There was action in all three conferences on Saturday, and plenty of personal scoring milestones. Let’s kick off the recap with an upset in Vermont:
ST. MICHAEL’S 84 SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 81
Matt Bonds amassed 28 points (13-23 FG) and 21 rebounds in leading last-place St. Michael’s past first-place Southern New Hampshire in Winooski for its first NE10 win at the Ross Sports Center this season. The Purple Knights came from behind in the see-saw game that featured nine ties and 12 lead changes, outscoring their guests 17-7 down the stretch in erasing a 74-67 deficit inside of the final six minutes. David Sulllvan delivered the go-ahead lay-up with 2:22 to play, then – after a lay-up and two free throws from Chris Walters put the Northeast Division leaders back on top – converted two more, sandwiched around two missed Daquaise Andrews foul shots, the last bucket putting St. Mike’s ahead to stay, 82-81, with 16 seconds left. Bonds then came up with a key steal and closed out the scoring with a pair at the line with 1.4 seconds remaining. Derek Cheatom was key off the bench for the winners with 17 points and four assists as his team used a 21-8 run over the last 7:19 of the first half to transform a 29-21 deficit into a 42-37 lead. The rookie guard’s 3-pointer just over five minutes into the second period upped the advantage to 57-49 before the Penmen responded with 10 straight to regain the lead, and the two teams tangoed ‘til the end. Sullivan finished with 16 points on perfect 7-of-7 shooting for the P-Knights, who – thanks largely to Bonds – dominated on the boards (46-32, including 20-6 on the offensive end), on second chances (20-4) and in the paint (50-34), offsetting a poor 8-of-16 showing at the foul line (SNHU was 22-29). Walters was high man for the Penmen with 22 points (12-14 FT), followed by Andrews (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Devin Gilligan (13 of his 15 points after halftime, five assists).
ADELPHI 87 SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 86
The Southwest Division leaders – Southern Connecticut – also took a tumble on the road, losing a nail-biter to fourth-place Adelphi on Long Island in slipping to a second-place. Manny Suarez dominated this one with 28 points (10-14 FG), 15 rebounds and three blocked shots, with the formidable backcourt tandem of Jack Laffey (21 points, four assists) and Michael Coffey (19, 7) each playing the entire contest. The Panthers opened up the only double-digit spread of the day at 56-45 following a Suarez lay-up just over a minute into the second half. Then – after falling behind 75-74 on a 3-ball by Toby Christensen (17 points, 7-9 FG, 3-5 from long range, seven rebounds off the bench) – orchestrated a 10-2 run, capped by a Laffey three, to regain control at 84-77 with 4:32 to go. The Owls countered with a 9-3 spurt, inching within 87-86 after a 3-ball from Isaiah McLeod (19 points, 10 rebounds) with 58 seconds on the clock, and had a chance to steal the win after a Laffey miss from beyond the arc. Out of a timeout with 5.2 seconds showing, Jerry Luckett, Jr. attempted the game-winning reverse lay-up, which fell short off the rim as time expired, averting what would have been a second straight buzzer-beating loss for the hosts. Austin Beech chipped in with 15 points (7-10 FG) in a reserve role for the Panthers, who shot 53% on the day, out-assisted their guests 19-8 and outscored them 26-12 off turnovers, negating a 47-32 rebounding disparity (17-4 offensive), which fed a 15-3 second-chance differential. Michael Mallory stuffed the stat sheet with 31 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks for Southern, which lost to Adelphi for the first time in 12 meetings dating back to an 85-68 triumph on February 16, 2011 in New Haven.
MERRIMACK 78 ST. ANSELM 76
The NE10 teams with the longest active winning streaks squared off at the Volpe Center, with Merrimack cooling off St. Anselm, which had won seven straight, while taking its fifth in a row and solidifying second place in the Northeast. Juvaris Hayes compiled 21 points (9-13 FG), six rebounds, 10 assists and four steals for the Warriors, who shot 54% from the floor and placed five in double figures. The Hawks controlled the majority of the opening period, taking a 29-20 lead after a Cody Ball jumper with 7:48 to play before the hosts closed out the half with a 23-6 upswing to take a 43-35 lead into the locker room. Jaleel Lord – Hayes’ high school teammate at St. Anthony’s in New Jersey – collected eight of his 13 bench points (5-7 FG) during the run, then banged a trifecta nearly five minutes into the second stanza that increased the advantage to 56-43. St. A’s got off the mat, though, and closed the gap to 62-60 on the strength of a 17-6 surge that culminated in a pair of Tim Guers free throws with 10:25 left. They would never get any closer, however, pulling within a deuce three more times within the final four minutes; the last occurrence at 78-76 after two more Guers freebies with 1:01 remaining. The sophomore star – who chalked up 26 more points and pulled down seven rebounds – had a chance to tie following a Merrimack turnover but his well-defended lay-up with 18 seconds to go would not fall and both teams turned it over in their final possessions, cementing the outcome. Anthony Barry and Ryan Boulter each dropped in a dozen for the winners, who also received 11 points and seven boards from Kyle Howes. Ball notched 20 points (8-12 FG, 4-6 from deep) and Harrison Taggart accounted for 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists while playing all 40 minutes for third-place S. A’s.
FRANKLIN PIERCE 102 STONEHILL 97 (OT)
Matt Banton registered eight of his career-high 38 points (14-21 FG, 5-8 from distance) in overtime in leading Franklin Pierce to a huge victory over Stonehill in North Easton, applying the brakes to a six-game slide and hanging onto fourth in the Northeast. A back-and-forth affair all day, as evidenced by 10 ties and 18 lead changes, the Ravens carved out the only three-possession lead of the game at 88-80 following a Banton jumper with just 1:13 to play in regulation. But the Skyhawks battled back with a 9-1 game-tying flurry, which was fueled by three missed Pierce one-and-ones, knotting the count at 89-89 on a lay-up by KJ Lee (five points) with nine seconds on the clock. Donte Gittens (seven points, nine rebounds, seven assists) had a 3-point look to win but it bounced off the backboard and front rim, necessitating the bonus round. Marvilio Berroa converted a traditional 3-point play 16 seconds into the overtime and the Ravens never trailed in the period, outshooting Stonehill 53%-43% on the day. Jordan Lackey (16 points, 8-13 FG), Asante Sandiford (14 points, six rebounds) and Mike McDevitt (eight points, 10 rebounds, three blocks) paid dividends for the victors, while Ryan Logan (27 points, 11 rebounds), Daniel Largey (23 points, 9-16 FG) and Isaiah Bess (13, 8) were the top options for the Skyhawks, who are tied for the fifth and final playoff berth with Bentley, with the head-to-head tiebreaker in hand.
BENTLEY 70 ASSUMPTION 63
Bentley stayed in the playoff picture thanks to a gritty victory over Assumption at Laska Gym. Ryan Richmond continued his stellar play with 27 points (9-10 FG), eight of which came during the Falcons’ 10-2 run over the last 2:35 that wiped out a 61-60 deficit. The super sophomore guard – who added 10 rebounds to his stat line – began the burst with a pair of jumpers, then closed it out with four straight foul shots over the last 19 seconds. Matt Barr – who furnished the other basket during the closeout – garnered 13 points (3-5 from downtown Worcester) for Bentley, which also received 12 apiece from Ferguson Duke (2-2 from 3, nine rebounds) and Brandon Wheeler (10 caroms). Branislav Vujadinovic was top dog for the Greyhounds with 14 points (3-5 from deep) and four assists, followed by Justin Tuckson and Declan Soukup (3-3 from afar), both of whom pumped in 13. The Falcons jumped out to leads of 10-1 and 22-10 before the Hounds caught up by halftime, 30-30. The second stanza was a see-saw affair with 10 lead changes and no spread wider than four until the waning moments.
SAINT ROSE 71 NEW HAVEN 68
Tyler Sayre’s top-of-the-key three with nine seconds left was the difference for Saint Rose, which shaded New Haven in West Haven to remain in a three-way scrum near the top of the Southwest Division standings. The Chargers drew first blood and opened up the game’s widest gap at 17-8, but things tightened up in a hurry, with four ties and nine lead swaps in the second half alone, and nothing more than a five-point separation over the final 15:07. A pair of Danny Upchurch foul shots with 12 ticks remaining provided the final deadlock at 68-68, setting up Sayre’s big shot as the fifth-year senior wound up with 15 points and seven rebounds. Upchurch – who sported 15 points and career high-tying 10 assists – had a long shot to tie but it rimmed out – New Haven’s remarkable ninth game in 10 that was decided by one possession or overtime. Damon Coleman – who drilled a big triple late in the contest – produced 15 points (3-5 from 3) and four assists for the Golden Knights, who also landed Mical-Ryan Boyd (14 points, 6-9 FG) and Chris Dorgler (10 points, 4-5 FG, 2-2 from long range) in doubles. Roy Kane, Jr. shined atop the Chargers’ scorecard with 20 points (7-11 FG, 4-4 from beyond the arc), while fellow freshman Kessly Felizor generated 15 points and 11 boards. Saint Rose won despite being outshot (46%-42%), outrebounded (35-31) and uncharacteristically outperformed at the free-throw line (15-18 to 13-21). The difference was turnovers as New Haven committed nearly twice as many (13-7), and were tripled in mistake points (18-6).
Le MOYNE 87 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 66
Despite having zero payers in the NE10’s Top 20 in scoring, rebounding or assists, Le Moyne is back on top of the Southwest Division after thumping American International at the Henninger Athletic Center. Reserve junior guard Tanner Hyland recorded 14 of his 17 points (5-8 from downtown Syracuse) in the second half and handed out five assists for the Dolphins, who used a 12-0 run in expanding a 29-24 lead to 41-24 shortly before halftime, then – after AIC closed within 54-43 nearly seven minutes into the second period – used another Hyland trey to commence a 16-3 spree that put the game out of reach at 70-46; the margin bouncing between 20 and 27 the remainder of the ballgame. Russell Sangster posted 16 points for the Fins, who also landed C.J. Asuncion-Byrd (13) and Dan Kaigler (12 off the bench) in twin figures. Jayvon Pitts-Young rang up 25 points and Juwan Moody 18 (in playing all 40 minutes) to pace the Yellow Jackets, who also received 10 points and seven rebounds from Rasheed Howard. Le Moyne shot it better (52%-44%), especially from behind the 3-point line (16-31 to 7-18) while also boasting the stronger assist-turnover line (20/8 to 6/12) and outscoring its hosts 16-3 on second chances.
HOLY FAMILY 90 BLOOMFIELD 85
The only surprise in the CACC occurred in Northeast Philadelphia, where Holy Family snapped North Division leader Bloomfield’s seven-game winning streak and remained tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the South. Randy Bell exploded for a personal-best 38 points (11-21 FG, 6-13 from deep, 10-11 FT) and four steals, while Dyllon Hudson-Emory totaled 25 points (18-19 FT), six rebounds and five steals for the Tigers, who fell into a 24-8 hole but recovered to knot the count at 43-43 by halftime. No fewer than six ties and 13 lead changes followed in a second stanza that saw the Bears use a 6-0 spurt to take their final lead at 85-84 following an Ignacio Diez tip-in with 2:29 to go. Those would turn out to be the final points for the visitors, though, as Hudson-Emory nailed the tying and go-ahead foul shots at the 1:16 mark, as well as the clinchers following his steal with 22 seconds on the clock (Bell hit two in between). Diez led five in double figures for Bloomfield, gathering 18 points (4-7 from 3) and 11 rebounds in his first start of the season. He was flanked by Nick Davidson (16 points on 6-of-8 shooting), Rakwan Kelly (15 points, 11 rebounds, six assists), Dontay Julius (11 points off the bench) and Chiedozie Akawauku (10). The Bears outshot (48%-42%) and outrebounded (39-32) their hosts but were punished off turnovers (30-12) and outworked at the stripe (33-40 to 18-24) in a whistle-fest that was marred by 50 fouls and 64 free throw attempts.
USCIENCES 67 FELICIAN 52
Across town at Bobby Morgan Arena, University of the Sciences kept pace with Holy Family for fourth with a tidy victory over Felician. The Devils never trailed on the afternoon, bolting out to leads of 18-4 and 32-14 before touching off an 11-3 charge to begin the second half, widening a 36-23 advantage to 47-26 after a Brandon Crawford lay-up and maintaining at least an 11-point upper hand the rest of the way. Jon McGill topped the USciences score sheet with 24 points and eight rebounds, with solid support from Will Gregorits (12 points, four assists), Crawford (11 points, 5-7 FG, seven boards) and Flo Da-Silva (six points, eight rebounds, seven helpers). Kennedy Chukwuocha (14 points, six rebounds) and Debon Bright (13 points) were the top options for the Golden Falcons, who fell a game-and-a-half behind the final playoff slot in the North. The Devils were the vastly superior shooting (46%-29%), rebounding (39-23) and assisting (21-8) club, with Felician’s lone statistical advantage coming at the free-throw line (11-14 to 5-6).
GOLDEY-BEACOM 85 POST 63
The region’s hottest team continues to be Goldey-Beacom, which cruised past Post in Pike Creek to snag its 12th straight “W” and remain ahead of the pack in the South. A 17-4 spell – sparked by a Sameen Swint 3-pointer – padded a modest 30-25 lead to 47-29 late in the half. Then, after the Eagles trimmed their deficit to 60-52 on two Matt Mareno foul shots with 8:16 on the clock, Dante Thompson slammed one home 12 seconds later to key a 23-7 game-clinching assault that lengthened the lead to 83-59 at the 1:43 mark. Thompson led the way for Goldey with 23 points (11-16 FG) and eight rebounds, followed by Riyan Williams (19, 8), Swint (17 points, 3-5 from downtown Wilmington, five assists) and Parris Ridgeway-Higgs (15 points, 6-9 FG, 3-4 from 3). Levy Gillespie dispensed a dozen off the bench for Post, which also received 11 points apiece from Mareno (nine rebounds) and Savion Boissard, the latter doing so in a reserve role. The Lightning was the more accurate shooting team (55%-45%) and crafted the superior assist-turnover ratio (16/12 to 11/21), resulting in a 23-6 boon in mistake points. The Eagles – who remain in third up North – won the glass (33-31) but were pounded in the paint, 50-30.
PHILADELPHIA 84 CONCORDIA 82
Kaison Randolph turned in a 28-point (10-15 FG 8-12 from long range), eight-rebound performance while playing every minute, powering Philadelphia past old NYCAC rival Concordia in a thriller at the Meyer Center to become the only CACC road winner over the weekend and – more importantly – remain in a second-place tie. In a game of runs, the Rams forged a 28-17 lead before the Clippers unleashed a 25-7 power run – capped by consecutive Jalen Heath trifectas – to edge in front, 42-35 with 2:42 to play in the half. Philly U. then embarked on a 22-7 counter-run that spanned the break and afforded them a 75-68 advantage after a Malcolm Gilbert hoop with 14:24 left. It was 75-68 after another Gilbert bucket at the 5:14 juncture when a jumper and 3-pointer by Cedric McFadden triggered a 14-6 dash that gave Concordia its final lead at 82-81 following a huge three by Steven Milhaven with 23 ticks remaining. Out of a timeout, Josh Brandanese connected on a straightaway 3-pointer with 10 seconds on the clock and Andre Gibbs secured the victory by rejecting McFadden’s potential winning 3-point attempt, putting the finishing touches on a 15-point (7-8 FG), six-rebound, five-block afternoon. Brandon Kilpatrick pitched in with 13 points and six boards for the winners, who also landed Brandanese in double figures with 12 and six, respectively, in his first collegiate start. Heath was brilliant in defeat for the Clippers with a career-high 33 points (6-11 from deep) and seven rebounds. He was supported by Milhaven (14 points), McFadden (12 points, five assists) and Elijah Brown (10 points, 10 rebounds). Philadelphia shot the rock at a higher “clip” (54%-43%), helping offset disparities at the line (13-17 to 7-14) and on second chances (18-7) as Concordia barely won the battle of the boards (36-35) in falling a game-and-a-half off the playoff pace.
WILMINGTON 97 NYACK 84
Tyaire Ponzo-Meek erupted for 27 of his 31 points in the first half (11-12 FG, 4-5 from long distance) while adding six rebounds and five assists as Wilmington downed Nyack in Newark to remain tied with Philadelphia for second in the South. Nick Richards came alive with 29 points (8-12 FG, 12-14 FT), seven boards and four assists for the Wildcats, fueling their game-defining 22-6 tear with half of the points as the hosts stretched a 60-57 lead to 82-63 with 8:17 to go, never allowing their guests to get any closer than 11 points down the stretch. Omari Dill-Pettiford (12 points) and Brian Adkins (11 off the bench) made their presences felt for Wilmington, which outshot its guests from the field (57%-46%) and murdered them at the line (27-37 to 8-19), neutralizing glaring deficiencies on the glass (41-36, including 19-6 on the offensive end), in the paint (50-26) and in points off turnovers (26-13). Ga’Briel Chandler had a successful return to the Warriors lineup with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He was joined in twin figures by Shawn Witherspoon (15 points, 7-11 FG, six rebounds, four assists), Jaron Smith (14 points), Curtis Thompson (13 off the bench) and Imran Ritchie (nine points, career-best 14 assists, four steals).
CALDWELL 74 GEORGIAN COURT 66
Derek Dorn hit for 20 points (14-21 from the line), including two tosses with 1:10 to play that initiated a 6-2, game-ending spurt as fourth-place Caldwell escaped upset-minded Georgian Court at the Newman Center, gaining ground in the playoff hunt. A 12-2 run early in the second half gave the Cougars the lead for keeps at 48-39, but the Lions hung in during the second half, coming as close as 68-64 at the 1:13 mark before the hosts took care of business at the stripe (6-8 over the final 1:10) as the lead, strangely, bounced between four and eight over the last 14:58. Ruud Lutterman submitted 13 points (5-8 FG) for Caldwell, which also placed Austin Woods (12 points, 6-7 FG, six rebounds) and Zay Jennings (11 points despite 0-9 shooting from distance) in double digits. Caleb Bowser supplied 16 points (7-11 FG) for Georgian Court, with Tony Ellington, Jr. (11), Nikola Vujovic (10) and Juwuan Carter (nine points, 10 caroms) also chiming in. The Lions were the better shooters (47%-43%) and rebounders (35-28) but they were outworked at the foul line (24-34 to 13-15) and committed three times as many miscues (18-6), leading to a 22-9 scoring disparity and – ultimately – a region-worst 15th straight loss.
DOMINICAN 77 CHESTNUT HILL 72
After spotting Chestnut Hill the first 13 points of the game, Dominican outscored its guests 39-12 over the rest of the period to grab a 39-25 halftime lead and eventually hang on for the victory, moving within two games of the North Division lead. The Chargers found themselves ahead 70-52 after a Daniel Grant lay-up with 5:16 left, but the Griffins mounted a late rally, outscoring their hosts 20-6 to creep within 76-72 after two free throws from Chris Evans (18 points, 4-5 FG, 2-2 from downtown Orangeburg). Alas, there were only nine seconds left as the comeback bid ran out of time, consigning the visitors to a 13th straight setback. Grant logged 18 points (4-11 FT), seven rebounds and four assists for Dominican, which also received solid outings from Travis Cook (17 points, 3-5 from 3), Gerrel Irvin (14 points and six rebounds in 20 foul-plagued minutes), Jonathan Garcia (nine of his 11 points off the bench during the first-half barrage) and Sayon Charles (10 points, 5-7 FG, seven boards in a reserve role). Liban Awl tallied 15 points (3-5 from afar) for Chestnut Hill, which also landed Bryant Quill (15 points off the pine) and Demetrius Isaac (13 points, six rebounds, five assists) in double figures. The Hill was more effective from beyond the arc (7-13 to 4-16) and the line (23-27 to 13-36) but Dominican was more efficient from the field (50%-43%) and in the paint (50-28) while also feasting off turnovers to the tune of 30-13.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 97 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 79
The three games in the ECC provided no surprises. In Sparkill, Chaz Watler led the charge for frontrunner St. Thomas Aquinas with 26 points (11-16 FG, 4-5 from deep), including a jumper that snapped a 46-46 tie just over two minutes into the second half and ignited a 15-0 run that carried the Spartans to their ninth straight triumph. The Firebirds came within single digits once thereafter – 61-52 with 13:18 left – before Aaron Cust (19 points off the bench, 3-5 from 3) scored inside to launch a 13-1 run that effectively put the game away at 74-53; the margin barely fluctuating between 16 and 21 the rest of the day. Justin Reyes racked up 20 points (10-10 FT) and 14 rebounds for STAC, which also received 11 points from James Mitchell. Justin Nickerson spearheaded the UDC attack with a career-best 35 points (11-18 FG, 8-14 from 3) and nine rebounds, and was supported by Kasim Chandler (15 points, four assists, four steals), Khalil Jackson (11 points, six boards, six assists) and Kyle Williams (10 points). The Spartans nailed all 15 of their foul shots (UDC was 18-27), won the glass battle (44-33), and scored more often both on second chances (22-8) and off turnovers (31-16).
MOLLOY 92 MERCY 78
Jaylen Morris cranked out a school-record 42 points (18-24 FG) while adding eight rebounds and three blocked shots to power Molloy past Mercy at Quealy Gym and move into a second-place tie with idle Daemen. A 15-6 start to the second half amplified a 49-39 lead to 64-45 following a Morris steal and breakaway dunk. The Mavericks rallied with 13 of the next 17 points to close within 68-58 after an “And-1” by Will Robinson (24 points, 13 rebounds). A 16-5 counter-run – capped by a Morris lay-up – increased the advantage to 84-63, but back came the resilient Mavs yet again, hanging 12 unanswered points on the board to make things interesting at 84-75 after a Ryan Hickey triple with 3:54 remaining. A Morris basket 26 seconds later quelled the uprising and sparked an 8-2 swing that put the game out of reach at 92-72. Nick Corbett procured a dozen points for the Lions, who also received 10 apiece from Charlie Marquardt, Mike Guzzardi (5-6 FG in 18 foul-plagued minutes) and Curtis Jenkins (4-5 off the bench). Hickey drove home 23 points (4-8 from distance) and dished out four assists for Mercy, which also placed Raphael Jennings in doubles with 12 points, six boards, five assists and a halfcourt buzzer-beater to end the first frame. Molloy shot a sizzling 65% from the floor (Mercy was a solid 47%), dominated in the paint (64-40) and scored twice as often off turnovers (24-12). The Mavericks – who have dropped 12 straight – took solace in the more potent 3-point attack (7-17 to 2-10), better boardwork (35-26, including a 17-6 advantage on the offensive glass) and more assists (16-12).
LIU POST 94 NYIT 83
Jared Hall led five starters in double figures with 23 points (12-12 FT), 13 rebounds, eight assists and four steals as LIU Post swept the “Battle of the Boulevard” against backdoor neighbor New York Institute of Technology with a comfortable win at Recreation Hall. Greg Dotson accumulated 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Pioneers, who never trailed in the contest, racing out to a 15-4 lead, then engineering a 21-8 jaunt at the start of the second half in extending a 43-39 lead to 64-47 after two Dotson foul shots at the midway mark. The Bears – who were once again powered by Jon Feiler’s 21 points (3-6 from 3) and 13 rebounds – never came closer than 10 in the closing minutes in falling for a fourth consecutive time. Kyle McLeggan tabulated 18 points (7-11 FG, 4-6 from downtown Old Westbury) for Post, with Jared Rivers (12 points) and Kyle Doucette (10 points, eight rebounds) also contributing as their team snapped a six-game skid. Domonic Josephs mustered a career-high 20 points (8-13 FG) off the bench for the Bears, who also landed Keiran Hamilton (13 points) and Walter King (12 points, seven assists off the bench) in twin figures. The Pioneers – who are two games back of a playoff berth in the loss column – shot it better (50%-41%), especially from long range (10-18 to 12-31) while also feasting at the foul line (24-32 to 7-12). NYIT took better care of the rock (19/10 assist-turnover line compared to 13/14).