The spotlight shined on the ECC and NE10 on Wednesday, and we kick off the recap with a battle that went right down to the wire, and culminated in a confusing sequence:
BRIDGEPORT 90 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 89
Stefano Osuji returned from injury with a vengeance, busting out for a career-high 27 points (10-16 FG, 5-9 from long range) and snaring nine rebounds to lead Bridgeport past first-place St. Thomas Aquinas along the Connecticut coastline, avenging an early-season loss and snapping STAC’s nine-game winning streak in the process. In a terrific game that saw several runs, 11 lead changes, 11 ties and both teams squandering 10-point leads, the Spartans closed out the first period with a 28-10 spree, flipping a 28-18 deficit into a 46-38 advantage. After allowing the first bucket after intermission, the Purple Knights used a 19-7 upswing to grab a 57-55 lead with 12:39 to play, and the two teams exchanged blow the rest of the way, with six points being the largest spread over the last 19 minutes. The Spartans – who were paced by Justin Reyes’ 25 points (9-16 FG), 10 rebounds and four assists – rattled off 10 unanswered to claim a 77-71 advantage inside of the five-minute mark, but Sam Joseph halted the surge with a 3-ball that sparked an 8-0 counter-run and put the hosts back on top, 79-77 with 3:27 left. Chaz Watler converted mid-range jumpers on Aquinas’ next two possessions to put his team back up on the see-saw at 2:21 before Bridgeport nailed six straight free throws to claim an 85-81 lead. It was 90-85 after an intentional foul with five seconds remaining when the game took a bizarre turn. Reyes caught a home run inbounds pass, turned and banged a jumper from the top of the key that was instantly ruled a two-pointer with the junior forward’s foot on the 3-point line. That was a source of confusion when the ensuing inbounds pass was mysteriously thrown to no one in the middle of the lane. Aaron Cust (all 11 points in the second half, five assists, four steals off the bench) scooped up the ball and laid it in at the buzzer, leaving many people inside Hubbell Gym believing that the game was tied, when the reality was that the St. Thomas’ crazy comeback attempt painfully fell one point shy. Joseph notched 25 points (8-10 FG, 5-6 from 3, five steals) while D’vonne Trumbo added 10 points (3-4 FG), four key offensive rebounds and four assists for the winners. Shaq McFarlan logged 20 points (8-12 FG) and seven boards for the Spartans, who also received 16 points and four assists from Watler. Both teams shot the rock very well (UB 55%, STAC 50%), with the Purple Knights faring better from long distance (12-26 to 7-16) and STAC doing more damage in the paint (44-28). Bridgeport is one of four teams just a game behind ECC leader Aquinas in the loss column, with the top two clubs earning first-round playoff byes (the semifinals and championship game will played on the same UB floor).
DAEMEN 80 NYIT 72
Another one of those ECC contenders is Daemen, which, for a third straight game, rallied from a double-digit, second-half deficit to prevail, stunning New York Institute of Technology at Recreation Hall for its sixth straight triumph. The Wildcats got off to a shaky start, falling behind 9-0, 35-21 and ultimately 54-38 with 13-and-a-half minutes to go before closing out the contest with a 42-18 blitz, grabbing the lead for good on a trifecta from Arif Mehmetaj (10 points) that made it 69-67 with 2:07 on the clock. From there, the Cats knocked down 11 of 12 at the stripe to win going away, placing five in double figures in a balanced scoring effort. Supreme Hannah – who connected on momentum-boosting triples during the big finish – topped the scorecard with 16 points (3-4 from downtown Old Westbury), followed by reserves Deion Hamilton (15) and Jaleo Wilkes (14), as well as Jeff Redband (12 points, 3-5 from deep, seven rebounds). Walter King was high man for the Bears with 16 points and seven boards, with solid support from national rebound leader Jon Feiler (14 points, 15 rebounds), Keiran Hamilton (13 points, four assists) and Leonard James (13 points, six rebounds in a reserve role). Both teams shot 42% from the floor but NYIT turned it over more often (16-6) and was outscored at the stripe (19-28 to 9-15). NYIT – which has a faint pulse in the playoff race – won the glass (48-38). Daemen has a half-game lead (tied in the loss column) for the second-place bye.
QUEENS 65 ROBERTS WESLEYAN 62
Fifth-place Queens is just a game out of second after surviving a scare vs. Roberts Wesleyan at the Voller Center, blowing a 21-point, second-half bulge before pulling out the win. The Knights never trailed in the contest, bolting out to leads of 12-2 and 25-10 before settling for a 33-28 halftime advantage. Tyree White – who collected 15 points and 15 rebounds on the night – fueled a 16-0 tear out of the break with nine of his markers – including a 3-pointer that gave the visitors a 49-28 cushion. It was still a 56-42 lead with just over eight minutes to play when the Redhawks unleashed a 17-3 spell, knotting the count at 59-59 on an Isaiah Lewis lay-up with 58 ticks left. Marquis Roberts (10 points) answered with the play of the game – a traditional 3-point play with 28 seconds remaining that put Queens on top for good at 62-59. After a stop, backup junior point guard Simon Green was fouled and hit two free throws (his only points of the game), which proved crucial as Quinn Carey buried a three with eight seconds on the clock, bringing the hosts within 66-64. White left the door open by converting the second of two foul shots one second later, but Manny Joseph’s tying trey attempt was off the mark, consigning Roberts to its ninth straight setback. Diego Maldonado recorded 17 points to lead the Knights, who were the more accurate shooting team (46%-33%) and made more 3-pointers (8-24 to 3-19), offsetting disparities at the line (17-22 to 7-12) and on the backboards (42-33, including 16-6 offensive), leading to a 16-8 shortfall on second-chance points. Lewis led the way for the Redhawks with 19 bench points (8-13 FG), with support from Carey (15) and Davon Jackson (10 points, 11 caroms off the pine).
BENTLEY 76 SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 65
Things are tightening up in the NE10’s Northeast Division after Bentley dealt division leader Southern New Hampshire a costly loss in Waltham. The Falcons used a 14-0 run to open up a 24-7 lead, holding its guests without a field goal for a 7:50 span (SNHU missed 20 of 21 shot attempts at one time). The shorthanded Penmen hung around, however, and managed a 9-1 second-half spurt to briefly edge in front, 57-56, on a Chris Walters lay-up with 6:38 to go. But the home team seized the reins from there, tallying the next 12 to regain control at 68-57 with 3:52 to play. Brandon Wheeler (all 17 points in the second half, 8-12 FG, 11 rebounds) ignited the big run with a triple, and Bentley sealed the deal with six straight free throws over the last 39 seconds, pulling into a tie with idle Stonehill for the fifth and final playoff berth, albeit without benefit of the tiebreaker). Ryan Richmond soared highest for the Falcons with 25 points and seven rebounds as his team did more heavy lifting at the foul line (18-24 to 8-11), helping neutralize an uncharacteristic 16-10 turnover disparity. Walters registered 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Penmen, who also landed Daquaise Andrews (15 points, 3-4 from 3) and Dimitri Floras (15 points) in double figures. SNHU’s division lead is now a full game over Merrimack, whom it hosts on Saturday.
FRANKLIN PIERCE 86 ST. MICHAEL’S 74
Franklin Pierce seems to have righted the ship, upending St. Michael’s at the FPU Field House for its second win after a six-game tailspin, solidifying fourth place in the process. Mike McDevitt led the charge with 21 points (8-11 FG) and 11 rebounds for the Ravens, who never trailed, racing out to leads of 18-5, 37-17 and 64-41 after a McDevitt lay-up with 9:54 left. The Purple Knights – who were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss – attempted a comeback late, pulling within nine points on three occasions down the stretch; the last time at 80-71 after two freebies by Zaire Williams (15 points, 3-5 from downtown Rindge) with 49 ticks remaining, but Donte Gittens (20 points, eight rebounds, five assists) put the matter to bed with four straight tosses of his own as Pierce wound up outshooting its guests (51%-36%), while dominating in the paint (44-24) and doubling their output off turnovers (24-12). Levi Holmes III chalked up 19 points, and NE10 Player of the Week Matt Bonds racked up 14 points, 10 boards and four steals for St. Mike’s, which made more noise from long distance (8-17 to 5-17) and at the line (24-29 to 15-17). Asante Sandiford (seven rebounds) and Matt Banton each tossed in 10 for Pierce.
SAINT ROSE 85 ADELPHI 68
The first regional team to 20 wins is Saint Rose, which pulled away from old NYCAC rival Adelphi in Albany to give head coach Brian Beaury his 17th 20-win campaign in 31 years on the sidelines. Julian Lipinsky was the linchpin in this one, equaling his career high of 22 points (10-18 FG) while adding seven rebounds and five blocked shots for the Golden Knights, who used an 11-0 burst early in the second half, fleshing out a modest 46-43 lead to 57-43 following a bucket by Chris Dorgler (19 points, 9-10 FT, six rebounds, five assists, five steals) with 13:12 to go. The Panthers – whose effort was spearheaded by Manny Suarez’s 23 point, 10-rebound outing – came as close as 59-50 before the hosts unleashed a 17-6 run to put the game out of reach at 76-56 following another Dorgler hoop at the 4:32 mark; the margin bouncing between 17 and 22 the balance of the ballgame. Mical-Ryan Boyd chimed in with 16 points and four assists for Saint Rose, which outshot its guests (51%-42%), outscored them on second chances (13-4) and feasted on turnovers (15-2), committing only six while forcing 19. Jack Laffey (19 points, 5-11 from deep) and Michael Coffey (14) each played the entire game for Adelphi, whose starters scored every point. The fourth-place Panthers - true to form - were busier from beyond the arc (11-28 to 2-11). The Golden Knights are in third place but just a game out of first in the bunched-up Southwest Division.
LIU POST 81 MERCY 55
It was raining threes at the Pratt Center as LIU Post hammered Mercy in a wire-to-wire affair, nailing 15 of its 30 attempts from long range (MC was 6-21) in carving out leads of 13-3 and 44-19 shortly before halftime. The Mavericks rode a 14-4 wave out of the locker room in slicing a 45-21 deficit to 49-35 six minutes into the period, thanks to nine points from Will Robinson (14 points, 10 rebounds). But the rally would grind to a halt there as Kyle McLeggan (11 points, 4-5 FG, 3-4 from 3) splashed a three to initiate an 8-1 spurt that expanded the gap to 57-36, and the divide ranged between 16 and 26 the rest of the night. Greg Dotson amassed 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Pioneers, who also received strong efforts from reserve guards Aary Bibens (18 points, 5-8 from afar) and Jemal Mosley (12 points, four assists). Ryan Hickey garnered 17 to lead the Mavs, who were outshot (49%-31%) and out-assisted (21-9) in falling for a 13th straight time. Both teams were sub-par from the stripe (LIUP 8-15, MC 9-16), though it hardly affected the outcome.