 left (the junior forward scored eight of his nine bench points during the surge). Tanner Hyland tallied all 12 of his points in the first half on perfect 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc, as the Fins connected on a sizzling 14-for-21 from downtown Syracuse, establishing a school record for accuracy (.667). Stan Buczek added 11 points (3-4 from 3) on his 22nd birthday, while Russell Sangster (six rebounds, five assists) and Tyree Chambers (3-3 from deep) tossed in 10 apiece, the latter in a reserve role. Tyler Sayre tabulated 16 points and Julian Lipinsky 14 (5-6 FG) for the third-place Golden Knights. Both teams shot it very well (LC 60%, CSR 50%), with Le Moyne winning the glass, 27-19.
STONEHILL 108 BENTLEY 101 (OT)
Offense was at the forefront in Waltham as Stonehill slipped past Massachusetts rival Bentley in an overtime battle that featured 15 ties and 14 lead changes throughout the night. Isaiah Bess registered 11 of his career-high 24 points (all at the foul line) in the extra period as the Skyhawks used a 10-2 spurt to seize control, 101-94, with 46.8 seconds remaining. Neither side led by more than five points in a racehorse first half that ended with the visitors ahead 51-49. They fell behind 63-53 early in the second, then took an 86-81 lead with two-and-a-half minutes to go before the Falcons used an 8-2 flurry - capped by a Ryan Richmond jumper with 7.6 seconds on the clock - to edge in front 89-88. The game hung in the balance in the waning moments as KJ Lee was fouled on a put-back with 0.7 seconds showing and made the second of two free throws to extend the game. Brandon Twitty (13 points off the bench, 3-5 from long distance) banged a huge 3-pointer during Stonehill's decisive overtime run but Bentley made it interesting down the stretch, thanks to Richmond's career-high 39-point explosion (16-28 FG, 4-8 from 3). The sophomore guard twice brought his team within three points - the last time on a lay-up with 14.7 seconds to play - before Bess converted four straight freebies to ice the game, giving the Skyhawks their highest point total since a 144-113 overtime loss to Columbus State on November 11, 2007. Ryan Logan totaled 23 points and four asissts for the winners, who also received personal bests of 19 points and 14 rebounds from Will Moreton. Richmond - who came within one point of the individual school record - led all five Falcons in twin figures, followed by Zach Gilpin (18 points), Brandon Wheeler (12 points, 2-2 from 3, six boards), Matt Barr (10 points) and Ferguson Duke (10 points, eight rebounds). Not surprisingly, both teams shot the rock well (SC 54%, BU 53%), especially from afar (SC 11-19, BU 14-25), with Stonehill faring better at the foul line (25-31 to 11-17) and on the boards (43-28), sweeping the season series and pulling into a tie for fourth in the Northeast Division. Bentley is now in sixth, a game out of the last playoff spot.
GOLDEY-BEACOM 71 PHILADELPHIA 66
The game of the night in the CACC saw Goldey-Beacom knock off Philadelphia in the City of Brotherly Love, avenging an early-season home loss, clinching a playoff berth and grabbing sole possession of first in the South. Sameen Swint's trifecta with 3:53 left snapped a 57-57 tie and triggered a 10-4 spurt that put the Lightning ahead to stay, 67-61 with 30 seconds remaining. The Rams crept within 69-66 following a pair of free throws by Andre Gibbs (10 points, four assists in 40 minutes) with 11 seconds to go, but Swint - who finished with 14 points - capped the scoring on two of his own with 9.6 seconds on the clock. Shakeem Wilson recorded 18 of his 25 points (8-11 FG, 4-6 from deep) in the opening half, during which his team built leads of 8-0 and 29-18 before the senior guard connected on a buzzer-beating three to give his team a 34-33 lead at the break. A 13-5 charge out of the locker room expanded the advantage to 47-38, and it was 51-42 near the midway mark before Philly U. equalized with a 13-4 jaunt, fueled by nine straight points from Kaison Randolph (18 points, 11 rebounds in 40 minutes) with 5:17 to play. Dante Thompson droped a dozen for Goldey, which won its program-record 11th straight game and seventh in a row away from home. Brandon Kilpatrick rang up 16 points for the Rams, who were outshot overall (53%-42%) from long range (7-13 to 9-28) and from the line (14-19 to 7-10) but dished out nearly twice as many assists (15-8) in falling to third place. The game was marred by four ejections late in the second half.
PACE 77 ADELPHI 76
The most exciting finish of the night came on Long Island as Christian White's step-back corner 3-ball at the buzzer sunk Adelphi at the Center for Recreation and Sport, giving the Setters their only second-half lead and earning the grad student guard a career-high 28 points. Pace fell behind 14-3 out of the gate and was still looking up at a 52-42 deficit over four minutes into the final frame before chipping away, drawing even at 74-74 on a traditional 3-point play by Ryan Peterson (19 points, six rebounds) with 1:17 left. Manny Suarez - who chalked up 20 of his 26 points in the second half, to go along with 10 rebounds - put the Panthers ahead with two foul shots at the 55-second mark and both teams came up with stops, setting the stage for White's heroics. Vinny Delassandro (13 points, eight rebounds) and Austin Mofunanya (12 points in 15 foul-plagued minutes, 5-6 FG) offered solid support for the Setters, who keep their slim playoff hopes alive with the win. Conor McGuinness collected all 16 of his points before intermission and handed out eight assists for Adelphi, which also landed Austin Beech (16 points, 7-8 FG, six caroms off the bench) and Michael Coffey (14, 7) in double digits. Pace won despite being outshot (49%-40%) and outrebounded (40-38), using a 20-12 advantage in turnover points to help turn the tide in its favor.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 95 ROBERTS WESLEYAN 92 (OT)
Kasim Chandler erupted for a career-best 41 points (12-23 FG, 15-19 FT) and Reggie Sidbury drove home 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting from distance as District of Columbia rallied from a 21-point deficit, outlasting Roberts Wesleyan in Rochester to halt a three-game slide and join a virtual four-way tie for second in the ECC. A 29-5 Redhawks blitz - culminating in a Zack Panebianco three - turned a 17-13 UDC lead into a 41-20 hole with 2:28 remaining in the half before an 8-0 counter-run over the final 2:16 of the period diminished the damage to 41-28 at the break. The hosts still held a 63-50 upper hand with less than eight minutes on the clock before the Firebirds battled back to forge ties at 70 and 72. The hosts moved back in front, 76-72, after a trey by Quinn Carey (23 points in reserve duty, 7-13 from 3) with one minute to go, but two driving Chandler lay-ups knotted the count once more and Carey's 3-point attempt for the win was well off the mark, necessitating the bonus round. The visitors dominated the OT, hanging the first eight points on the board in going up 84-76 before Roberts closed within 94-91 on a Carey 3-pointer with 10 seconds left. However, Khalil Jackson (15 points, 12 rebounds) quelled the uprising with a clinching free throw one second later, consigning the Redhawks to a seventh consecutive setback despite five players reaching double figures, including Panebianco (22 points, seven rebounds, six assists), Manny Joseph (21, 10, 8), Davon Jackson (10 points, eight boards off the bench) and Malik Dare (10 points). Traevon Butler generated 12 points and six rebounds for UDC, which won despite being outshot (48%-46%), outrebounded (45-37) and out-assisted (23-14). They offset those diparities with more trips to the line (21-30 to 6-13) and a higher percentage from beyond the arc (10-22 to 10-29).
MOLLOY 77 QUEENS 64
The senior tandem of Charlie Marquardt (18 points) and Jaylen Morris (16) guided Molloy to a key victory over Queens at Fitzgerald Gym to remain in the second-place scrum. A Morris "And-1" four minutes into the second half ignited an 18-3 spree that stretched a 45-39 lead to 63-42 with 9:31 to play, and the Knights never came closer than 12 the rest of the way as they saw their four-game win streak go by the boards. Curtis Jenkins supplied 14 points (5-7 FG) off the bench and Mike Guzzardi produced 12 for the Lions, who made 53% of their shots and 6-of-12 from long range (QC was 6-20 by comparison) while also making more hay at the stripe (17-22 to 8-11). Tyree White was high man for Queens with 16 points (6-8 FG), followed by Kyheim Chaplin (11 off the bench) and Diego Maldonado (10) in slipping into sixth place, albeit only half a game out of second.
HOLY FAMILY 89 USCIENCES 84
Dyllon Hudson-Emory amassed 35 points (14-21 FG), nine rebounds and eight assists, hitting the clinching lay-up with eight seconds remaining to conclude a 9-2, game-ending flourish as Holy Family won a key game against crosstown rival University of the Sciences at the Campus Center, pulling into a fourth-place deadlock with the tiebreaker in hand by virtue of the season sweep. In short, both of the defenses rested on this night (HFU shot 55% and US 52%) and the game was air-tight most of the way, with 12 lead changes, a whopping 22 ties and three being the widest separation over the last 12:38 of the first half alone. The Devils opened up the largest margin at 65-56 following a tip-in by Beni Toure (12 points, 6-9 FG off the bench) with 11:57 to go. The Tigers wiped out that deficit, though, with a 14-3 spell, nosing in front 70-68 before USciences moved back on top, 82-80, thanks to a Sho Da-Silva lay-up with 3:59 on the clock, setting up the hosts' final run. Randy Bell (19 points, six assists) and Maliq Sanders (11, 4) were solid in support for Holy Family, which was more prolific from downtown Philly (7-22 to 3-14) despite pitiful 10-of-24 foul shooting (US was 15-for-23). Da-Silva led the charge for the Devils with 24 points (8-12 FG), five assists and seven steals, followed by Jon McGill (14 points) and Will Gregorits (13 points, 11 rebounds, five assists), who ascended the 1,000-point plateau in the loss.
WILMINGTON 81 GEORGIAN COURT 62
Wilmington climbed into second place in the CACC South pecking order after hammering Georgian Court in Newark. Tyaire Ponzo-Meek cashed in 26 points (9-12 FG, 7-8 from deep), and fellow hyphenate Omari Dill-Pettiford posted 16 of his 18 points (4-6 from 3) during a hot-shooting first half while pulling down seven rebounds as the Wildcats never trailed on the night, racing out to a 52-28 lead shortly before intermission. The gap mushroomed to 56-30 after two foul shots by Nick Richards (17 points, 5-7 FG, five assists, four steals) shorttly after the restart, and hovered between 18 and 26 the balance of the ballgame. Brian Adkins tacked on 12 points for the Cats, who were formidable from long distance (13-28 to 5-19) and outscored their guests 23-13 off turnovers. Nikola Vujovic topped the Lions' scorecard with 15 points in a reserve role. He was flanked by Juwaun Carter (13 points, nine rebounds) and Caleb Bowser (11 points, eight boards, five assists), though it was not enough to prevent a 14th staright defeat.
ST. ANSELM 110 FRANKLIN PIERCE 81
In a case of two teams heading in polar opposite directions, St. Anselm annihilated Granite State rival Franklin Pierce at Stoutenburgh Gym for its seventh straight triumph, placing six in double figures and never trailing in a game that saw the hosts sprint out of the gate with a 43-10 lead just past the midway mark of the first half en route to a 67-31 halftime divide. The margin maxed out at 80-38 following a 3-ball by Harrison Taggart (16 points, 3-5 from the Hilltop) as the Hawks shot a sizzling 17-of-28 from behind the 3-point line (FPU was 9-31), made nearly twice as many free throws (19-23 to 10-12) and furnished the more impressive assist-turnover line (21/10 to 8/15), leading to a 19-10 edge in mistake points. Back-to-back NE10 Player of the Week Tim Guers continued his incendiary ways with 28 points (21 in the first half) and 10 rebounds, upping his scoring average to 31.7 ppg over his team's seven-game win streak. His supporting cast included Cody Ball (18 points, five assists), Taylor Fortin (14, 7), Chris Braley (14 points, 7-11 FG, 11 rebounds) and Austin Nydegger (11 points off the bench, 3-3 from 3) as St. A's posted its largest offensive output since a 113-73 blowout of Chestnut Hill on November 16, 2013. Matt Banton was the best of the bunch for the Ravens with 20 points (4-8 from deep), followed by Mike McDevitt (14 points, seven rebounds), Oladoyin Fadojutimi (12, 6) and Asante Sandiford (10 points, seven rebounds, four blocked shots). Franklin Pierce has now dropped six straight and is tied for fourth in the NE10 Northeast with Stonehill.
MERRIMACK 64 ST. MICHAEL'S 60
Anthony Barry sported 15 points (5-7 FG) in a rare bench outing, while Juvaris Hayes garnered 11 points and nine assists as Merrimack hung on against St. Michael's in Vermont for its fourth straight victory, remaining in second place. The Warriors never trailed in this one, jumping out to a 28-11 lead that pretty much held the rest of the half thanks to a buzzer-beating three from the top of the key by Kyle Howes (11 points, eight rebounds) that made it 38-23. The advantage was 47-34 just over six minutes into the final frame when the Purple Knights made their run, closing within three points on four occasions down the stretch; the last time on a Zaire Williams lay-up (his only points) with 1:15 to play. Both teams came up empty on their next possessions, and Hayes split a pair at the line with 10.6 seconds left to salt it away. Matt Bonds provided 21 points (7-11 FG), nine rebounds and four steals for St. Mike's, who also landed Levi Holmes III (13 points) and David Sullivan (11 points, eight boards) in twin figures.
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 67 ASSUMPTION 58
Southern New Hampshire maintains a two-game lead in the Northeast after pulling away from pesky Assumption at the Field House, remaining the region's lone undefeated team at home (12-0 this year, 15 straight dating back to last winter). Chris Walters racked up 23 points (7-11 FG), 15 rebounds and five blocks for the Penmen, who saw a 43-28 lead early in the second half reduced to 49-46 following a 3-pointer by Shelby Rance (16 points, seven boards) with 8:35 remaining. That's where the comeback effort would stall, however, as Dimitri Floras (10 points) converted a lay-up to commence a 10-0 run that lengthened the lead to 59-46 with 3:36 to go; the gap never shrinking below seven thereafter. Devin Gilligan turned in a 19-point, eight-rebound performance for the winners, who were out-assisted (12-6) but dominated the glass (46-32) and were whistled for just seven of the game's 26 fouls, resulting in four times as many free-throw attempts (22-28 to 5-7). Branislav Vujadinovich chipped in with 13 points while playing the entire game for the injury-ravaged Greyhounds, who also received 10 points apiece from Justin Tuckson (six rebounds) and Declan Soukup (five assists). Both teams shot a frosty 38% from the floor and were unimpressive from downtown Manchester (SNHU 3-15, AC 5-16).
NEW HAVEN 72 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 69
Kessly Felizor came up big with a personal-best 22 points (8-10 FG) and 13 rebounds in spearheading New Haven's win over American International in Springfield, avenging an early-season home loss and moving within a game of Adelphi for fourth in the Southwest. Michael Bourke (13 points, four assists) and Danny Upchurch (12 points) also made their presences felt for the Chargers, who saw a 33-19 lead nearly evaporate at the end of the first half as AIC closed out the period with a 14-2 upswing to inch within 35-33. The Yellow Jackets - who were paced by Tahlib Swan's 17 points and eight rebounds - equalized at 57-57 with just over four minutes on the clock when Roy Kane, Jr. (nine points) came through with a clutch 3-point play to touch off a critical 10-2 burst that gave New Haven a 57-49 lead with 2:14 to play. AIC got as close as three points in the waning moments but four straight free throws by Bourke over the last 11 seconds slammed the door. Juwan Moody pumped in 14 points for the Jackets, who also received 11 apiece from Rasheed Howard amd Bruce Spruell, the latter adding four assists to his line. The Chargers were outshot (46%-40%) but fared better at the foul line (20-25 to 11-20) and on the backboards (41-30) to swing the momentum in their direction.
DOMINICAN 82 CALDWELL 66
The CACC North playoff picture is becoming a lot cloudier. At the Hennessy Center, Daraja Rodwell led five in double figures with 22 points (8-11 FG, 6-9 from long range) and Gerrel Irvin cranked out 14 points and 19 rebounds to lead Dominican past Caldwell and into second place. The Chargers never trailed in this one, racing out to a 25-9 lead that was shaved to 59-52 with six-and-a-half minutes left. E.J. Smith (12 points off the bench) then sank a pair of foul shots to set in motion a 19-8 tear that fleshed out the advantage to 78-60 inside of the two-minute warning. Sayon Charles (4-5 FG off the bench) and Travis Cook each offered 10 points for Dominican, which made twice as many triples (10-24 to 5-13) and dominated the glass (41-24, including 15-4 on the offensive end). Derek Dorn managed 17 points and five assists for the fourth-place Cougars, followed by Vaughn Covington, Zay Jennings and Ahmad Harrison, all of whom delivered a baker's dozen, the latter doing so in a reserve role.
FELICIAN 79 POST 67
Terrell Spaulding compiled 24 points (5-8 from distance), 10 rebounds and four assists, and Felician used a 26-4 onslaught at the start of the second half to repel Post in Rutherford to pull within a half-game of the fourth and final playoff berth in the North. The Golden Falcons trailed 30-29 at the break but began the second period with urgency, opening up a 55-34 cushion after a Spaulding trifecta with 11:56 remaining. The chasm crested at 60-38 after another Spaulding bomb before the Eagles made a late push, drawing within eight before succumbing. Bryant Webb spearheaded the power run, scoring or assisting on 18 of the points en route to an 11-point, 11-rebound, seven-assist night. Gjaimeir Stanford came alive with 19 points (all in the second half) and Damiun Moore kicked in 11 off the bench for the victors, who were the more accurate shooters (46%-35%). Tyler Desrosiers logged 26 points and Malcolm Amos 20 for the third-place Eagles, who also received a steady game off the bench from Adnan Halilovich (11 points, career-best eight boards). Both teams boasted efficient assist-turnover lines (FU 17/10, PU 11/7).
CONCORDIA 89 NYACK 85
Concordia's playoff hopes have been resurrected after a gritty victory over Nyack at Bowman Gym. Elijah Brown poured in a career-high 29 points (10-18 FG, 4-8 from downtown Nyack) and snatched seven rebounds for the Clippers, who fell behind by 10 points six different times in the opening stanza, and were down 69-63 just past the midpoint of the second half before back-to-back Brown baskets launched a 16-4 run that ended with the visitors on top 79-73 with 4:57 to go. The Warriors fought back within 84-83 with 39 seconds on the clock after a dunk and jumper by Junior Graham (10 points off the bench). Brown then drilled a dagger three with eight seconds left, and after two free throws halved the deficit, Stephen Milhaven (14 points, 12 rebounds) put the final nails in Nyack's coffin at the foul line with four ticks to go. Jalen Heath hit for 24 points (4-8 from 3) and pulled down six rebounds for Concordia, which also received 10 points and six assists from Cedric McFadden. Robert Tyler led five Warriors in double digits with 23 points. He was flanked by Imran Ritchie (18 points, 6-9 FG, seven boards), Shawn Witherspoon (16 points, 6-6 FG, four assists) and Jaron Smith (11 points). Nyack was the better shooting team (52%-45%) but was outperformed at the stripe (20-25 to 10-16) and on second chances (21-10) while being punished off turnovers (20-8). The Clippers are a game off the playoff pace.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 73 LIU POST 52
A 24-5 second-half romp was the difference for ECC leader St. Thomas Aquinas in its win over LIU Post in Sparkill, clinching a playoff spot in the process. Nursing a 34-33 lead just over two minutes after the restart, Shaq McFarlan nailed a jumper to initiate the run, which ended with the hosts ahead 58-38 at the 8:51 mark; the margin bouncing between 14 and 23 the rest of the game. Aaron Cust was top dog for the Spartans with 19 points (7-11 FG) in a reserve role, with Justin Reyes (15 points, 10 rebounds), Chaz Watler (14 points) and McFarlan (13 points, four assists) also making their presences felt in their team's eight straight win. As usual, Aquinas' pressure paid dividends to the tune of a 25-8 boon in turnover points (STAC crafted a 13/11 assist-turnover ratio, LIUP was 6/23). Greg Dotson was the lone bright spot with 20 points and seven rebounds for the Pioneers, who have dropped six in a row.
POLL POSITION
Still no regional teams in the new NABC/Division 2 Coaches' Poll, with Southern New Hampshire and St. Thomas Aquinas still receiving votes. Northwest Missouri State remains #1 and is one of only two remaining undefeated teams along with #2 Fairmont State (WV).