The last full weekend of regular-season action produced a mix of thrillers, blowouts and upsets as all three conferences still have many puzzle pieces missing. Let’s kick off the rundown with the biggest upset of the year to date:
MOLLOY 95 BRIDGEPORT 88
Josh Dennis churned out a career-high 24 points (9-14 FG) and six rebounds off the bench to lead five in double figures as Molloy stunned #11 Bridgeport at Quealy Gym, handing its guests their first ECC loss of the season while also snapping their program-record, 17-game winning streak. The scintillating contest featuring last year’s ECC Tournament finalists (with the same result) featured no fewer than 18 lead changes over the first 12:04 (including 11 straight); the last one coming at the outset of a 20-3 power run that flipped a 33-30 deficit into a 50-36 Lions lead with 3:28 to play in the half. Nick Corbett (21 points, 5-9 from long range, four assists) initiated the uprising with a 4-point play and Frank Phelan (career-high 12 points, six assists) capped it with a triple as the hosts also received notable outings from Steven Torre (11 points, five helpers) and Justin Caldwell (10 points, 5-7 FG, eight rebounds). The margin vacillated between seven and 14 the majority of the second period before the Purple Knights made a late charge, outscoring Molloy 9-1 in slashing an 88-78 deficit to 89-87 at the 49-second mark, with Hashem Abbas' 3-pointers bookending the spurt. Torre then came up with a dagger three from the right-wing with 35 seconds left to make it 92-87, and after Bakary Camara split a pair of free throws four seconds later, the Lions once again broke through pressure and Caldwell provided the punctuation mark with a fast-break dunk, capping the program’s first upset of a Top 10-ranked opponent. Camara fronted five in twin figures for Bridgeport with 25 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Juan Coffi (16 points, nine rebounds, two blocks off the bench), Abbas (10 points despite persistent foul trouble), Travis Robinson-Morgan (10 points, four assists) and D’Vonne Trumbo (10, 4). Molloy – the only team outside the Big Three in the conference to defeat any of those elite – shot it much better (54%-40%), including from beyond the arc (10-20 to 8-26), neutralizing a 19-for-32 performance at the line.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 105 NEW YORK TECH 92
The top of the table got a little tighter after second-place St. Thomas Aquinas outgunned New York Tech in Sparkill to move within a game of first heading into a showdown Wednesday night in Bridgeport. Osbel Caraballo totaled 25 points (11-13 FG), including a 3-pointer and two successive jumpers that commenced a 9-0 run and opened up a 40-26 advantage with 5:16 remaining in the half. It was 53-38 at the break and never got closer than 12 over the last 20 minutes; the margin maxing out at 89-61 on a Sekou Cisse basket with 7:30 to go before the Bears closed out the contest on a 29-14 jaunt to make the final more respectable. Cisse recorded 17 points (8-11 FG) and five assists for the #15 Spartans, who also saw Demetre Roberts (16, 4) and Louis Griffith, Jr. (10 bench points, 4-4 FG, 2-2 from 3) reach double figures. Jeffrey Hayden paced five in doubles for NYIT with 22 points (9-14 FG), seven rebounds and five assists. He was flanked by Brandon Redendo (14 points, four dishes in a reserve duty), Marcus Saint-Furcy (14 points), Opong Bramble (11 points) and Jordan Fuchs (11 points, 3-4 from long distance, three blocks off the bench) as the Bears made more noise from afar (11-25 to 5-11) but were much more careless with the ball (22-10 in turnovers, leading to a 42-22 disparity in mistake points). Both teams shot very well from the floor (STAC 61%, NYIT 55%). New York Tech is now tied with District of Columbia for the sixth and final playoff spot with two games to go.
ROBERTS WESLEYAN 65 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 61
UDC is back on the brink after a tough loss to Roberts Wesleyan, which played spoiler at the Voller Center on Sunday in handing its guests a fourth straight setback as they sit in a sixth-place tie with New York Tech. The triumvirate of Armon Nasseri, Amari Lee (six assists) and Shane Fanning (5-6 FG, eight rebounds in a reserve role) each collected 14 points for the Redhawks, who enjoyed the only two leads of more than two possessions: 31-23 late in the first and 45-38 less than eight minutes into the second half. The Firebirds never were able to wrest the lead after intermission, but did forge ties at 47, 49 and 52 before a Fanning basket at the 7:49 juncture put Roberts in front for good. Four straight Lee points pushed the advantage to 60-55 with 3:44 on the clock, and the margin barely budged between three and five the rest of the way. Juanye Colon (five points) actually shot a 28-footer for the tie with time expiring, but it fell short into Fanning’s hands, and he was fouled with 0.2 seconds showing, splitting two at the stripe to close out the scoring. Zachary Olukanni was high man for District of Columbia with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Aaren Smith (11 points) and Cheyenne Nettleton (10 off the bench) also made their presences felt in defeat. The Redhawks were the more accurate shooters (52%-38%), especially from downtown Rochester (6-12 to 3-23), but turned it over three times as often (21-7) and were outscored 23-6 off mistakes as the Firebirds claimed 14 of the game’s 15 steals, nearly flipping the momentum in their favor. Similarly, Roberts survived a 15-3 shortfall on second chance scoring despite winning the glass, 36-28.
QUEENS 61 MERCY 46
Queens was the big winner in the three-way scrum for the last two playoff slots after turning aside Mercy in an eyesore of a game in Dobbs Ferry, moving into fifth place, avenging a home loss last month and eliminating its hosts from playoff contention. A 17-0 whitewashing over the last 6:42 of the half transformed a 21-18 deficit into a 35-21 lead that was never seriously threatened as the Knights held the Mavericks without a field goal over the final 9:28 of the period. Mercy was only able to shave the deficit to single digits once after halftime (49-41) before Queens rattled off seven unanswered to restore a 61-46 upper hand and cruise to the finish line. Elijah Bovell registered 13 points and four steals for the winners, who also landed David Grady III (11 points, eight rebounds) and Dwayne Henry Jr. (10 bench points) in doubles. Bryan Griffin did all the heavy lifting yet again for Mercy, stockpiling 28 points and 20 rebounds while outscoring his teammates, 28-18. Neither team set the world afire in the shooting department (QC 37%, MC 29%), but the Knights did more damage from distance (7-30 to 3-20) in handing the Mavs a fourth straight setback. Collectively, there was only one more hoop (38) than foul (37) in this one, and more than twice as many turnovers (34) as assists (16).
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 69 PACE 65
The biggest head-turner in the NE10 took place at the Goldstein Center as American International handed Pace a costly loss, avenging a December home defeat thanks to solid efforts by Bane Terzic (17 points, 6-8 FG, 3-4 from 3, seven rebounds), Jordan Vidal (12 points), Trevaun Hyatt (12 points, nine boards, five blocks off the bench) and Jalen Jordan (11 points). Nine consecutive lead changes distinguished a see-saw first period that ended with the Setters ahead 32-31. After five more lead swaps, the hosts extended to a 58-53 advantage inside of the five-minute mark when the Jackets strung together eight straight points, assuming control at 61-58 on a lay-up by Xion Golding (eight points, 10 rebounds) with 2:55 to play. Pace answered with the next four, nosing in front, 62-61, on a Tyrone Cohen, Jr. lay-up with 1:51 left. But Hyatt responded with a lay-in of his own 24 seconds later and Terzic converted a pair of foul shots before Cohen (15 points) splashed the tying triple with 50 ticks remaining. Golding then knocked down a short jumper with 23 seconds to go, giving AIC the upper hand at 67-65, and Vidal sealed the deal 17 seconds later with the last of his eight straight free throws. Peyton Wejnert came up big once again for the Setters with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Brandon Jacobs notched 12 points sand six assists, surpassing Todd Ziogas as the #1 assist man in program history with 476. The Yellow Jackets were the superior shooters (47%-32%) on the day. Pace can claim fourth place and a home playoff game with a win at Le Moyne on Tuesday. A loss nets them fifth and a road game next Friday.
NEW HAVEN 67 ADELPHI 61
Elijah Bailey (3-5 from deep) and Quashawn Lane (four assists off the bench) both gathered 19 points and Kessly Felizor just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds, piloting New Haven to victory over second-place Adelphi in West Haven. Felizor’s “And-1” inside the nine-minute juncture of the opening half triggered an 18-5 run that overturned a 25-21 deficit and staked the Chargers a 39-30 lead they would relinquish only briefly, using a 13-4 flurry to snap a 40-40 deadlock and put the hosts in the driver’s seat at 53-44 approaching the midway mark of the second. The Panthers – who saw Ronnie Silva hit for 24 points, including the 1,000th of his career (in just 56 games) – came as close as 63-58 on a Silva triple with 15 seconds on the clock, but Lane drained a pair of nail-in-the-coffin foul shots three seconds later. Silva added nine rebounds and five assists to his stat line for Adelphi, which also placed Spencer Foley in double figures with 23 points (5-10 from distance) and seven rebounds in 39 minutes. New Haven – which made more hay at the foul line (11-16 to 4-7) – can finish as high as fourth with a Pace loss at Le Moyne, or fifth with a Pace win.
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 91 SAINT ROSE 72
Across town at Moore Field House, Southern Connecticut thumped Saint Rose and sewed up third in the Southwest Division due to favorable tiebreaker scenarios with New Haven and Pace. Taurus Adams II amassed 21 points (10-18 FG) and career high-tying 19 rebounds, while Greg Jones also netted 21 with nine boards for the Owls, who, after 11 lead changes over the first 12-and-a-half minutes, seized the reins with a 23-6 tear out of intermission, expanding a 42-36 lead to 65-42 following two Jones freebies with 12:01 to play. The gap never dropped below 17 as Southern received key contributions from Levar Allen (personal-best 15 points), Lyron Bennett (11 points, career-high 12 assists) and Zack Penn (10 bench points on 5-of-7 shooting). Adam Anderson chalked up a career-high 30 points (11-18 FG) and six rebounds while playing all 40 minutes for the Golden Knights, who also received 13 points from Josh McGettigan and 10 from Sekou Sylla, who struggled from the floor to the tune of 4-for-18. The Owls were better on the backboards (45-33), in the paint (50-32) and on the break (20-6), while also fashioning the more impressive assist-turnover line (24/8 to 8/13).
BENTLEY 105 FRANKLIN PIERCE 72
There are two very tight races in the Northeast Division that will go down to the final day of the regular season and may be determined by tiebreakers. The two teams vying for third squared off in Waltham, and Bentley broke out of a six-game funk with a vengeance, hammering Franklin Pierce to repay a December loss and move within a game of its rivals. Mason Webb compiled 26 points (9-15 FG), seven rebounds and four assists for the Falcons, who also got a big boost off the bench from Seth Stankiewicz, who enjoyed a career day with 23 points (8-13 FG, 7-10 from long range). The hosts led from pillar to post in this one, riding a 27-7 wave in stretching a 25-20 lead to 52-27 after a 3-ball by Jordan Mello-Klein (17 points, 7-10 FG, 3-3 from 3, eight rebounds) with 1:59 left. The rout was on from there as the Ravens never came closer than 21 the balance of the ballgame, the margin cresting at 105-69 in the final minute. Isaiah Moore topped the Franklin Pierce scoresheet with 18 points, while Sean Bresnan (15 points, 6-9 FG, 3-4 from afar, career high-tying seven rebounds) and Falu Seck (11 points) also made impacts in a losing cause. Bentley – which would finish third with a win at St. Anselm, coupled with a Franklin Pierce loss at Assumption – shot at a higher clip (54%-42%) while dominating from distance (16-35 to 9-25), on the glass (49-26), on second chances (19-5) and in the assist department (23-9). The Ravens would secure third with a win Tuesday at Assumption or Bentley loss at St. A’s.
STONEHILL 78 SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 75
The Northeast Division champ will also be determined on Tuesday after the top two clubs both earned victories on Saturday. At Merkert Gym, second-place Stonehill became the first of the region’s 39 teams to wrap up its regular season, holding off Southern New Hampshire while receiving scoring contributions from all eight participants. After enjoying the largest lead of the game early on (27-16), the Skyhawks took a 36-29 lead into the locker room. It was a 59-49 cushion after a trifecta from Brandon Twitty (14 points) with 11:16 remaining before the Penmen embarked on a 17-4 run, surging in front, 66-63, on Michael Almonacy’s trey with 5:02 to go. The game remained air-tight down the stretch, with five lead changes over the final 2:24; the last one coming by virtue of a Will Moreton lay-up with 35 seconds on the clock. After a missed shot in the lane by Eamonn Joyce (16 points), Owen Chose was fouled and made good on both his attempts with six seconds showing to cap the scoring as Almonacy’s top-of-the-key three for the tie bounced off the rim at the buzzer, consigning his team to fifth place and a crossover playoff game Friday at either New Haven or Pace. Moreton racked up 27 points (10-17 FG) and 10 rebounds for the victors, who also benefited from Chose’s 10 points (2-2 from downtown North Easton). Almonacy garnered 23 points (8-13 FG, 6-10 from 3) for SNHU, which also landed Shawn Montague (16 points, seven caroms) and Corry Long (11 points) in twin figures. Both teams shot the rock well, with Stonehill a little more efficient overall (SC 54%, SNHU 49%) and beyond the arc (8-16 to 8-20). The Penmen forced twice as many turnovers (14-7) but the most telling stat was foul shooting (SC 20-21, SNHU 11-22). The Skyhawks can win the division if St. Anselm loses at home to Bentley and Franklin Pierce falls at Assumption.
ST. ANSELM 73 ST. MICHAEL’S 65
St. Anselm maintained its half-game lead after repelling St. Michael’s in Vermont for its league-best seventh straight triumph, receiving all of its scoring from the starting five… all of whom reached double figures. In their 123rd all-time meeting, the Hawks fell into a 29-20 hole before outscoring their hosts 15-3 over the final 5:35 of the half – culminating in a Miles Tention triple – for a 35-32 advantage. After falling behind at 41-39 on a Kasai Brown 3-pointer shortly after the restart, Danny Evans (10 points, seven rebounds) connected on a go-ahead bomb that sparked a 17-4 run and put St. A’s on top for good at 56-45. The Purple Knights hung tough, however, closing within three points on four occasions down the stretch; the last occurrence at 68-65 after two Jordan Guzman foul shots with 4:14 to play. A critical possession ensued, during which Gustav Suhr-Jessen (12 points) laid one in on a third chance and the hosts never recovered, going scoreless the rest of the contest and failing to muster a field goal over the last 6:24. Chris Paul paved the way for St. Anselm with 26 points (9-15 FG), including three free throws over the final 19 seconds, while also producing 11 rebounds and five assists. Tyler Arbuckle (14 points) and Tention (11 points, 3-5 from deep, five assists in 40 minutes) also came up big as the Hawks won for the 20th time in 23 encounters since the 2009-10 season. Brown sported 17 points (5-8 from downtown Colchester) and seven boards for St. Mike’s, while Guzman (17 points) and Eli DiGrande (11 points, six rebounds in his home finale) also reached double digits in the team’s fourth straight setback. The Purple Knights were more proficient from long range (13-28 to 9-23), but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Hawks’ dominance at the stripe (16-21 to 2-5). Both sides boasted positive assist-turnover lines (SAC 18/12, SMC 15/11). St. Anselm would win the division with a home win over Bentley or Franklin Pierce win at Assumption.
NYACK 70 POST 68
The best game in the CACC took place at Bowman Gym, where Nyack used a 12-4 flourish over the final 2:33 to slip past Post and keep its dreams alive for a postseason berth. Junior Graham’s lay-up with 1.1 second left snapped a 68-68 deadlock and put the Warriors in the “W” column as they overcame a 42-24 deficit shortly before halftime, turning the tables with a 21-4 burst out of the break in flipping a 42-27 deficit into a 48-46 edge on Joel Bailey’s traditional 3-point play with 12:31 remaining. A 12-4 counter-run – topped off by a Darrick Boyd lay-up at the 6:45 mark – gave the Eagles a 58-52 lead, and it was still a six-point separation (64-58) when the hosts set in motion their winning rally, equalizing at 66-66 on a Curtis Thompson trifecta with 53 seconds to go, then going ahead on Bailey’s steal and successive foul shots with 21 seconds on the clock. Isaiah Holmes’ lay-up six seconds later provided the final tie and set up the winning basket by Graham, who finished with 20 points (6-8 FG), six rebounds and five blocked shots. Bailey was right behind with 15 points, 11 boards and seven assists off the bench, while Thomas Nolan logged 13 points for Nyack, which is tied with Caldwell, a game behind Felician for the fourth and final playoff position. Holmes cashed in 14 points (6-9 FG) for Post, which has locked down second place in the North Division. Boyd and Devonte McCall (10 rebounds) each dropped a dozen in defeat for the Eagles, who shot themselves in the foot with atrocious 9-of-20 foul shooting (NC was marginally better at 16-26).
DOMINICAN 67 CALDWELL 49
Dominican takes the North Division crown after smothering Caldwell at the Newman Center. A 28-11 tear snapped a 10-10 tie and put the Chargers in charge at 38-21 after a D.J. Rodwell 3-pointer with 1:36 to play in the half. The Cougars offered little resistance thereafter, never coming within a dozen as the lead swelled to 67-46 on a lay-up by Jalen Burgess (12 points, 6-9 FG, eight rebounds, four assists) with 2:26 left. All five starters reached double figures for Dominican, led by Jason Copman (15 points, 12 rebounds, four steals, five blocks) and Rodwell (13 points), with Jonathan Garcia (5-7 FG, four assists) and Tedrick Wilcox (seven boards) both generating 12 points. Manley Dorme accounted for 12 points and seven rebounds, while Ned Ogoemesim tallied 10 points for fading Caldwell, which has dropped six straight and sits a game out of the playoff picture, along with Nyack. The Chargers were the better shooters (48%-30%) and canned the only 3-pointers (5-16 to 0-8) while handing out three times as many assists (18-6) and feasting both in the paint (44-24) and on the break (17-2). The Cougars made more trips to the foul line (11-17 to 4-7) and held a modest edge on the backboards (41-39).
FELICIAN 76 CONCORDIA 64
Dee-End McRae spearheaded Felician’s workmanlike win over Concordia in Bronxville with 19 points and six rebounds, while Jay’von Jackson (13 points, 3-5 from 3) and Jeff Lewis (12 points, six rebounds) lent helping hands for the fourth-place Golden Falcons. The visitors trailed only once (5-4) before racing out to a 35-17 bulge en route to a 40-27 halftime lead. After allowing the first hoop upon the resumption, Felician reeled off 12 unanswered points – capped by a McRae “And-1” – in fattening the advantage to 53-29. The Clippers showed some fight, outscoring their guests 27-11 in chiseling the deficit down to 64-56 after a jumper by Jared Young (15 points, 7-11 FG, four assists, four steals) with 4:37 remaining. They would get no closer, however, as Lewis converted a pair at the line 15 seconds later and Jackson delivered back-to-back 3-balls to put the game on ice at 72-56 inside the three-minute juncture. Devon Sims rang up 17 points off the bench for Concordia, which also saw Jesse Breeding chime in with 13 points and eight rebounds. Three-point shooting was the most telling stat (FU 9-23, CC 4-20). Felician can punch its playoff ticket with a home win vs. Caldwell Wednesday, and still has a shot at third.
JEFFERSON 113 CHESTNUT HILL 62
With Bridgeport’s loss at Molloy, Jefferson is now the hottest team in the region (and only undefeated club in conference play) after destroying crosstown rival Chestnut Hill at Sorgenti Arena for its 17th straight win. Kylan Guerra paced five in double figures with 26 points (9-16 FG), six rebounds, 11 assists and six steals for the #9 Rams, who actually started off slowly, trailing 9-4, before ripping off a 22-5 spree to go ahead for good at 26-14. The lead was 54-37 at the break, but a 48-16 blitz on the other side – punctuated by Guerra’s 3-point play – inflated the chasm to 98-53, and it only got worse, though the 51-point final spread, unbelievably, was not the Griffins’ most lopsided loss of the campaign (Le Moyne beat them, 123-70, opening weekend). Jefferson’s embarrassment of riches included Josh Bradanese (25 points, 10-13 FG, 4-5 from downtown Philadelphia), Devaughn Mallory (20 points, 10-16 FG, 16 rebounds), Prince Hickson (13 points, 5-6 FG, 10 caroms) and Ja’zere Noel (10 points off the pine) as the 113 points represent the program’s highest total since a 114-108 victory over Pace on November 21, 1999, and the margin of victory is the largest since a 101-42 conquest of Mercy on January 4, 2009. The Rams were the vastly superior shooting team (62%-41%), with twice as many triples (10-22 to 5-20) and more trips to the foul line (17-22 to 5-9). They also owned the glass (49-20) and the paint (56-34), distributed nearly twice as many assists (21-11) while also scoring more often on second chances (27-7) and off turnovers (19-9). Trevonn Pitts submitted 14 points, Keyon Butler 12 and Conor Regan 11 for Chestnut Hill, which, despite falling for a sixth straight outing, still has a slim chance to make the playoffs, with two wins and two losses apiece for Holy Family and Georgian Court.
GOLDEY-BEACOM 78 GEORGIAN COURT 69
Juran Ligonde produced 15 points (6-8 FG) and 12 rebounds, while Kyle Elliot accumulated 14 points, six caroms and five assists in leading Goldey-Beacom past Georgian Court in Pike Creek to clinch second in the South. The Lightning – who also received 12 points apiece from Nazim Derry (five assists) and Tyler Jones – led from start to finish, bolting out to a 35-16 lead and seeing it swell to 61-41 on a Ligonde put-back at the midway mark of the second half. However, the Lions roared back with a 28-11 binge to draw within a single possession at 72-69 following an Alonzo Ortiz-Traylor jumper with 1:09 to go. Tevin Service (eight points) stanched the bleeding with a bucket 22 seconds later and Elliott rejected Justin Figueroa’s 3-point attempt. Derry missed the front end of a one-and-one with 31 seconds on the clock to give the visitors hope, but Ortiz-Traylor was called for a charge and Derry atoned by making two free throws to clinch it. Figueroa and Ortiz-Traylor each supplied 13 points for Georgian Court, which also placed Caleb Bowser in double figures with 11 off the bench, along with four assists. Goldey shot it better from the field (48%-38%) but was outworked at the stripe (21-35 to 13-21). The Lions – who have lost five in a row – are tied with Holy Family for the fourth and final playoff slot in the South and hold the current tiebreaker. They can finish anywhere from third to fifth.
WILMINGTON 91 SCIENCES 60
A historic day for Wilmington, which earned its most lopsided road win since becoming an NCAA program in 2003, throttling University of the Sciences at Morgan Arena as all eight men who saw the court chalked up at least one field goal. Trailing 15-13 eight-and-a-half minutes in, the Wildcats unleashed a 32-9 onslaught over the final 11:15 of the half to reach the interval ahead 45-24. It only got worse for the hosts, who fell behind by as much as 73-41 on a bucket by Jermaine Head (26 points, 11-19 FG, seven rebounds, eight assists) with 10:13 to play; the lead remaining north of 25 the rest of the afternoon. Jordan Harding (22 points, 8-11 FG, 6-9 from downtown Philly, seven rebounds) and Danny Walsh (18 points, 4-7 from deep, eight assists) also made big impacts for the Cats, who outshot USciences from the floor (53%-36%) and beyond the arc (16-35 to 5-21), while crafting a spectacular 25/5 assist-turnover ratio (US was an unextraordinary 16/16). Connor Murphy was top dog for the Devils with 19 points, 16 rebounds and five assists, with support from Jordan White (12 points, nine rebounds) and Tom Gregorits (career-high 10 points in his final home game). USciences – which was eliminated from the playoff race with the loss – won the glass battle, 45-33 (16-4 in the offensive end). Wilmington currently holds down third place and is a win away from securing the spot. They can also finish fourth or fifth.