The playoff pictures in all three conferences are coming a little more into focus after the final full weekend of regional league play. Let’s journey through the grand 19-game recap, conference by conference, detailing playoff scenarios along the way. The biggest surprise of the weekend occurred in the region’s Northernmost outpost, separating the top six in the NE10’s Northeast Division into one-game islands:
ST. MICHAEL’S 76 ST. ANSELM 74 (OT)
Levi Holmes III secured a crucial offensive rebound and delivered the winning free throws with 2.7 seconds to play in overtime, and Thomas Jackson blocked Cody Ball’s potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer as St. Michael’s stunned division-leading St. Anselm in Vermont. In a game that featured 14 ties and just as many lead changes, five was the largest spread of the final 20:21 – and that was after a pair of foul shots by Jaylen Hall (10 points off the bench) with 1:56 left in OT. The Purple Knights enjoyed the largest lead of the day at 44-35 early in the second before the Hawks used a 19-6 run to surge in front 54-50 inside of the eight-minute mark. The hosts countered with a 10-2 spurt to go back up 60-56 following a Holmes three with 5:10 remaining, and St. A’s eventually caught up on a Tim Guers freebie with 29 seconds on the clock. Ball (13 points) and Chris Paul (13 points, 10 rebounds) both rejected shots on the Knights’ final possession of regulation, but Derek Cheatom (18 points) got another look, though his shot to win missed the mark, extending the game another five minutes. Guers finished with 25 points and eight rebounds to lead the Hawks, who also received solid outings from Austin Nydegger (12 points off the bench) and Taylor Fortin (four points, 11 assists in 45 minutes) and remained in sole possession of first place despite the result. St. Michael’s was outshot (41%-36%) and out-assisted (18-10) but won the glass (49-40), scored more often off turnovers (16-5) and fared better at the stripe (10-13 to 14-24) as Holmes mustered 24 points despite poor shooting (10-29 FG, 2-11 from 3). St. Anselm uncharacteristically went 2-of-6 at the line in the extra session.
BENTLEY 72 MERRIMACK 54
Chris Hudson tallied 10 of his 23 points (11-12 FT) during a 23-1 blitz over the last 10:16 of the first half as Bentley knocked off Commonwealth rival Merrimack at the Dana Center to clinch a playoff berth and remarkable 22nd winning season in 23 years. The lead changed hands seven times over the first nine minutes before the Falcons embarked on their jaunt, transforming a 14-12 deficit into a 35-15 bulge at the break. The Warriors – who were once again paced by Juvaris Hayes (22 points, 10-16 FG, eight rebounds and four steals, including his D2-leading 104th of the season) – reeled off the first 12 points after halftime to draw within 35-27. They came as close as 45-43 on a Hayes “And-1” with 8:01 to go before Brandon Wheeler knocked down a clutch jumper to launch a 19-3 uprising that put the game away at 64-46 with 3:28 showing; the margin bouncing between 16 and 20 thereafter. Ryan Richmond (six rebounds) and Wheeler (5-5 FG, 5-5 FT, 11 rebounds) each procured 16 points for the winners, who shot at a higher clip overall (48%-38%) and from 3-point country (4-15 to 4-21) while feasting at the foul line (26-27 compared to MC’s 8-15) and winning the battle of the boards (35-25). Merrimack – which has clinched no worse than second place – was more formidable in the paint (34-18) in a losing effort. Bentley is in fourth place and can finish anywhere between third and fifth.
STONEHILL 72 ASSUMPTION 54
Down the road in North Easton, third-place Stonehill upended fellow Massachusetts foe Assumption by exactly the same score in a wire-to-wire rout. Will Moreton collected 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals to lead five in double figures for the Skyhawks, who sprinted out of the gate with a 29-8 upper hand and kept its foot on the gas pedal, taking a 51-19 cushion into the locker room. The Greyhounds outscored their hosts 24-8 when play resumed, pulling within 59-43 with 7:09 to play and then 65-50 on a pair of Matthew Kelly free throws with 3:53 left. They would get no closer, however, as Brandon Twitty (10 points off the bench) scored and Moreton followed with a trey to salt it away. Joel Berroa and Owen Chose each dropped a dozen (the latter in a reserve role) for the victors, who also benefited from solid outings by Daniel Largey (12 points off the pine, 3-4 from deep) and KJ Lee (five points, 12 boards, seven assists). Kelly was top dog for the Hounds with 17 points, while Bryan Boehlert, Branislav Vujadinovic (seven rebounds, four helpers) and Patrick Fleming (11 caroms, five assists) each netted 10 in a losing cause. Stonehill was the superior shooting squad (46%-35%), especially from beyond the arc (14-28 to 8-27), though both teams were a sub-par 8-of-16 at the line. The Skyhawks will finish either third or fourth if they lose at St. Anselm on Tuesday and Bentley wins at Franklin Pierce.
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 96 FRANKLIN PIERCE 66
A 40-7 avalanche over the first 13:02 of the second half erased a 47-44 deficit and established an 84-54 comfort zone as Southern New Hampshire steamrolled Franklin Pierce at the SNHU Field House to lock up the last playoff spot in the Northeast Division, dashing their Granite State rivals’ postseason hopes in the process. Chris Walters came up big again with 27 points (9-14 FG), nine rebounds and four blocked shots for the Penmen, who trailed by as many as nine points early on (19-10) before teeing off after intermission. Eamonn Joyce (7-10 FG, 3-5 from downtown Manchester) and Ryogo Sumino (7-12 FG, 5-8 from afar) each added 19 points, while Daquaise Andrews sported 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the triumph. Doyin Fadojutimi topped the Ravens’ scorecard with 22 points (5-8 from long range), followed by Mike McDevitt (16 points) and Jordan Lackey (10). The hosts shot far better from the floor (59%-40%), especially in the second half (73%-23%) while converting 10-of-18 from distance (FPU was a solid 11-for-24) and punishing Pierce 21-6 off turnovers. The Penmen can finish as high as fourth with a win Tuesday at Assumption coupled with a Bentley loss at Franklin Pierce. Otherwise they will gain the five seed.
Le MOYNE 76 ST. ROSE 69
Le Moyne continues to run away with the Southwest Division, earning a gritty victory over Upstate New York rival Saint Rose in Albany for its 12th straight conquest despite finishing the game without three of its top four forwards. Fittingly, the league’s lone road winner on the weekend completed a 10-0 regular-season road swing through the NE10 - a feat topped only by Bentley’s 11-0 mark in 2007-08 - never trailing on the afternoon and answering its hosts on each of the eight occasions in the second half when they tied the score (at 31, 33, 36, 38, 40, 42, 47 and 50). The #25 Dolphins – who were spearheaded by Isaiah Eisendorf’s career-high 24 points (6-8 FG, 2-2 from 3, 10-10 FT) and 10 rebounds – opened up a 25-11 advantage before the Golden Knights switched to zone and outscored the Phins 10-0 over the final 6:46 of the half, trimming a 31-18 deficit to 31-28. Tanner Hyland (12 points off the bench) snapped the final deadlock with a 3-ball at the 9:13 juncture that set off a 7-0 flurry and put the visitors in front 57-50 with 8:24 remaining. Saint Rose – which was fronted by Julian Lipinsky’s 16 points (8-12 FG) – came as close as 63-61 on a put-back by Matt Cerutti (career high-tying 14 points, 7-12 FG, nine rebounds) with 4:33 to go. But Tyquan Rolon responded with a driving lay-up 25 seconds later and Russell Sangster (nine points, six rebounds) drilled a huge 3-pointer with 2:41 on the clock that gave Le Moyne a little breathing room at 70-63. They cemented the result with six straight foul shots over the final 53 seconds, topping off a 22-for-25 day at the stripe (CSR was just 5-for-8 by comparison). Rolon totaled 17 points (5-7 FG) and matched a personal best with nine assists while playing all 40 minutes for the winners, who were slightly outshot (48%-47%) and outrebounded (31-29). Mical-Ryan Boyd (13 points), Shane Herrity (11) and Jack Jones (10 off the bench) all made their presences felt for the Golden Knights, the latter ascending the 1,000 point plateau during the high-level battle. The Dolphins went 4-0 in Albany this season, including an exhibition win at Siena, and their 12-game win streak is the longest since a 15-game hot stretch in 1965.
NEW HAVEN 98 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 48
Eleven of 12 players scored, headed by Danny Upchurch’s 30-point explosion (8-15 from deep), as New Haven hammered American International at Charger Gym for its most lopsided win in 44 years, clinching third in the Southwest as a result. The Chargers actually trailed once in the game (2-1) before manufacturing leads of 22-4, 45-16 (halftime) and 98-45 before all was said and done. Upchurch added eight assists and six steals for the victors, who also landed Mihailo Vasic (13 points, 6-9 FG), Derrick Rowland (12 points off the bench, 3-5 from long distance) and Elijah Bailey (11 in a reserve role on perfect shooting: 4-4 FG, 1-1 3FG, 2-2 FT) in double figures. Robert Durant was the lone bright spot for the Yellow Jackets with 13 points off the pine as his team was outshot from the field (61%-40%) and beyond the arc (13-29 to 3-16) while also getting outworked on the boards (32-22) and outscored off turnovers (19-5) in falling for a sixth straight time by an average of 22.3 points. AIC – which can still claim the NE10’s last remaining playoff spot with a win at Adelphi on Tuesday (the winner takes the prize) – suffered its worst defeat since falling at home to St. Anselm by the nearly identical score of 98-47 on February 1, 2014. New Haven’s previous win of at least 50 points was inconceivably twice as wide a margin – a 150-50 demolition of Baptist (FL) on January 5, 1974. The previous most lopsided game in the region was a 49-point affair on November 11 as Bentley crushed Georgian Court 103-54 in Waltham.
PACE 67 SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 60
Greg Poleon registered 18 points (8-9 FG, 2-2 from 3), including the go-ahead triple with 1:46 to play, lifting Pace past Southern Connecticut in Pleasantville. A close game most of the way (the only double-digit lead was 22-12 PU), the Setters were staring at a 39-33 deficit nearly four minutes into the second half when a pair of Kevin Seymour baskets bookended a 9-0 run that put the hosts in front 42-39. The game was nip and tuck the rest of the day, with Poleon’s trey snapping a 56-56 deadlock ands sparking an 11-4 flourish over the last 1:46. Brandon Jacobs (10 points, six rebounds, four assists) sank the icing free throws with 16 seconds left as the Owls finished with a season scoring low in its regular-season finale, locking up fourth place and a home playoff game on Friday. Peyton Wejnert chalked up 12 points and 10 rebounds for Pace, with Austin Gilbertson and Seymour (5-7 FG, six rebounds, six assists off the bench) also depositing a dozen. Isaiah McLeod (20 points) and Taurus Adams II (18 points, 10 boards in reserve duty) were the top options for Southern, which was outshot (56%-39%) but stayed close due to a 19-11 edge in forced turnovers.
MOLLOY 80 ROBERTS WESLEYAN 78
There’s a three-way race for the sixth and final playoff berth in the ECC, and Molloy is smack dab in the middle of that pack after nipping Roberts Wesleyan at the Voller Center less than 24 hours after enduring a devastating double-overtime defeat at Daemen. Nick Corbett provided the knockout punch in dramatic fashion, scoring the game-winning lay-up prior to the final horn, just three seconds after Michael Bush (seven points off the bench) had knotted the count with an inside score of his own. Coming off his career-high 33-point effort, Corbett racked up 29 more markers, along with eight rebounds and seven assists for the Lions, who trailed 24-17 in the opening half before battling back, using an 11-0 run to open up a 64-50 advantage with 6:52 remaining. The Redhawks got off the deck and equalized on the Bush bucket before Corbett consigned them to their fifth straight setback. Curtis Jenkins garnered 15 points and 11 rebounds for Molloy, which also placed Josh Dennis (12 points) and Justin Caldwell (10 points, seven boards off the bench) in twin figures. Brad Williams was high man for Roberts with 16 points, and he was flanked by Peyton McLaurin (14 points, seven rebounds) and Jean Toussaint (12, 10 in a reserve capacity). The Lions – who are tied with Queens for sixth, a game ahead of Mercy and just a game behind the Redhawks for fifth – were the more accurate shooters overall (48%-39%), albeit not from downtown Rochester (4-14 to 9-22) or at the foul line (16-30 to 15-21). Roberts Wesleyan won the glass (50-37), including 19-9 on the offensive end, but was outscored 17-5 off turnovers.
BRIDGEPORT 102 MERCY 73
Mercy is still a game off the pace despite getting blown out at #18 Bridgeport. Twelve of 13 players reached the score column and none of them played more than 21 minutes as the uber-balanced Purple Knights won their program-record and region-best 13th straight, good enough to clinch the regular-season crown, while reaching the century mark for the seventh time this winter. Sam Joseph (seven rebounds) and reserve senior guard Carlos DeJesus (4-5 from long range) led the way with 13 points apiece, followed by Hashem Abbas (11 points off the bench), Marc Campbell (10 off the pine, 4-5 FG), D’vonne Trumbo (10 points, eight rebounds, six assists) and Bakary Camara (nine points, 11 boards). The hosts led from pillar to post, bolting out to a 43-18 lead and expanding it to 76-40 with 14:08 to go; the margin never dipping below 23 the balance of the ballgame. Brendon Smith (12 rebounds) and Bryan Griffin (six in reserve duty) each managed 17 points (a personal best for the latter) to lead the Mavericks, who were outclassed from behind the 3-point line (15-39 to 4-19), nearly doubled in assists (29-15) and destroyed off mistakes (31-7), sealing their doom.
DAEMEN 69 QUEENS 57
Andrew Sischo supplied 19 points (8-13 FG) and six rebounds off the bench, while Breon Harris added 18 (6-8 FG, 2-2 from 3) and seven, respectively, including a huge 4-point play late as Daemen pulled away from Queens at Lumsden Gym Sunday for its fifth straight win. The Wildcats – who have now reached 19 wins in each of the last seven seasons – trailed 47-40 after an Elijah Bovell three just past the midway mark of the second half. But Darius Garvin (11 points on 5-of-6 shooting) splashed a trifecta of his own to initiate a 29-10 burst over the final 9:16 of the game to pull away. Dwayne Henry led a balanced Knights attack with 13 points in a reserve role. He was supported by Tyrese Crosdale (11 off the bench), Bovell (10) and Isaac Grant (10 points, 4-5 FG, 2-2 from 3). Daemen shot it better (50%-38%) and worked harder at the line (13-22 to 3-10), offsetting a 37-32 rebounding disparity and doubling in 3-point output (8-27 to 4-16). Queens is still locked arm in arm with Molloy for sixth while the Wildcats remain a half-game behind St. Thomas Aquinas for second.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 77 LIU POST 64
The defending regional champs held off LIU Post in Brookville to maintain a half-game lead for the second-place bye, riding a 16-2 wave to flip an 18-16 deficit into a 32-20 lead en route to a 43-26 halftime advantage. The gap widened to 47-28 on a Justin Reyes lay-up less than a minute into the second stanza, but the hosts touched off a 14-2 run, sidling within 49-42 on a 3-ball by Aary Bibens (17 points, 3-5 from afar) with 14:09 on the clock. Reyes quelled the momentum with a jumper that ignited an 11-4 spurt and put STAC in the driver’s seat at 60-46 with 9:09 to play. The Pioneers came as close as 71-64 on a Kyle McLeggan trey with 1:22 left, but James Mitchell (17 points) nailed six straight foul shots over the last 35 seconds to secure the spoils. Reyes compiled 17 points (7-12 FG) and 11 rebounds for Aquinas, which also landed Chris Atkinson (13 points) and Jamar Sudan (10 points, eight rebounds) in double figures. McLeggan (12 points) and Bibens (11 points, six boards) provided decent support for Post, which was outscored off turnovers (21-8), in the paint (26-12) and on second chances (20-8). The Pioneers have a one-game lead on Roberts Wesleyan for fourth place.
NYIT 89 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 69
Right down Northern Boulevard at Recreation Hall, New York Institute of Technology ran away from District of Columbia to snap a 12-game skid and eliminate UDC from the playoff chase. The Bears were hibernating early, down 21-7, before showing some fight and establishing a 39-38 halftime edge. But it was a 35-9 tear when play resumed that made the game a laugher at 74-47 following a Domonic Josephs slam with 6:21 remaining. The margin peaked at 85-56 following a lay-up by Jeffrey Hayden (28 points, seven rebounds, four assists) with 3:12 to go before the Firebirds rattled off 11 unanswered to close the gap (85-67), albeit with too little time left (1:25). Kieran Hamilton recorded 20 points for NYIT, which also received solid efforts from Josephs (15 points off the bench, 7-10 FG) and Tyler Ancrum (10 points, personal-best 13 assists, four steals). Danny Shand posted 20 points (7-12 FG) and four swipes for the Firebirds, who also saw Quadire Truesdale and Kevin Cox (nine rebounds) toss in 11 as 10 of their 11 participants managed to score in a losing cause. The Bears were the more efficient shooters (51%-42%), especially from distance (8-19 to 2-10), while out-assisting their guests 25-10.
FELICIAN 80 CHESTNUT HILL 75 (2 OT)
For the second time in as many seasons, Felician won its annual game vs. Chestnut Hill in double overtime, this year turning the trick in Rutherford to secure its first playoff berth in five years. The hosts rode the proverbial coat-tails of Terrell Spauding, who notched nine of his 28 points in the second OT and 13 overall after regulation, adding 11 assists while playing all 50 minutes. Bonus basketball wasn’t on anyone’s mind when the Golden Falcons opened with a 28-13 lead shortly before halftime, or when Spaulding banged a trifecta to make it 37-24 with 15:37 to play in the second. But the Griffins chipped away and eventually equalized at 55-55 on a put-back by Tony Toplyn, Jr. (17 points, seven rebounds) with three seconds on the clock (the team's third straight second-chance basket). After a missed three for the win by Mansfield Warren, Jr. (14 points), the game became a mano-a-mano showcase for Spaulding and Liban Awl, who produced “awl” 10 of his team’s points in the first extra session, including a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to bring the visitors within 63-62. After a pair of freebies by Spaulding (who was 11-of-12 from the line on the afternoon), Awl came through with a well-defended, step-back triple to tie with the clock showing 1.3 seconds. The final period was all Felician as Spaulding scored on a driving lay-up five seconds in and later drained a dagger 3-ball that made it 76-69 with 1:59 left. Glaimeir Stanford chimed in with 16 points and four assists for the victors, who also saw Rahsaan Williams amass 14 points, career-high 17 rebounds and four blocks. Awl erupted for a career-best 29 points (9-16 FG, 6-1 from deep in 43 bench minutes) and nine rebounds for the Griffins, who played their fourth overtime game of the campaign, and second double-OT thriller. Despite the two stellar individual performances, the game was hardly a shooting clinic (FU 39%, CHC 33%), with both sides equally underwhelming from long range (FU 4-20, CHC 10-30). The Golden Falcons were the stronger rebounders, 56-41.
DOMINICAN 75 GOLDEY-BEACOM 73
All 11 players scored in Dominican’s notable win over Goldey-Beacom at the Joseph West Jones Center – its fifth straight victory and third in five days. Isaac Grant was front and center in this one, driving home 23 points, including the tying foul shots with 1:23 to go and go-ahead lay-up at the 45-second mark. The game took an unexpected turn with 8.7 seconds on the clock as Dante Thompson (18 points) appeared to have tied the game at 72-72 but his lay-up was interfered with by teammate Isiah Graves above the rim. Still, after both teams split two at the stripe, a traveling call gave the Lightning one last shot. However, Corey Taite’s 3-point attempt for the win fell short and Goldey’s eight-game win streak went by the boards in heartbreaking fashion. The second-place Chargers – who also benefited from notable efforts by Jonathan Garcia (14 points, 5-5 FG, six rebounds) and Ian Gardener (13 points) – fell behind 9-0 and never led in the first 20 minutes. They grabbed their first lead at 44-43 on a Garcia lay-up just over four minutes into the second but immediately gave up a 19-8 run, culminating in a lay-up by Mahir Johnson (12 points in a reserve role), to fall behind 62-52 with 10:43 to play. The visitors used an 18-7 counter-run to edge in front again, 70-69 on two Gardener free throws with 3:12 left, setting the stage for the intriguing finish. Taite hit for 21 points (13-16 FT), seven rebounds and four steals to lead the Lightning, which also landed Marcellus Livingston in double digits with 11 points but still retained its first-place South Division standing by half a game despite the setback. Dominican shot at a higher clip (46%-35%) but was outscored 31-11 off turnovers to keep the game tight.
CALDWELL 73 JEFFERSON 63
Jefferson remains a half-step back in second after losing to Caldwell in North Jersey in a game televised by WatchESPN. A tight contest most of the way, there were 11 ties, 16 lead changes and nothing more than a two-possession spread until the Cougars took command with an 11-0 spell that snapped a 48-48 tie. Ruud Lutterman capped the run with a lay-up just shy of the midway mark, making it 59-48. The margin maxed out at 73-59 with 90 seconds remaining as the third-place hosts wound up placing five men in twin figures: Vaughn Covington (17 points, five assists off the bench), Lutterman (14 points on 7-of-11 shooting), Ahmad Harrison (13 points, 5-7 FG, 3-4 from 3, seven rebounds, four steals), Eric Johnson-Alford (12, 7, 4) and Zay Jennings (11 points, 3-5 from deep). Kaison Randolph (23 points, 7-12 from beyond the arc) and Alexander Gorton (22 points, 5-8 from afar) played the entire game and fueled the Rams, who were outmuscled in the paint, 36-16. The key statistical categories were virtual dead heats, including shooting (both 51%), 3-point shooting (CU 9-17, JU 12-24) and rebounding (28-28). Jefferson struggled at the stripe, making just 7 of 15 (CU was 6-8).
BLOOMFIELD 84 GEORGIAN COURT 65
Right up the road at The Gym, North Division champ Bloomfield used a 27-5 second-half spree to cruise past Georgian Court. Nick Davidson had the hot hand with a career-high 40 points, including a ridiculous 19-of-20 from the foul line while pulling down nine rebounds for good measure as the Bears turned a 44-44 game early in the second into a 71-49 runaway following a Davidson 3-pointer with 7:11 to go. The divide hovered between 18 and 24 the rest of the way as the home team won despite being outshot (39%-35%) and outrebounded (49-45). The differences came from the 3-point line (9-32 to 3-22), the foul line (27-32 to 10-24) and on second chances (31-11) despite the overall shortfall on the backboards. Rakwan Kelly contributed 12 points and six caroms to the cause, while Nikola Vujovic (17 points) and Juwuan Carter (13) did the heavy lifting for the Lions, who owned the paint (40-22) but dropped their fifth straight.
WILMINGTON 72 POST 66
Nick Richards made a triumphant return for third-place Wilmington, cashing in 31 points (12-15 FT) to lead his team past Post in Delaware and a bit closer to the top of the South standings. The Wildcats – who also saw Jermaine Head generated 23 points (9-16 FG) and six rebounds – trailed most of the opening 20 minutes but opened the second stanza with a 17-2 surge, topped off by a Head jumper, to convert a 32-29 deficit into a 46-34 advantage. The lead was 58-48 after a pair of Richards tosses with 5:53 on the clock before the Eagles made one last-ditch run, sidling within 68-66 on a traditional 3-point play by Daniel Cabassa (nine points, eight boards) with 22 ticks left. They would get no closer as Danny Walsh converted two huge foul shots (accounting for half his scoring) five seconds later and Richards closed out the scoring with two of his own. Tyler Desrosiers cranked out 21 points (5-10 from downtown Newark) and four assists for Post, which was eliminated from the playoff chase. Tamas Okros (13 points, 5-7 FG, seven rebounds) and Savion Boissard (12, 6) also made impacts in the team’s fourth straight defeat as the Eagles were outworked at the line (19-24 to 7-11), offsetting a 49-30 rebound dominance (17-7 offensive) and 12-6 doubling in the assist column. Their Achilles’ heel was turnovers (17-9), which resulted in a 23-10 scoring disparity.
SCIENCES 82 NYACK 69
Brendan Crawford logged a career-high 23 points (7-10 FG, 9-10 FT) while the senior tandem of Will Gregorits and Flo Da-Silva each gathered 16 points and eight rebounds to carry University of the Sciences past Nyack at Bowman Gym, extinguishing the latter's flickering playoff hopes. The Devils led from wire to wire, but seized the reins with a 24-8 upswing spanning the halves in stretching a modest 27-25 lead to 51-33. A 12-2 Warriors rush shaved their deficit in half at 68-58 following a Carl Bathazar trey with 4:52 remaining, but a Gregorits lay-up and Da-Silva “And-1” halted the rally. Da-Silva added four assists and career-best two blocked shots to his stat line, while Brandon Starr pitched in with 12 points for fourth-place USciences, which annihilated its hosts on the glass, 52-19 (22-8 on the offensive end, resulting in a 24-7 second-chance scoring advantage). Balthazar dispensed 16 points (7-12 FG) off the bench for Nyack, followed by Deandre Osuigwe (15) and Imran Ritchie (14 points, seven assists, four steals). The Warriors took better care of the rock (21-9 turnover edge) and made more noise from beyond the arc (11-31 to 3-9) but were outclassed at the stripe (27-31 to 8-9).
CONCORDIA 68 HOLY FAMILY 63
Justyn Gardner and Brandon Fields (3-4 from deep) each tabulated 12 points as Concordia won the battle of last-place teams in Bronxville. The Clippers – who also received 11 points and eight rebounds from Elijah Brown – were behind 28-20 when Fields drained back-to-back triples to trigger a 19-2 run over the final 6:57 of the half to grab a 39-31 advantage. A 9-2 spurt to start the second extended to a 48-33 bulge after a Gardner tip-in, and the lead was 60-46 with nine-and-a-half minutes to go when the Tigers orchestrated a 16-2 surge, knotting the count at 62-62 on a pair of Maliq Sanders free throws with 3:37 on the clock. Fields responded with two tosses of his own 18 seconds later, commencing a 6-1 game-ending flourish as the visitors went 0-for-5 from the floor with a turnover over the last three minutes. Sanders turned in an 18-point performance for Holy Family, flanked by Mekhi Bryant (12) and Michael Power (12 points, six assists). Both teams displayed a frosty shooting touch (CC 39%, HFU 36%) but Concordia was much more efficient from long distance (9-21 to 9-38) while dominating the boards, 48-30.