The postseason officially got underway on Friday, courtesy of the two 4-5 first-round games in the NE-10 Tournament, with the Southwest Division winning both crossover contests. We kick off the recap with an offensive explosion on Long Island, showcasing the two greatest individual scoring performances in the region this season:
ADELPHI 101 BENTLEY 91
Michael Coffey erupted for a career-high 44 points on 17-of-22 shooting and 9-of-11 accuracy from beyond the arc in leading Adelphi past Bentley in Garden City, advancing to the NE10 quarterfinals Sunday at top-seed Southern New Hampshire. Conor McGuinness also recorded a personal best of 25 points (11-12 FT) along with seven assists while matching his backcourt classmate with 40 minutes played as the Panthers shook off an early 7-2 deficit with a 13-2 run and never looked back. A 21-6 spree spanning the halves extended a 38-37 lead to 59-43 following a McGuinness lay-up 78 seconds into the final period, and the margin hovered between 13 and 20 the remainder of the ballgame. Manny Suarez came up big with 16 points (8-11 FG), 13 rebounds and three blocked shots for the victors, who also landed Jack Laffey in double figures with 11 points and five assists without leaving the floor. The Falcons’ attack was spearheaded by Ryan Richmond, who shattered the school records for points (45) and field goals (20) while matching Mike Driscoll’s 50-year-old mark for shot attempts (32). The prior program scoring standard had been 40 points, set by Ray Andersen in 1969 and matched by Billy Holden 20 years later, while the old record of 17 baskets had been held by Jim Fuerst since December 4, 1971. Both Richmond and Coffey eclipsed the previous regional scoring high of 43 by Nyack’s Robert Tyler on December 30 at District of Columbia. Richmond’s 20 field goals made are the most in Division 2 this season, and the sophomore’s 79 points scored the last two games lifted his season average to 22.6 ppg, the second-highest in program history and tops among guards. Ferguson Duke closed out his career with a bang, nailing all four of his 3-pointers and six of seven shots overall as part of a 16-point night, while Brandon Wheeler contributed 12 points and seven boards in a losing effort. Adelphi shot an absurd 70% in both halves (the second-highest performance in the region all season behind New Haven’s 71% clip at Pace last weekend) while Bentley made exactly half their shots – precisely 20-of-40 – in each period. The Panthers also cashed in at the foul line (19-25 compared to BU’s 4-5), offsetting an 18-10 turnover disparity.
NEW HAVEN 84 MERRIMACK 58
Up in North Andover, New Haven led from pillar to post in a shocking rout of Merrimack, advancing to a quarterfinal clash vs. Le Moyne on Sunday in Syracuse. Michael Bourke led five in twin figures with 21 points (4-7 from deep) and Elijah Bailey tossed in 20 (6-9 FG, 3-5 from 3) in a reserve role for the Chargers, drilling a key three to trigger an 18-4 surge bridging the break, fattening a 26-23 lead to 44-27. A 10-2 counter-run – capped by a Juvaris Hayes lay-up with 15:05 remaining – sliced the deficit to 46-37, but that would be the only time in the final 20 minutes the margin was less than double figures. A 17-0 spree, fueled by back-to-back Bourke bombs – transformed a 57-45 game into a 74-45 rout, and the hosts never came closer than 25 points thereafter. Mihailo Vasic collected 13 points, six rebounds and four assists for the winners, who also placed freshmen Roy Kane, Jr. (12 points) and Kessly Felizor (10 points, nine boards) in double figures. Hayes – the newly crowned NE10 Rookie of the Year – finished with 14 points and seven helpers for Merrimack, obliterating Peter Dufour’s season school record with his 270th assist. Tawayne Anderson, Jr. (career-best eight rebounds) and Kyle Howes chipped in with 10 points apiece for the Warriors, who were outclassed from the line (19-22 to 3-13) and from long distance (9-21 to 5-27) while being punished 19-5 off of mistakes. They now await a likely at-large NCAA Tournament bid.