Not much drama on Tuesday as eight of the 10 games in the region finished with double-digit spreads. We begin the rundown with the tightest contest of the bunch, featuring two CACC South rivals:
WILMINGTON 92 HOLY FAMILY 90
In a game that featured four of the CACC’s top five scorers, Wilmington hung on for dear life over Holy Family at the Complex to maintain a share of second place in the South Division, half a game behind idle crosstown rival Goldey-Beacom. Tyaire Ponzo-Meek pumped in 23 points (6-20 FG, 10-10 FT) while adding six rebounds and six assists for the Wildcats, who rattled off the first eight points and led from wire to wire, though they could never really pull away. The lead maxed out at 46-31 shortly before halftime, but the Tigers used a 22-8 run spanning the halves to pull within 54-53 following a 3-pointer by Dyllon Hudson-Emory (15 points, eight rebounds). Wilmington crafted a 16-4 surge in expanding a 73-70 advantage to 89-74 after an "And-1" by Ponzo-Meek with 5:20 to play, but back came the visitors with a 16-2 counter-run, inching within 91-90 following two free throws by Manny Casie (nine points off the bench) with 1:17 left. Neither team scored on its next possessions and Masner Beauplan (14 points) split a pair at the stripe with 13 seconds remaining, giving Holy Family one last shot. However, Randy Bell’s well-defended three for the win fell way short and the hosts escaped. Nick Richards posted 20 points (7-9 FG), 14 rebounds and five assists for the Cats, who also received 15 points from Omari Dill-Pettiford. Bell was tops on the Tigers with 36 points (14-25 FG, 8-18 from long range) and five assists, while rookies Maliq Sanders (12 points, nine rebounds) and Austin Chabot (11, 9) provided solid depth in defeat. Wilmington prevailed despite being outshot from the floor (47%-44%) and from beyond the arc (11-33 to 3-22) whikle being outrebounded (42-38). Foul shooting (27-33 to 17-21) and points off turnovers (20-8) provided the necessary counterbalance. Holy Family remains tied with crosstown foe USciences for the fourth and final playoff spot (tiebreaker in hand) with three games to go.
PHILADELPHIA 71 USCIENCES 57
Kaison Randolph notched 20 points and seven rebounds, and Andre Gibbs tallied 14 of his 16 points (7-10 FG) in the first half as Philadelphia pulled away from cross-city rival University of the Sciences in University City to remain tied with Wilmington for second, half a game off the pace in the South. The Rams were hanging onto a tenuous 39-35 lead three minutes into the second half when Josh Brandanese (13 points, eight rebounds) buried a triple to spark a 17-4 run that boosted the advantage to 56-39 with 12:19 on the clock. The lead peaked at 62-44 on a lay-up by Kylan Guerra (14 points) at the 7:24 mark and the Devils never came closer than 12 points the rest of the way, remaining tied with Holy Family for fourth place. Brian Okolo paced USciences with 13 points, and he was flanked by Beni Toure (12 off the bench), Jon McGill (10) and Will Gregorits (10 points, eight boards, four assists). Philly U. was the more accurate shooting squad (48%-38%) and did more damage both from the foul line (12-16 to 4-9) and from long distance (9-24 to 5-10) in winning their first game at Morgan Arena since December 17, 2011. The Devils dished out nearly twce as many assists (15-8) as small consolation.
CALDWELL 62 NYACK 52
Derek Dorn collected eight of his 13 points during an 11-0, game-ending flourish as Caldwell pulled away from Nyack in New Jersey, climbing into third place with the result. The second half started with a 12-0 splash that stretched a 28-27 Cougars lead to 40-27 with 11:39 to play, but the Warriors countered with a 23-9 run, edging in front 50-49 after two freebies from Ga’Briel Chandler (14 points, 3-3 FG, six rebounds) with 3:42 left. After an exchange of baskets, Dorn nailed a big trey to kick off the final rush, adding five foul shots in six attempts to seal the deal. Eric Johnson-Alford spearheaded the Caldwell attack with a personal-best 17 points (8-9 FG) in 19 bench minutes, while Vaughn Covington chimed in with 14 points and six boards. Robert Tyler mustered 15 points for Nyack, which was outscored 22-10 off miscues in falling for a fifth straight time and out of the playoff picture. Both teams struggled from the field (CU 38%, NC 35%).
CONCORDIA 80 FELICIAN 67
Across the Garden State at Job Gym, Jalen Heath racked up 28 points (5-10 from deep) and 12 rebounds to lead Concordia past Felician in a battle of two teams fighting to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. A 22-7 second-half tear told the story in this one as the Clippers turned a 44-44 tie into a 66-51 cushion after a Heath three with 7:09 remaining. The gap crested at 70-54 90 seconds later and the hosts never came closer than 11 thereafter, slipping two games off the playoff pace with three games to go. Cedric McFadden totaled 17 points and eight assists for the Clippers, who also landed Justyn Gardner in double figures with 10 points (4-5 FG) and six caroms in a reserve role. Terrell Spaulding was terrific again for Felician with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Kennedy Chukwuocha offered 15 and six, respectively, though their team was outshot (48%-39%) and outworked at the line (23-29 to 11-16). Concordia is a game-and-a-half out of the fourth and final playoff spot (one in the ever-important loss column).
BLOOMFIELD 76 POST 65
Post holds onto that fourth playoff spot in the North despite losing to North Division leader Bloomfield in Waterbury. Marcus Fleming sported 23 points (3-4 from long distance) and made all nine of his second-half shots (9-for-10 overall) as the Bears avenged an early-season overtime loss at home. After falling behind by as many as eight points in the opening period, the visitors used a 15-4 second-half spell – bookended by Fleming trifectas – to open up a 55-43 lead with 10:23 on the clock. The Eagles – who were buoyed by Levy Gillespie’s career-high 18-point performance off the bench (4-8 from 3) – narrowed the deficit to 58-56 inside the six-minute mark before a Nacho Diez put-back triggered an 8-0 run that put Bloomfield back in control, 66-56, with 3:17 to play. The lead hovered between seven and 11 the balance of the contest as the Bears sank six of seven at the stripe over the last 1:11 to slam the door. Diez (13 rebounds) and Nick Davidson each logged 16 points for the winners, who outscored Post off turnovers (16-7) and on second chances (16-4) while also taking and making three times as many foul shots (9-12 to 3-4). Joseph Lockwood (12 points, 6-7 FG, seven rebounds) and Tyler Desrosiers (10 points) reached twin figures for the Eagles in a losing cause.
STONEHILL 85 MERRIMACK 77
A 40-11 blitz spanning the halftime break catapulted Stonehill to a come-from-behind victory over Massachusetts rival Merrimack at the Volpe Center, snapping the hosts’ five-game winning streak in the process. The Skyhawks were outscored 29-7 in falling into a 46-27 hole before Daniel Largey (18 points) stroked a 3-pointer with eight seconds to go in the half. That turned out to be a huge momentum boost as the visitors poured it on when play resumed, constructing a 65-54 lead with 9:07 on the clock; the lead bouncing between four and eight down the stretch as Largey swished six straight free throws in the waning moments to secure the spoils. Ryan Logan recorded 18 points and seven rebounds for Stonehill, which also received solid outings from Isaiah Bess (16 points) and KJ Lee (12 points, eight assists). Ryan Boulter topped the Warriors’ scorecard with 25 points, followed by Kyle Howes (10 points, six boards) and Juvaris Hayes (six points, eight rebounds, 10 assists). The Skyhawks shot a sizzling 60% in the second stanza and 53% for the game, while proving the more efficient club from beyond the arc (10-18 to 8-26). The win solidifies the fifth and final playoff position in the NE10’s Northeast Division with four games to play, while Merrimack remains in second.
ST. ANSELM 81 ASSUMPTION 61
St. Anselm moved within a game of second-place Merrimack after pounding Assumption in Manchester for its eighth win in nine outings. Tim Guers amassed 20 points and 18 rebounds for the Hawks, who also saw Taylor Fortin stuff the stat sheet with 14 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals. A 13-3 flurry over the last 5:07 of the first half beefed up a 25-21 lead to 38-24. The Greyhounds – who were led by Patrick Fleming’s 13 points, seven boards and five assists – were still within striking distance at 49-35 over six minutes into the final frame when a pair of foul shots by Chris Braley (11 points, six rebounds) uncorked a 15-5 run that effectively put the game away at 64-40; the margin eventually maxing out at 79-50 before the dust settled. Cody Ball dropped a baker’s dozen for St. A's, which was the superior shooting (48%-38%) and rebounding (50-30) team, committing a mere seven fouls on the evening (AC was whistled for 15), helping fortify an 11-3 edge in free throw makes. The loss eliminates Assumption from playoff contention.
Le MOYNE 74 PACE 40
All 10 players scored for Southwest Division leader Le Moyne, which crushed Pace in Pleasantville for its fourth straight triumph. Russell Sangster led the balanced attack with 15 points, with help from C.J. Asuncion-Byrd (14) and Stan Buczek (13 points, career-high 13 rebounds) as the Dolphins trailed only once (5-4) before opening up a 36-17 halftime bulge and beginning the second period with a 10-2 spurt to make it a 46-19 runaway. The Setters – who received nine points apiece from Christian White and Ryan Peterson (six rebounds) – used a 12-3 upswing in shortening the deficit to 49-31 just past the midpoint of the second, but the visitors outscored them 25-9 over the last 9:44 to close it out. Le Moyne was the better shooting (52%-36%) and rebounding (39-21) club, while also taking better care of the basketball (16/10 assist-turnover ratio compared to 10/15 for PU). The 40 points Pace scored are tied for fewest by a regional team this season (also USciences at Philadelphia on December 1).
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 78 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 68
Southern Connecticut remains a half-game off the pace in the Southwest after knocking off American International at Moore Fieldhouse. Michael Mallory garnered 25 points and three blocked shots for the Owls, who rode a 12-1 wave out of the locker room in flipping a 39-36 deficit into a 48-40 lead they would never relinquish. The margin peaked at 62-51 after two Mallory free throws with 9:51 left, and the Yellow Jackets would come no closer than five in crunch time as Southern sank six of eight at the stripe over the final 1:28 to keep their I-91 rivals at arm’s length. Isaiah McLeod delivered 17 points while Jerry Luckett, Jr. compiled 11 points and nine rebounds for the victors, who won despite being outscored 18-6 on second chances. Jayvon Pitts-Young (21 points), Tahlib Swan (15) and Kassim Kaba (10 off the bench) were the top options for AIC.
CHESTNUT HILL 64 GEORGIAN COURT 50
In a battle of the two coldest teams in the region, Chestnut Hill emerged victorious against Georgian Court in Lakewood to snap a 13-game slide. Chris Evans led the charge for the Griffins with 24 points (10-18 FG) and 10 rebounds, while Demetrius Isaac submitted 16 points and four steals. An Isaac bucket to open the second half launched a 12-2 run that expanded a 32-27 lead to 44-29 with 13:22 remaining, and the gap ranged between 10 and 16 the rest of the ballgame. Nikola Vujovic (12 points, seven rebounds), Tony Ellington, Jr. (11, 6) and Juwuan Carter (10, 7) were the bright spots for the Lions, who fell for a 16th consecutive time. Neither team shot it particularly well (CHC 38%, GCU 31%), and combined for a chilly 7-of-32 from long range.
POLL POSITION
There are still no regional teams ranked in the NABC/Top 25 Coaches' Poll. St. Thomas Aquinas and Le Moyne are receiving votes. Northwest Missouri remains the #1 team in the land. The first regional rankings will be released one week from today - February 15.