The curtain came down on the NE10 and CACC regular seasons, with the playoff pictures all set. Let’s kick off the recap with the most dramatic finish of the night:
BENTLEY 86 MERRIMACK 84
Ryan Richmond banked in a pull-up 3-pointer from the left wing with 1.8 seconds left that lifted Bentley past Merrimack in North Andover, avenging an early-season loss and propelling the visitors into the playoffs as the five seed in the NE10’s Northeast Division. The sophomore guard – who had missed the front end of a one-and-one 17 seconds earlier – more than atoned for that rare mistake as his game-winner followed an Anthony Barry put-back with 10.1 seconds to play that had given the Warriors their only lead of the second half. The Falcons led the majority of the ballgame, and by as much as 39-27 before their hosts rattled off 10 unanswered to foreshadow the push-and-pull nature of the contest. The margin increased to 74-65 inside of the seven-minute mark when Merrimack initiated a 9-1 spurt to pull within one (75-74) for the first of five times over the final 4:29. Richmond finished with 23 points (3-5 from long range), 11 rebounds and four assists for the winners, who also received strong outings from Matt Barr (career high-tying 20 points, 5-10 from 3) and Brandon Wheeler (19 points, 7-11 FG, six rebounds). Ryan Boulter drove home 24 points and grabbed six rebounds for Merrimack, which also saw Tawayne Anderson, Jr. notch a career-best 19 points (7-11 FG) and seven boards in 22 bench minutes and Juvaris Hayes flirt with another triple-double (19 points, nine rebounds, 12 assists, four steals). The Warriors got a good look on a catch-and-fire attempt from the foul line that just missed, albeit a split second after the final horn, adding more drama to the crazy finish. Bentley was more formidable from beyond the arc (12-27 to 4-18), offsetting the Warriors’ 54-28 dominance in the paint and a 21-10 turnover disparity. The Falcons – who have secured a winning season for the 21st time in 22 seasons under head coach Jay Lawson – will play at Adelphi in the tournament’s first round on Friday. Merrimack will host New Haven in the other 4-5 crossover contest.
STONEHILL 94 ST. MICHAEL’S 81
There will be a new regional champion this season as Bentley’s dramatic victory crushed Stonehill’s hopes of a return to the Elite-8, denying them a shot at the NE10 Tournament despite the Skyhawks’ victory over St. Michael’s in North Easton. Two of the NE10’s all-time greats saw their sensational careers come to a close with strong outings: Ryan Logan (18 points, five assists) and Matt Bonds (16 points, 13 rebounds). An 11-0 surge snapped a 19-19 tie and put the hosts in front for good at 30-19. A 10-2 start to the second stanza stretched a 40-35 advantage to 50-37 following a 3-ball by Daniel Largey (21 points, 6-9 FG, 3-6 from afar), and the lead peaked at 60-46 before the Purple Knights made a late push to close within 84-78 following a Bonds lay-up with 2:40 to go. They would get no closer as Stonehill answered with a 10-2, game-clinching spurt – bookended by pairs of free throws by Largey – to pull away, 94-80. Isaiah Bess totaled 13 points for the winners, with Joel Berroa (12 points off the bench, 5-5 FG, 2-2 from 3) and KJ Lee (10 points, career high-tying 12 rebounds, five assists) offering quality depth. David Sullivan produced 19 points (8-14 FG) and six rebounds to lead St. Mike’s, which also placed Levi Holmes III in twin figures with 12 points while falling for a fifth straight time. Foul shooting was the key stat (SC 22-27, SMC 8-19) for the Skyhawks, neutralizing disadvantages in the paint (42-28), in the turnover department (12-6) and on second chances (15-7).
PHILADELPHIA 81 WILMINGTON 61
The two showdowns for first place in the CACC went the way of the home teams. In the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia shot a blistering 13-of-17 from 3-point land in the second half (15-for-27 for the game, compared to 3-of-16 for its guests) to deny Wilmington the top seed via head-to-head tiebreaker. Josh Brandanese came up big with a personal-best 27 points (9-15 FG, 5-8 from deep) and Andre Gibbs chipped in with 23 points (9-16 FG, 4-8 from 3) and four assists for the Rams, who trailed 33-30 a minute into the final frame when Gibbs converted a lay-up and Kaison Randolph (19 points, 7-10 FG, 10 rebounds, six assists) banged back-to-back threes to trigger a 34-12 blitz that put the hosts in control 64-45 with 9:04 remaining; the lead bouncing between 15 and 24 the rest of the way. Tyaire Ponzo-Meek (19 points) and Nick Richards (16 points, four dishes) were the top options for the Wildcats, who finish second in the South and will host Caldwell in Saturday’s playoff opener. Powered by the 3-point barrage, Philly U. shot better overall (54%-40%) and handed out 20 of the game’s 29 assists in winning for a fifth straight time. Amazingly, Hall of Fame Head Coach Herb Magee has now guided 34 of his 50 teams to 20+ wins as his Rams will host Post in their playoff lid-lifter on Saturday. Philadelphia becomes the third different school from that city to capture the South in as many years (USciences in 2015, Holy Family last year), and the crown has stayed in town for six straight seasons overall.
BLOOMFIELD 80 DOMINICAN 71
For the seventh time in nine seasons, Bloomfield claims the North, downing Dominican at the Den and extending its conference record for divisional titles (10th year of that format). Marcus Fleming spearheaded the Bears’ attack with 24 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, with ample support from Rakwan Kelly (14 points, six boards), Ahmid Williams (11 points) and Robert Lewis (10 in a reserve role). Five was the largest lead of the first half, which ended with the visitors ahead 38-36. That all changed upon the restart, when Bloomfield embarked on a 15-1 run – capped by a Fleming trifecta – to jump in front for good, 51-39. The Chargers – who were paced by Sayon Charles’ 17 bench points – narrowed the gap to 54-48 before a 16-5 Bears sprint effectively ended the drama at 70-53 as the visitors came no closer than eight points down the stretch. Daraja Rodwell (six rebounds) and Gerrel Irvin (10) each dropped a dozen in defeat for Dominican, which also landed Daniel Grant in double digits with 11 points, four assists and five steals. Bloomfield – which will host USciences in the first round of the tourney – won the glass (45-33) and used the foul line as a weapon (23-26 to 11-18), offsetting a 25-15 deficiency in mistake points. The Chargers will entertain Goldey-Beacom in Saturday’s playoff opener.
ST. ANSELM 95 SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 87
Tim Guers joined Merrimack’s Juvaris Hayes as the region’s lone triple-double men this season, racking up 22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, along with three blocks and three steals, as St. Anselm bested crosstown rival Southern New Hampshire at Stoutenburgh Gym to claim second place in the Northeast. Taylor Fortin equaled his career best with 28 points and Chris Braley also recorded 20 points on perfect 9-of-9 shooting while snatching 11 rebounds as the Hawks used a 26-11 tear spanning the halves in lengthening a modest 31-29 lead to 57-40 following a Fortin triple with 15:46 on the clock. The gap expanded to 75-54 after a Fortin lay-in with 8:42 to play before the Penmen attempted a late comeback, outscoring their hosts 26-12 to draw within 87-80 after a 3-pointer from Chris Walters (17 points, 10 rebounds, four helpers) with 2:11 left. That’s as close as they would get, however, as St. A’s sank 5-of-6 at the stripe and Cody Ball (12 points) banged a dagger three, all within the final 1:58. Dimitri Floras compiled 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists to lead SNHU, which also landed Devin Gilligan (21 points, 5-7 from downtown Manchester, eight boards) and Daquaise Andrews (12 points) in doubles. The Penmen – who will host Friday’s Bentley-Adelphi winner in Sunday’s tourney quarterfinals – shot better from the floor (47%-44%) and way better from beyond the arc (13-25 to 9-31) but were outworked at the stripe (24-26 to 4-9) and outscored 17-7 on second chances. The Hawks will welcome Southern Connecticut on Sunday.
FRANKLIN PIERCE 70 ASSUMPTION 65
Franklin Pierce snags the #3 seed after surviving a close contest against Assumption in Worcester. Five was the largest lead for the first 25 minutes, and the Ravens were only ahead 67-62 inside the final minute when the Greyhounds missed a three to make it a one-possession affair. The visitors then made three trips to the line over the final 40 seconds, splitting two each time to establish the largest spread of the night – 70-62 – rendering meaningless a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Declan Soukup in his final collegiate play. Asante Sandiford cashed in 19 points (2-2 from deep) and 11 rebounds for Pierce, which dominated the boards, 48-33, and accounted for 18 of the game’s 22 second-chance points. Mike McDevitt turned in an 18-point, 10-rebound performance and Matt Banton chimed in with 10 points for the Ravens, who will play at Saint Rose on Sunday. Soukup sported 16 points (4-7 from 3) and four assists for Assumption, which also saw Branislav Vujadinovic (14 points) and Damien Rance (10 points, seven rebounds) reach double figures.
Le MOYNE 72 NEW HAVEN 41
The region’s hottest team is Le Moyne – which hammered New Haven at the Henninger Athletic Center for its seventh straight triumph (by an average of 20.7 ppg). Isaiah Eisendorf registered 17 points for the third straight game (7-10 FG), with help from fellow Gannon transfer C.J. Asuncion-Byrd (12 points, six rebounds) and Tyree Chambers (11 points off the bench, 3-3 from downtown Syracuse). The #24 Dolphins rattled off the first nine points and led from start to finish, not allowing a field goal for more than seven minutes at the outset en route to a 33-15 halftime bulge. The lead mushroomed to 42-17 and 72-38 before the dust had settled as the Fins were the superior shooters overall (54%-30%) and from distance (11-20 to 5-25) while feasting off turnovers to the tune of 24-6. No Chargers player scored in double figures (Elijah Bailey mustered nine off the bench) but they will play postseason basketball Friday at Merrimack. Le Moyne – which holds the #1 seed in the Southwest – will host that game's winner in Sunday’s quarterfinals.
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 96 PACE 63
All 13 players scored as Southern Connecticut romped over Pace in New Haven to halt a three-game slide. Michael Mallory collected 23 points (9-15 FG) and eight assists for the Owls, who trailed just once (3-2) before opening up leads of 25-12 and 42-17 en route to a 51-21 halftime cushion. The margin maxed out at 39 (77-38) on a bucket by Jerry Luckett, Jr. (10 points) with 9:45 remaining, and the Setters never came closer than 29 thereafter, closing out the campaign with a fifth straight setback. Isaiah McLeod posted 17 points (7-12 FG) and Joey Wallace 11 (4-5 FG, 3-3 from deep) with four assists for Southern, which also saw Austin Carter nearly miss a double-double with nine points and 11 caroms. Christian White capped his career with 24 points, eight rebounds and four helpers for Pace, which also placed Ryan Peterson (13 points) and Austin Mofunanya (11 points, 5-6 FG, seven boards) in double digits. The Owls – who will open their playoff push at St. Anselm – outshot its guests from the floor (54%-31%) and from beyond the arc (14-34 to 6-24) while also outrebounding (45-32) and out-assisting (23-9) them.
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 92 ADELPHI 80
A late 12-1 flurry broke open an air-tight contest and carried American International past Adelphi at Butova Gym. In a game that saw seven ties, 19 lead changes and nothing more than a two-possession separation over the first 33 minutes, the Yellow Jackets found themselves clinging to a 75-74 lead with just over four minutes to go when a free throw by Bruce Spruell (20 points, seven rebounds) sparked the big run that culminated in an 87-75 upper hand with 1:17 on the clock. Rasheed Howard (19 points) and Juwan Moody (17) fared well in their collegiate farewells, while Tahlib Swan garnered 15 points and 10 rebounds. Michael Coffey topped the Panthers’ scorecard with 29 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Conor McGuinness (20 points, nine rebounds, five assists) and Austin Beech (10 points off the pine). AIC parlayed a 14-7 turnover margin onto a 22-5 scoring spree to fuel the victory. Adelphi hosts Bentley in Friday’s first-round playoff game.
GOLDEY-BEACOM 98 CHESTNUT HILL 63
Riyan Williams chalked up 27 points (9-14 FG) to lead all five starters in twin figures as Goldey-Beacom shook off a three-game dry spell with a blowout of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia, tying a school record for wins (20) and establishing new standards for CACC victories (14) and road wins (11) as the league’s only road victor last night. After falling behind 9-2, the Lightning struck with a 20-2 run to seize the reins at 22-11 following a Williams triple. The Griffins hung around, and were within 65-61 inside of the seven-minute mark, setting the table for what would become the longest-sustained run in the region in over 20 years – a 33-0 avalanche over a nearly seven-minute span that turned the game into a farce at 98-61. Dante Thompson (17 points, 8-11 FG, seven rebounds), Sameen Swint (16 points, six assists off the bench), Corey Taite (11 points) and Parris Ridgeway-Higgs (10 on 3-of-4 shooting from 3) all made their presences felt for Goldey, which was the superior shooting team (53%-39%), while also making hay at the line (23-32 to 13-19), in the paint (44-24) and on the break (14-2). They also scored three times as many points off turnovers (24-8) in their final tuneup before playing at Dominican in Saturday's playoff opener. Nasir Bell procured 16 points for the Griffins, who also placed Demetrius Isaac (14) and Liban Awl (10) in doubles while falling for a fourth straight time.
NYACK 83 FELICIAN 78 (OT)
Jaron Smith delivered 21 points, including a go-ahead 3-ball 21 seconds into overtime, setting in motion a 9-2 run and thrusting Nyack past Felician at Bowman Gym to end an eight-game drought. The Warriors fell into a 44-28 hole late in the first half and were still down 55-42 more than three minutes into the second before launching a 20-7 upswing, capped by two Imran Ritchie hoops sandwiching a steal, knotting the count at 62-62 with 7:09 to play. The Golden Falcons tallied the next five to reclaim a 67-62 edge with 3:43 left, but Nyack tabulated the next six, surging in front 68-67 on a Smith basket with 2:18 remaining. A couple of more lead swaps ensued before Ga’briel Chandler sank the second of two foul shots with 31 seconds to go, tying the score at 70-all. Debon Bright – who hit for a personal-best 18 points in a reserve role – had a long shot to win for Felician at the end of regulation, but it wouldn’t fall, necessitating the bonus round. Ritchie generated 16 points (10-10 FT), nine boards and four assists for the victors, including four straight at the stripe over the last 22 seconds to nail it down. Chandler pitched in with 14, eight and four, respectively, while Rashard Lewis came alive off the bench with 13 points and seven rebounds. Terrell Spaulding cranked out 15 points and nine rebounds for Felician, which also placed Kennedy Chukwuocha (14 points, 6-7 FG), Bryant Webb (11 points, 3-3 from 3) and Gjaimeir Stanford (10) in double figures. The Golden Falcons shot a shade better (45%-42%) but hurt their cause with sub-par foul shooting (13-22 compared to NC’s 19-22) and a 24-6 disparity in mistake points.
CALDWELL 90 CONCORDIA 65
Zay Jennings led a balanced attack with 18 points (6-7 FG, 4-5 from long range) and six rebounds as Caldwell clobbered Concordia in North Jersey. Derek Dorn supplied 16 points and five assists for the winners, who led from wire to wire, jumping out to a 24-5 lead before the visitors trimmed the deficit to 47-35 by the break. The lead remained in double digits over the final 20 minutes, maxing out at 25 by the end as the Cougars snapped the Clippers’ four-game win streak. Seniors Justin Brown (11 points) and Christian Ejiga (10 points, eight rebounds) enjoyed career outings for Caldwell, which outshot (49%-35%) and outrebounded (48-36) Concordia, faring much better at the line as well (14-17 to 9-19). Stephen Milhaven was the best of the bunch for the Clippers with 18 points. He was flanked by Cedric McFadden (11 points, seven assists) and Jamie Holder (11 points off the bench in his swan song). The Cougars open their playoff run at Philadelphia on Saturday.
HOLY FAMILY 100 GEORGIAN COURT 65
The potent 1-2 scoring punch of Randy Bell (22 points, 12-22 FG, five assists) and Dyllon Hudson-Emory (30 points, 9-16 FG, 12-12 FT, seven rebounds) did the heavy lifting once again for Holy Family in its season finale against Georgian Court at the Campus Center. A 24-8 spell fleshed out a 52-42 lead to 76-50 after a Hudson-Emory slam, and the Tigers closed out the contest with a 23-7 flourish over the last 9:15, outshooting their guests (52%-38%), outperforming them at the free-throw line (24-30 to 10-19) and punishing them for their mistakes (31-13), Maliq Sanders contributed 13 points and four steals for Holy Family, while Nikola Vujovic (24 points, 11-17 FG, nine boards) and Luka Zgonjanin (10 points off the bench) led the Lions, who close out the season with 20 straight losses.
POLL POSITION
For the first time in weeks, a regional team is represented in the NABC/Division II Top 25 poll as Le Moyne bows at #24. Saint Rose and St. Thomas Aquinas are receiving votes. Fairmont State (WV) is the new #1. The new regional rankings will be out later today and will be listed here in the next report.