By Chris Granozio
The region is cannibalizing itself once again, with no team running away with things and no result guaranteed. We’ll run down the past week’s events in just a moment, but let’s open things up with a couple of noteworthy individual feats over that stretch:
Mercy junior center Jayden Dewaal achieved something over the Mavericks’ last two games that – so far – to which I have not been able to find an equal since I began following the region some four decades ago. Specifically, he registered back-to-back 20/20 games, amassing a career-high 26 points and 21 rebounds in a heartbreaking loss at Roberts Wesleyan (details below), then followed that up with 20 and 23, respectively (the latter being a personal best) against St. Thomas Aquinas. In recent years, two players have come close – both of whom also played in the ECC: Mercy’s Bryan Griffin (28/20 then 17/21) in February of 2020 (his last two games as a Mav, coincidentally, before jumping to D1 Xavier). Before that, New York Tech’s Jon Feiler (15/23 then 22/20) in January of 2017. You’d think some of the great boardsmen over the years such as Super 75 standouts Garret Kerr, Peter Alexis, Gerald Beverly, Christian Burns, Laurence Ekperigin, Justin Reyes, Todd Roberts amd Bryan Moore, among others, would’ve flirted with that distinction, but no dice. Still researching Wayne Robertson of New Hampshire College (now SNHU) but game-by-game stats are proving difficult to locate during the mid-1990s). If anyone is aware of such an occurrence, please let me know!
Caldwell big man Jarnel Rancy – college basketball’s top shot-blocker at ALL LEVELS – turned aside 10 more attempts Wednesday night at Bridgeport to tie the CACC’s all-time single-game record, established by Holy Family’s Rickie Crews vs. University of the Sciences on February 19, 2012. He also eradicated the program record for career swats with 199, eclipsing Super 75 great Sulaiman Muhammad’s previous standard of 191. And most impressive is that nine of the 10 rejections at UB remained in play. There may not have been a better eraser in this region going back to Bridgeport’s Manute Bol, who averaged a ridiculous 7.1 blocks his only year playing college ball: 1984-85. Coincidentally, the life-sized poster of Bol was overlooking the action on Wednesday. For current context, Rancy’s 4.61 blocks-per-game average is 1.18 higher than the next closest D2 player: Amadon Faye of Elizabeth City State (NC). The D1 leader is Jamarion Sharp of Western Kentucky at 4.25, while the D3 leader is Jarred Houston of Emerson (MA) at 4.05. The NAIA leader is Vatangoe Donzo of Blue Mountain Christian (MS) at 3.8, while no one at the USCAA level is averaging more than three rejections per contest.
In Daemen’s 88-65 win at Thruway rival Roberts Wesleyan, the Wildcats connected on their first 10 shots from behind the 3-point line, becoming the first team to do that since Pace went a perfect 10-10 in its home game vs. New Haven on December 5, 2015. One of the two hottest teams in the ECC, Daemen (along with St. Thomas Aquinas) has won 11 of 12 to grab a share of second place and the bye that comes with it, although Molloy has the tiebreaker edge thanks to a series sweep. In the game vs. Roberts, the Wildcats shot a sizzling 62% from the floor (74% in the first half) and finished a terrific 15-22 from downtown Rochester. Andrew Mason – who had made five of six 3-pointers the previous game vs. District of Columbia – converted five of nine from afar in his homecoming, including back-to-back trifectas after the Redhawks had crept within 68-60. Those bombs triggered a game-clinching 18-1 run that gave the visitors full control at 86-61. All five starters reached double figures for Daemen, which has now won 26 of the last 27 in the series, capping a 3-0 stretch over a six-day span. The Wildcats have made 26 of their last 42 three attempts (62%).
There’s now a three-way tie (!) atop the Northeast-10 standings, with a fourth team – New Haven – just a half game behind the power trio of Bentley, St. Anselm and Southern New Hampshire. Bentley – which had been the frontrunner all season – never led in the second half while falling to Adelphi in Garden City on Tuesday, despite 20 points apiece from Zach Laput and Aaron Latham (career high). The Center for Recreation and Sport has been by far the Falcons’ house of horrors as this was their fifth consecutive loss there dating back to their lone win in the building in seven tries – 75-67 on January 14, 2015. Ronnie Silva (32 points), Isaiah Lewis (25) and Dayshaun Watson (23) combined for 80 of the Panthers’ 86 points on the night as the hosts held off the #16 team in the land by making 7-of-8 at the foul line over the last 29 seconds. The win also extracted a small measure of revenge as Adelphi nearly won in Waltham back in December minus three starters. Brian Wright Kinsey – who capped the comeback that day by making three foul shots in the final second – ironically missed a potential tying three try with 11 seconds left in the more recent meeting as the Panthers maintained the lead for the last 25:20. Both clubs shot exactly 9-25 from beyond the arc, for good measure.
St. Anselm grabbed its share of the lead by downing American International, trailing just once (21-19) before unleashing a 37-16 storm that put the host Hawks ahead to stay at 56-37. Tyler Arbuckle paced the winners with 23 points and six assists while playing all 40 minutes. The Hawks dished out 27 assists on their 35 baskets and shot a robust 56% from the floor.
Southern New Hampshire is the hottest team in the region, rallying to top Granite State rival Franklin Pierce in Rindge for its 10th win in 11 games. There were some dramatic second-half runs in this one with the Penmen embarking on a 24-5 jaunt in transforming a 34-25 deficit into a 60-49 advantage with 8:04 left. The Ravens produced a 16-4 counter-run, edging in front, 65-64, on a Wol Maiwen lay-up with 4:46 remaining. It was all SNHU from there, however, as Evan Guillory (15 points) scored inside 25 seconds later and Noah Kamba nailed his third big trey in the second half as the Penmen closed things out with an 11-2 flourish. Ethan Okwuosa notched a career-best 23 points (5-7 from 3) while NE10 Player of the Week Matt Becht tossed in 17 on 5-of-9 long-distance accuracy.
New Haven is still in the hunt for a top-three, first-round bye, after holding off upset-minded American International and St. Michael’s in successive home games. In the latter match-up, the Chargers withstood a 21-4 flurry that shrunk a 48-27 advantage to 52-48 with 18 seconds to go before Davontrey Thomas stanched the bleeding with a pair of free throws 11 seconds later. Majur Majak snatched 17 rebounds in each affair on the week.
Le Moyne holds down fifth place after splitting a pair of home games. In the first, the Dolphins saw Franklin Pierce shave a 79-66 lead with just over five minutes to play down to 82-81 on a 3-ball by Brandon Kolek (23 points, 5-10 from 3). Isaiah Salter closed out the scoring with two freebies at the 11-second mark as Sean Trumper’s tying three try was way off the mark as time expired, ending the Ravens’ seven-game hot streak. Three days later, Le Moyne spotted Assumption 25 of the game’s first 30 points, fought back to surge in front, 68-64 with 6:15 left before the Greyhounds tallied the next eight as part of a 12-4, game-ending run, avenging an earlier-season home loss. Rising star Njavan Stewart accounted for the last four of the 8-0 burst en route to a 22-point outing, also providing the clinching tosses with 17 seconds on the clock. In the Hounds’ previous game at St. Michael’s, Isiah Gaiter posted a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double and Assumption used an extended 46-14 power run spanning the halves in flipping a 16-point deficit (31-15) into a 16-point lead (61-45) lead. Credit the short-handed Purple Knights for fighting back once again, outscoring their guests 17-6 over the final 4:50 to make the final more respectable.
Southern Connecticut tied Franklin Pierce for sixth after knocking off pesky Saint Rose in Albany. Ulyen Coleman (21 points) was instrumental in this one, knocking down a huge three late that erased a 57-56 deficit and sparked a 12-3 spurt that gave the Owls some breathing room at 69-60 with 1:52 remaining. From there, Southern sank 9-of-10 at the stripe to keep the Golden Knights at arm’s length. All five starters recorded double digits in the score column next game at Pace, led by Zack Penn’s career-best 20 points and 12 boards, but it wasn’t enough as the eighth-place Setters avenged an earlier loss, thanks in large part to Brandon Powell, who erupted for a career-high 26 points, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 59 seconds to go that rescued Pace from an 11-point second-half hole. The Owls shot better overall (52%-42%) but were bested at the line (22-24 to 9-17), which was the key stat in this one.
Back to Adelphi (the scariest team in the league’s lower half), Dayshaun Walton exploded for a personal-high 38 points (14-14 FT) and 11 rebounds in the Panthers’ close home loss to SNHU. Freshman of the Year, anyone?
In the CACC, the youthful Cougars of Caldwell continue to set the pace, capturing their last eight contests. In the aforementioned win at Bridgeport, Freshman of the Year candidate Darnell Evans registered 28 points and 10 rebounds, while Derrick Bueno dropped 17 to help offset a 3-point disparity (UB 9-27, CU 1-13).
Dominican remains within striking distance at second in the North Division after surviving a couple more scares. On Saturday in Lakewood, the Chargers trailed all day vs. Georgian Court, and by as many as 11 points before eventually nosing in front inside the five-minute mark of the second half. They established a 5-point cushion with 23 seconds on the clock before the Lions roared back as Titus Beard returned from injury and hit the tying lay-up off a Jalen Bates steal with two seconds showing. In overtime, Dominican came through as Jaden Honis (16 points) converted the winning lay-up off an Emmanuel Smith offensive rebound with 21 seconds to play. Next game vs. Felician at the Hennessy Center, five reached double digits in scoring and the Chargers were in firm control at 48-29 by intermission. It was 55-36 nearly four minutes into the final frame when the undermanned Golden Falcons came to life, clawing back within 72-69 before the hosts ended the drama with a 12-3 rush that put the game out reach at 84-72 after a Wahaad Johnson triple with 1:17 left. Dominican has now won a region-high 13 games by one or two possessions.
Bloomfield staked its claim to third after pounding Post in Waterbury, using a 37-17 barrage to turn around a 9-8 deficit and seize control at the half, 45-26. Andres Fulgencio poured in 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Bears, who expanded their second-half lead by as much as 52-28, never allowing the Eagles to come closer than the final 14-point spread thereafter. The win was very timely for Bloomfield, which had lost a heartbreaker in Wilmington in its previous game, going 0-4 with five turnovers down the stretch in surrendering a 68-57 lead inside of the six-minute mark. The Wildcats crafted a 17-6 charge to take over at 74-70, with Taalib Holloman (16 points) draining the dagger from deep that put the Cats in the lead for keeps, as well as hitting the icing foul shots with six ticks remaining.
Post enjoyed a rare win over Jefferson last Saturday after having dropped five straight and 14 of 15 in the series. Abdul-Basit Ajia snagged a career high-tying 19 rebounds as the Eagles used an 18-7 upswing to grab the reins at 67-53 with 4:34 to go.
Bridgeport and Alliance have work to do in regards to a playoff push. Ali Sumareh enjoyed a career day (29 points, 14-18 FG, 11 rebounds) and Mason Williams generated 21 points in the Purple Knights’ overtime loss at Chestnut Hill as Trevonn Pitts’ lay-up in the extra session launched a game-defining 8-0 run that put the Griffins ahead to stay, 87-80. Isayis Aris’ region-high 13th double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds), along with Adrian Amaro’s 16 bench points (3-3 from deep, 7-7 FT) propelled Alliance past Holy Family in Jersey City; the hosts’ 8-8 performance at the line over the last 29 seconds securing the spoils.
Felician was the first regional team eliminated from the postseason picture, but there have been some bright spots in a bleak season, most recently Sean McCarthy’s 23-point, 12-rebound double-double and Etnik Peci’s 21-point second-half (5-9 from 3) in their scare of Dominican.
In the South, Goldey-Beacom’s timely four-game hot streak has vaulted the Lightning into second place and pole position for a first-round home playoff game after wins at Felcian and Georgian Court to cap a perfect three-game road trip. Ayshion Centeno (24 points vs. FU, career-high 30 vs. GCU) has been carrying the torch for GBC, while double-doubles from Freshman of the Year candidate Zayon Marsh (20/12 and 12/18, respectively) and strong showings by Damani Thomas (22 and 29, off the bench) have provided ample support for the Lightning, which raged back from a 10-point halftime deficit at Felician with a 19-5 open to the final period. Against the Lions, a Marsh dunk initiated a 42-13 avalanche that flipped a 44-42 deficit into an 86-59 bulge with 4:09 to go.
Jefferson has another South title in its sights after a comfortable win vs. Wilmington at the Gallagher Center. Sophomore sniper Erik Timko chalked up 28 points, including the 1,000th of his career (the 60th in Rams history!), offsetting a strong game from Amiri Stewart (19 points, 6-7 FG, 3-4 from long range).
The triumvirate of Wilmington, Georgian Court and Chestnut Hill are embroiled in a game of musical chairs for the final two playoff spots, with Holy Family fading out of contention, three games off the pace, one game away from elimination despite a solid performance from Rick’keem Mixson (18 points on 8-10 shooting) vs. Alliance.
St. Thomas Aquinas shows no signs of relinquishing its lofty lad atop the ECC table, remaining the lone regional team without a conference loss. Freshman Kyle Pulliam reached a personal high with 26 points (7-10 FG, 6-8 from 3), while Devonte Jamison garnered 23 for the Spartans in their runaway victory at Victory Hall vs. Mercy, eliminating the Mavericks from postseason consideration in the process. It was STAC’s 21st straight head-to-head triumph.
The gods shined on Second-place Molloy in its home win over Queens, which led the entire second half, including 67-64 with six seconds to play and with two free throws coming. However, Elijah Blackman could not convert either, leaving the door ajar for Kenny Lazo (18 points), who splashed the tying trey to force overtime. There was no scoring over the last 1:55 of the first OT, and the Lions led the entirety of the second, with Lazo once again the focal point, kickstarting an 8-1 spell that made it 80-73. Player of the Year candidate Darren Fergus played all 50 minutes and flirted with a triple-double (30 points, nine rebounds, nine assists), while Kendell Ogilvie cranked out 17 points and just as many boards for the winners. Molloy never tasted the lead in its next game at District of Columbia as five reached double figures for the Firebirds, led by Juanye Colon’s 22 off the bench (5-7 from distance) and Hartnel Haye’s 17-point, 15-rebound double-double. Colon also canned 18 off the pine at D’Youville in a 2-1 week that has UDC in fourth place and in line for a possible home playoff game.
Roberts Wesleyan is right behind the Firebirds as Ja’Kair Sanchez’s well-defended, right-elbow jumper with 0.8 seconds left lifted the Redhawks past Mercy in Rochester. The Mavericks had taken an 83-80 lead on a Braelon Joe 3-ball with 21 seconds to go, but Nick Johnson’s dunk and a missed front end by Dewaal set the stage for Sanchez’s heroics as the sophomore finished with 22 points, 20 of which came after intermission. It was the second meeting this season between these two teams that went right down to the wire (RWC prevailed in OT last time out in Dobbs Ferry). This particular barnburner featured 13 ties, 20 lead changes and a spread of more than a single possession for all of 6:03.
CUNY schools Staten Island and Queens are fighting tooth and nail for that final ECC playoff berth, and CSI took a big step in its quest to procure its first D2 postseason appearance after edging the Knights at The Tank. Chris Velazquez was front and center in this one with a career-high 26 points (11-18 FG), balancing out Sunnie Dimaond’s successful return for Queens (career high-tying 24 points off the bench). Tyron Wright chimed in with a personal-best 16 in the setback, while Tyler Carey ripped down a career-best 20 rebounds in the Molloy loss. Bryce Waterman netted 26 points (5-10 from 3) in the Dolphins’ win at fellow D2 provisional D’Youville, while teammate Messiah Mallory pitched in with 18 points and 15 caroms.
D'Youville is not eligible for postseason play until next year, but postgrad forward Willie Kondrat posted a game to remember, compiling 33 points (15-17 FT), 13 rebounds and nine steals (most by a regional player this season) vs. CSI as the Saints nearly came all the way back from a 53-38 second-half shortfall, sidling within a single point (76-75) before Adefela Fakorode sank the decisive free throws with seven seconds remaining.
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In the recent NABC Top 25, Bentley slipped five spots to #16, while St. Thomas Aquinas held steady at #18. St. Anselm is no longer receiving votes, while crosstown rival Southern New Hampshire now is. Previously undefeated Indiana (PA) is still #1 (I witnessed their first setback at #21 Mercyhurst on Monday in Erie). The first official regional rankings were released last week in alphabetical order the first time around, through last Sunday’s games: Bentley, Dominican, Le Moyne, New Haven, Pace, Post, St. Anselm, St. Thomas Aquinas, Southern Connecticut and Southern New Hampshire.
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