• The CACC North co-leaders remained in lockstep on Thursday night with hard-earned wins while UDC kept their noses in the ECC playoff frame thanks to a thrilling win over LIU Post. The recap starts in New Jersey…
• For the first time in 35 all-time meetings, Felician defeated Holy Family, 73-68, claiming its third straight win and keeping a share of first place in the CACC North Division. Bionca Chambers exploded for a game-high 31 points and Kameron Stone racked up 18 points and a career-best 17 rebounds to lead the Golden Falcons to victory, although they had a fight on their hands for forty minutes. The Tigers, who have dropped five games in a row (four by single digits), led 37-32 at the break and held the edge until Chambers (6 rebounds, 5 assists; 11-28 FG, 5-15 3FG; 40 minutes) netted the last five points of the third period to send Felician into a 55-52 advantage. Their lead remained in single figures for the duration although HFU came within a point at the 1:26 mark after a Molly Masciantonio (15 points, 9 boards, 5 assists) basket. The Tigers didn’t score again, though, as Kayla Diaz (11 points) scored with 51 ticks left and Taliyah Brisco and Chambers sank single foul shots in the last 26 seconds to complete the scoring for Felician. Anjelai Hayes (15 points, 15 boards), Elizabeth Radley (15 points) and Casey Schwietzer (12 points) joined Masciantonio in double digits for Holy Family, now two games out of the CACC South playoff spot. Most team stats were close except for second-chance points (23-13) and paint production (36-14), both of which favored the Golden Falcons.
• Dominican ended a two-game slump by holding off Wilmington in Delaware, 74-68, clutching onto a piece of the CACC North Division lead as a result. The Chargers seemed to be in control late in the first half, having constructed a 36-18 lead with 2:22 left but the Wildcats rallied and put up the last seven points of the half to make it a 36-25 game. The surge continued in a big way after the resumption as WU potted the first 13 points to make it a 20-0 bomb overall and snare a 38-36 lead (6:03). They only led once more, however, 40-38, and DC slowly recovered. The game stayed tight and saw ties at 57 and 59 but an 8-2 Charger flurry gave them the lead for good with 1:48 to go, 67-62. Korina Guerra (20 points; 9-11 FT), Alpreshia Parker (13 points) and Ashley Merritt (11 points) led the Charger attack, one that fared better than Wilmington from three-point land (9-4). Kiara Eubanks (19 points), Macy Robinson (12 points, 11 caroms), Jadyn Whitsitt (12 points) and Emily Ansah (11 points, 13 rebounds) shared the load for the Wildcats, who were +16 in the paint (36-20), but are stuck with Holy Family and Chestnut Hill in the CACC South, two games off the playoff pace.
• Tyra Coombs sank the game-winning shot with 3.5 seconds left to cap a stunning comeback triumph for the University of the District of Columbia at LIU Post, 64-62. The Firebirds faced a 55-43 deficit with 8:56 left in the fourth period yet found a way to rally and eventually scored the last seven points of the contest to annex a key ECC victory. The Pioneers held a grip on this game most of the way, leading 34-22 at the half and by as many as fourteen points in the third quarter. An 11-1 UDC run shrunk the margin to 43-39 late in the stanza but the Pioneers nudged it to 55-43 before UDC again responded, this time with an 11-2 blitz to get within 57-54 (5:01). Mikaiya Moore’s two free throws with 3:30 left extended LIU Post’s lead to 62-57 but they didn’t score another point. Natasha Roy (career-high 27 points; 7-16 FG, 4-8 3FG, 9-11 FT) drilled a triple to begin the decisive UDC run, followed by a pair of Tyra Coombs free throws to knot it at 62 with 2:01 left. Both teams squandered chances after that, at least until Coombs popped in the game-winner in the lane. Sasha Patterson (17 points, 17 rebounds) had a chance to force overtime but missed a drive at the horn, meaning the Pioneers’ four-game win streak was history. Mia-Alexis Lloyd (13 points) and Maya Thomas (12 points) added double digits for UDC, who fared a lot better from three-point land (7-16; LIU Post 3-22 3FG) and at the line (23-31; LIU Post 13-19 FT) than their hosts. Taylah Hudson (14 points) and Shannon Doyle (12 points, 7 boards) lent depth for the Pioneers but the setback keeps them in fourth place in the ECC. The Firebirds, meanwhile, join Roberts Wesleyan in fifth place in the loop (both at .500), staying a game ahead of Bridgeport in the process.