Both 1 seeds and 3 seeds earned victories in the first round of CACC playoffs on Tuesday, highlighted by a big-time shot from one of the region’s best players:
JEFFERSON 63 FELICIAN 60
Just hours after being named CACC Player of the Year, Kylan Guerra lived up to the billing, calmly draining a step-back 30-footer at the buzzer to lift Jefferson past upset-minded Felician in Philadelphia, advancing to the tournament semifinals for a league-record ninth straight season. In an air-tight game that saw no more than a four-point difference over the last 18:26, the #12 Rams owned the only three-possession spread (35-28) after a jumper by Deondre Bourne (19 points) early in the second half. The Golden Falcons – who had won seven of their last eight – orchestrated a 13-2 run that was instigated by a 3-pointer and lay-up from Jaylen Colon (21 points, 7-10 FG, 3-4 from 3-point range). That resulted in a 41-37 advantage for the visitors with 11:03 to play, and the two teams see-sawed down the stretch, with Prince Hickson (eight points on 4-of-4 shooting) giving Jefferson a 60-58 lead on a lay-up at the 29-second mark. Jeff Lewis – who was mystifyingly absent from the All-Conference Teams – delivered the tying lay-up with 11 seconds left, setting up Guerra’s heroic shot – the second buzzer-beating winner at the Gallagher Center in four days, albeit a much happier result for the home faithful after Holy Family's miracle play on Saturday. Guerra notched 16 points (4-7 from 3), four assists and five steals for the winners, who also received 12 points and nine rebounds from DeVaughn Mallory as the Rams starters played 198 of a possible 200 collective minutes. Lewis finished with 18 points and eight boards for Felician, which has now dropped 12 straight in the series dating back to the historic comeback in the CACC Semifinals nearly 10 years ago to the day – on March 5, 2010 – at Caldwell (a 90-77 overtime upset that saw FU overcome a 23-point, second-half defcit). The Golden Falcons were the better shooters (50%-45%) and rebounders (30-29), but their hosts fashioned the better assist-turnover line (12/7 to 8/12). Jefferson advances to play division-rival Wilmington in the tourney semifinals across town at University of the Sciences on Saturday.
WILMINGTON 76 POST 69
For the first time in five seasons, Wilmington will be participating in Semifinal Weekend after upsetting Post at the Drubner Center, extending its hosts’ postseason winless streak to seven since a 2011 first-round victory vs. Dominican in 2011. A 14-2 run midway through the opening period transformed an 11-10 deficit into a 24-13 lead that the Wildcats would never relinquish. Danny Walsh – who matched his career high with 28 points (10-15 FG, 6-9 from downtown Waterbury) and four assists – sparked the outburst with three straight triples as his team later used a 15-2 spree spanning the halves, stretching a 33-27 advantage to 48-29 with 17:17 remaining. It was still a 59-43 divide inside of nine minutes when the Eagles made a last-ditch push, rattling off 12 unanswered points to creep within 59-55 with 6:08 to go. A Jermaine Head lay-up 19 seconds later triggered a 9-2 counter-run that opened things up at 69-57 with 3:07 on the clock, but Post rallied yet again, casting a 10-2 spell in closing within a single possession (70-67) with 57 seconds showing. Walsh then came through with a critical floater in the lane with 32 seconds showing, then followed with two free throws 14 seconds later to assure Wilmington its first tourney triumph since the 2015 semifinals. Kameron Cooper was the Cats’ lone bench contributor with 14 points and nine rebounds. He was followed by Jermaine Head (13 points, nine rebounds, four assists) and Jordan Harding (12 points), while Devonte McCall carried the load for Post with 26 points (10-19 FG), nine caroms and three blocked shots. Wilmington – which will play Jefferson in Saturday’s semis – was much deadlier from deep (13-27 to 7-30) and the stripe (13-14 to 6-14), offsetting disparities in the paint (36-16) and on the glass (42-36). And despite an even turnover count (15-15), the Wildcats were more effective exploiting mistakes, to the tune of 22-12. In a statistical oddity, Post had dropped its last six playoff games in successive seasons - ALL TO PHILADELPHIA (NOW JEFFERSON)!
BLOOMFIELD 83 GOLDEY-BEACOM 54
The other successful road team was Bloomfield, which stifled Goldey-Beacom in Delaware, avenging a 27-point blowout loss in the same building just one month earlier. In a rematch of a first-round clash last year (in New Jersey), both teams came in sporting identical 15-13 records, but the Bears used a 23-4 charge in flipping a 9-7 deficit into a 30-13 lead they would never surrender. The Lightning – which was paced by Kyle Elliot’s 16-point outing – tallied the last six of the period to reach the break down 30-19. The margin bounced between eight and 13 the first 10 minutes of the second half before a 12-2 surge turned a 54-42 game into a 66-44 yawner after a Darin Bellinger trey with 4:16 to play. The junior forward was high man for Bloomfield with 21 points and was joined in double figures by Safee Abdus-Sabur (12 points), Dontay Julius (11 points, four assists) and Rich Chapman (10 bench points) as the Bears played their first road playoff game in five years and earned their first road CACC tourney win since a 90-85 victory at Post on March 1, 2008. Juran Ligonde totaled 11 points and 12 rebounds for Goldey, which also landed Nazm Derry in doubles with 10 points. Both teams struggled from the floor (BC 38%, GBC 36%) and even more so from beyond the arc (BC 9-33, GBC 3-23). Bloomfield will next match up against Dominican in Saturday’s semifinals at USciences.
DOMINICAN 80 GEORGIAN COURT 50
The first-ever playoff game for the region’s newest program was a one-sided affair as Dominican routed Georgian Court at the Hennessy Center for its fourth straight win. The Chargers trailed just once (3-2) before bolting out to a 35-13 lead that was never seriously challenged. The Lions – who had never won more than five games in any of their first six seasons prior to this winter – came as close as 45-31 just over five minutes into the second half before CACC Defensive Player of the Year Jason Copman produced a put-back, free throw and lay-up in succession, igniting a 28-12 upswing that put the game completely out of reach at 73-43 with 3:38 left. D.J. Rodwell registered 20 points to pace the victors, who won their first-round playoff game for a fourth consecutive campaign. Wahaad Johnson added 17 points (6-9 FG) in 16 bench minutes, while Copman compiled 11 points (5-6 FG), 14 rebounds, four assists and four steals as the Chargers outshot their guests (48%-32%) and boasted the superior assist-turnover ratio (12/8 to 6-12). Jalen Burgess chipped in with 10 points (2-2 from distance) and seven boards for Dominican, while Justin Figueroa was the lone double-figure scorer for Georgian Court with 10 points. Dominican will take on familiar foe Bloomfield in the semis.
POLL POSITION
The latest NABC Top 25 Coaches’ Poll was released and sees Jefferson slip four spots to #12, followed by Bridgeport, up two rungs to #14, and St. Thomas Aquinas slipping six to #18. St. Anselm is still receiving votes, while defending national champion Northwest Missouri State remains the unanimous #1. The last Regional Rankings will be released on Wednesday and will be included in Thursday’s report.