* Lots of playoff implications in Wednesday's action across the region, so let's get to it. In digest form, things kick off in the Northeast-10...
* Bentley fought off St. Michael's in Waltham, 68-50, to clinch the NE-10 Northeast Division crown. Jen Gemma (20 points, 8 boards) led the way for the Falcons, who enjoyed a 45-24 edge early in the third period. The Purple Knights, behind Makenzie Burud (14 points, 14 caroms), roared back with a 21-2 carry-over run into the fourth period to crawl within 47-45. Megan Lewis (10 points) ended the uprising with a pair of treys, kicking off a 17-1 Falcon answer that broke SMC's back and propelled the home team to the success... Paige Marshall's banked three-pointer at the horn gave Stonehill a thrilling 71-70 win at St. Anselm, ending the Hawks hopes of a divisional title while also keeping the Skyhawks alive in the playoff race. St. A's led 67-62 with 29 ticks left but Stonehill chipped it down to 69-68 at the :10 mark. Raquel Johnson (17 points) split a pair of free throws to put the Hawks up by two but Marshall (17 points) capped the game in stunning fashion, keeping the Skyhawks tied for the final divisional playoff spot with two games left... Southern New Hampshire is in that mix along with Stonehill (and Merrimack) after beating Franklin Pierce, 56-55, on the strength of Jennifer Shelp's only basket at the :04.1 mark. This one had seven ties and nineteen lead changes (as well as not having the teams ever separated by more than six points) so a game-winner at the end was fitting. Dyamond Gardner put the Ravens ahead, 55-54, with 18 seconds left, only to see Shelp get it back shortly thereafter. Kara Charette (21 points) missed at the horn to consign FPU to the loss, keeping them tied with Assumption for third place. Olivia Conrad's first double-double for the Penmen (13 points, 10 boards) topped their effort... Merrimack rode a massive effort from Caitlyn Garger (26 points) to nail down a 76-68 victory at Assumption and keep pace in the playoff chase. The Warriors shot 51% to negate AC's better board work (38-24) in a contest that saw seven ties and a dozen lead swaps. MC grabbed the lead for good with the final seven points of the third period and held off Assumption thereafter despite all five AC starters (led by Kelly Conley's 14 points) notching double digits.
* LeMoyne moved into second place in the NE-10 Southwest Division as they bested Adelphi, 56-55, thanks to a free throw from Vandell Andrade with seven seconds on the clock. In yet another tight game (ten ties and ten lead changes; the teams were never separated by more than seven points), the Dolphins managed to find the last word after Sierra Clark tied it with a basket at the :07 mark. Calli Balfour's effort at the horn missed for the Panthers, meaning they fall into third place. Maggie Brown (18 points) led the LC scoring while Ashley Gomez (14 points) did the honors for AU... Southern Connecticut won the battle of the Nutmeg State over New Haven, 69-52, to improve their playoff credentials. Jackie Beathea (16 points, 18 rebounds) was the top threat for the Owls, as they led nearly all the way and pulled away in the final period. Briana Bradford's 21 points keyed the Chargers but it wasn't enough to tip the balance... Pace dealt the College of Saint Rose's playoff hopes a blow with a 68-61 defeat in Pleasantville. The Setters never trailed in this contest but the Golden Knights stayed with them all the way, closing the deficit to 59-57 in the last two minutes. Pace made 7-8 at the line thereafter to lock up the win, though, and end a seven-game slide. Gabriella Rubin (16 points) topped the Pace scoring as they out-three's Saint Rose, 10-3, while Staci Barrett (17 points) sparked the Golden Knights, now on a seven-game slide of their own.
* The night's only ECC game (which was postponed a day due to weather) saw Roberts Wesleyan knock off Daemen, 76-63, to consolidate third place in the loop. Brooke Fields (24 points) and Lakiah Huff (15 points) provided the pop for the Redhawks, who led all the way. Raeann Stilwell (16 points) ignited a Wildcat rally in the second half but to no avail and, as a result, Daemen had a four-game win streak snapped and lost ground in the playoff race.
* Holy Family shaded Chestnut Hill in the closest CACC South Division clash of the night, 61-54, to keep on Philadelphia's heels in the battle for the top spot. The game was deadlocked at 52 with 3:16 to play before the Tigers came up with the most important stretch of the night, a 9-2 sprint to the end (inlcuding seven free throws). Erin Fenningham (18 points) led the HFU attack while Jaeda Wildgoose (14 points) was the pick of the lot for the Griffins. Chestnut Hill still holds the final playoff spot in the division despite the setback... That's beacuse the University of the Sciences (a game ahead in third place) beat Goldey-Beacom, 61-50, to keep status quo in the division. Megan Wolf notched 20 points to lead the Devils, who ruled matters at the line (23-27; GBC 6-9 FT) and blew the game open with a 14-0 fourth quarter binge, turning a two-point deficit into a 56-44 lead with 1:33 left. Lexi Bruno's 16 points topped the Lightning scoring list.
* In the CACC North Division, Caldwell routed Concordia, 90-62, to extend its winning streak to nine games. Five Cougars were in double figures, led by Karlie O'Driscoll (18 points) as the visitors shot 56% from the field and never trailed. Khadijah Donaldson buried a career-high 22 points for the Clippers in the defeat... Dominican wiped out Felician, 85-50, scoring the first dozen points of the game and rolling to the victory that ensures third place in the division. Deja Gabbidon's 28-point outburst led the Chargers while Eliana Scanlon dropped in 23 points for the Golden Falcons. DC was better in virtually every area, especially shooting (49%-29% FG)... Post snagged the lead for good at halftime (30-27) and went on to a 63-53 win at Nyack behind Jovan Kingwood's 15 point effort. Jamie McKeither topped the Warriors with 14 points but her team was unable to find a way back onto level terms with the Eagles once they established the halftime edge.
* The first official NCAA Division II East Regional ranking was released yesterday with Bentley and AIC the top pair. NYIT was third with St. Anselm and the CACC duo of Philadelphia and Holy Family next. The District of Columbia took the #7 slot with Adelphi, Bloomfield and Caldwell rounding out the regional top 10.