By Chris Granozio
The regional landscape becomes murkier by the day, with no team to this point consistently able to plant its flag and declare “Everyone has to come through US!’ The closest thing we’ve had to such a statement recently came Saturday in Sparkill, when St. Thomas Aquinas completed a season sweep of Staten Island, pulling away in the second half for a 104-81 win, carving out some space atop the standings. In a battle for first place, all five STAC starters scored in double figures, led by James Patterson’s 28-point effort. The region’s premier talent now ranks #4 nationally in scoring, while teammate Rich Hill nearly notched his second triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Spartans used a 20-9 run to open up an 81-66 lead that was never threatened. Bryce Waterman fueled the Dolphins with 27 points (6-12 from 3-point range), moving into second place across D2 with 3.84 made threes per game. The two teams combined for nearly twice as many assists (41) as turnovers (21).
Four days later, STAC made it five straight wins with a 99-74 thrashing of Molloy in Rockville Centre, with Patterson again tossing in 28 (11-17 FG). Thirteen of the 14 Spartans who saw action scored in the wire-to-wire win, as the visitors maintained a minimum 20-point upper hand the entirety of the second half; the lead maxing out at 91-54 with 7:36 to play, Seven-footer Matt Lane paced the Lions with 14 points (7-9 FG), six rebounds and four blocked shots. Coupled with CSI’s 83-74 loss at Roberts Wesleyan, the Spartans now enjoy a healthy, two-game lead (three vs. Staten Island, essentially) atop the table. A 20-4 second-half surge, capped by an Isaiah Elmore slam, wiped out a 63-62 deficit and put the Redhawks in control at 82-67 with 2:13 left. Elmore (career-high 30 points, 12-14 FG, 2-2 from 3) and fellow Le Moyne emigree Kevin Constant were the driving forces for Roberts, which connected on 52% of its shots. Messiah Mallory was high man for the Dolphins with 14 points and eight rebounds as he and his fellow starters were outscored by the CSI reserves, 39-35. The Redhawks are one of four ECC teams with three conference losses, two behind Aquinas.
ECC Dribbles…
Queens tied Staten Island for second after a 2-1 week, splitting a pair in Buffalo before pulling away from Mercy at home on Wednesday. Shamar Chester recorded 20 points and Malik Bentinck posted his region-best ninth double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds in the Knights’ 80-72 triumph at D’Youville, avenging an earlier home loss. A 12-2 spell over the last 3:43 erased a 70-68 deficit, with Bentinck delivering the tying lay-up and Chester following with the go-ahead hoop at the 2:28 mark… Queens saw its five-game win streak go by the boards in its next outing vs. Daemen at Lumsden Gym, getting outshot, 51%-33% and out-assisted, 21-6, trailing the entire game before losing, 78-56. Joey Atkins filled the stat sheet with 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals for the Wildcats, who also received 13 points (6-8 FG) from coach’s son Nick MacDonald, including the 1,000th of his career, and a personal high-tying 13 points in 14 bench minutes from Payton Shumpert (5-6 FG, 3-4 from downtown Amherst). In the win over Mercy, career-best performances from Chester (28 points, 4-5 from 3, six rebounds, seven assists) and Jayden Seraphin (25 points, 11-17 FG, five helpers), both of whom played the entire game, carried the weight for the Knights. The latter’s “And-1” sparked a critical 17-5 run that opened up a close game at 87-72 with 2:44 remaining. Resurgent point guard Taj Chiles cashed in 22 points and doled out seven assists for the Mavericks, who have dropped eight straight. Queens – which boasts the best rebound margin in the East – crafted a brilliant 23/5 assist-turnover ratio and blocked 11 shots… And Daemen holds down fourth place after a weekend sweep at home, pulling away from Molloy last Friday in an 84-58 victory. A 24-5 barrage over the final 13:50 of the first half transformed a 13-10 deficit into a 34-18 lead that never dipped into single digits after the break. Justin Hemphill (20 points, eight rebounds) and Justin Glover (19 points, four assists) did the most damage for Daemen, while Bryce Merchant contributed a personal-best 16 points for the Lions… Molloy salvaged a win on the Western New York trip, avenging a 27-point home loss to D’Youville with a 15-point victory (42-point turnaround!). Billy Reyes came up big off the bench with 22 points (4-5 from long range) for the winners, who shot a sensational 35-38 from the foul line and rode a 26-8 second-half wave that fleshed out a 47-45 lead to 73-53 near the midway mark. Chase Jenkins managed 18 points for the Saints.
An 18-4 spree lifted District of Columbia past Mercy in Dobbs Ferry, flipping a 51-48 shortfall into a 66-55 lead enroute to a 78-71 triumph. Hartnel Haye – who punctuated the run with a put-back – racked up 19 points (9-12 FG) and 11 rebounds, while Micah Campbell double-doubled with 11 points and 12 boards. Chiles topped the Mavs’ scorecard with 25 points and seven assists in 40 minutes, while Asa Kone reached a new career high with 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
NE10 Dribbles…
The marquee game in the NE10 took place Tuesday in Vermont as Southern New Hampshire avenged a one-point home loss, beating St. Michael’s, 82-75, and narrowing the gap atop the standings. Matt Becht donned the Superman cape in this one, nailing back-to-back triples to snap a 65-65 tie, then added another, ducking under a defender at the top of the key with the shot clock expiring, extending the lead to 74-67 with 2:07 to go. The sharpshooter dropped 11 of his 19 over the last 3:34, in tandem with Preston Santos’ career-high 23 points (9-11 FG) and nine rebounds, spearheading the triumph. C.J. Crews had the hot hand for the Purple Knights, exploding for 23 of his career-best 27 points in the first half, including 7-of-10 from long range. This was a battle of the circuit’s top 3-point shooting teams, and they lived up to that billing as there were 66 shots attempted from distance, as opposed to just 54 inside the arc.
St. Mike’s maintains its one-game lead over Adelphi as the P-Knights snapped a 14-game skid at Stoutenburgh Gym last weekend, completing a season sweep of St. Anselm, 73-69. Romar Reid busted out for a career-high 35 points (13-21 FG) while Darrel Yepdo accumulated 22 points and 10 rebounds for the winners, who had last beaten the Hawks on their home floor on February 21, 2009 (75-71). As usual, St. Michael’s trailed the majority of the game before a 20-4 uprising flipped a 44-34 deficit into a 54-48 lead they never lost. They also committed a mere five turnovers on the day… Adelphi eked out a 66-63 win over Pace in Garden City to end a seven-game dry spell in the series. Elijah Lewis (17 points) and Dayshawn Walton (13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists) paved the way in the air-tight contest that saw no more than a one-possession separation over the final 7:56… The Panthers were nipped by resurgent American International in their prior contest, 69-68 at Butova Gym as Justice Ellison (21 points, seven assists) sank the tying and winning foul shots with 2.3 seconds on the clock to cap a comeback from 13 down early in the second stanza.
SNHU has third place all to itself after a 2-0 week as the Penmen outlasted Granite State rival Franklin Pierce in Rindge, 81-78 behind Becht’s 22 points (6-10 from 3), including two free throws with three seconds left that completed the scoring. Sean Trumper tried to keep the Ravens afloat with 14 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Bentley and Pace are still tied for fourth after both split their games. The Falcons’ 100-74 thrashing of New Haven completed a season sweep of the team that knocked them out of last year’s Sweet 16. Kellen Bochenek led five in double figures with a career-high 23 points (6-11 from downtown West Haven), one of his treys commencing a key 31-10 run that put the game out of reach at 82-52 with 8:45 to play. JahlKikai King pumped in a personal-best 32 points (8-12 from 3) for the Chargers. Bentley shot a torrid 61%, including 17-29 from long distance, while boasting a terrific 28/7 assist-turnover line. These two teams commit the fewest fouls in the region (BU 11.4 per game, UNH 13.2), with the Falcons’ total best in the nation – again!... Bentley then came out on the short end of a Jeckyll & Hyde game at St. Anselm, falling behind 37-17 at halftime and then creeping within 63-62 on a Bochenek lay-up with seven seconds remaining before Josh Morissette closed out the scoring with a pair of free throws. This was the second time in three home games during which the Hawks had built a halftime lead of at least 20 points and then staggered across the finish line. Tyler Arbuckle registered all 19 of his points in the opening period and played all 40 minutes for the Hawks, who only turned the ball over three times! Cash McClure “cashed in” 16 of his 18 points after intermission for the Falcons, who lead the all-time series by the slimmest of margins: 54-53.
Don’t look now but Saint Rose is climbing up the ladder, shooting over 50% from the field in both its games the past week. In their 74-71 comeback win vs. Pace, Ata Turgut busted out for a career-high 28 points (4-6 from downtown Albany) as the Golden Knights rode a 13-2 wave over the final 4:08 to eradicate a 69-61 deficit. Trey Boyd III tied the game with three foul shots and then hit the go-ahead jumper with 19 seconds to go… they made it three a row with another late push at Franklin Pierce, closing with a 29-12 flourish in fattening a 75-70 advantage to 104-82. Tristian Jeffries led five in double digits, tallying 19 of his 22 points in the first half while Christian Pierre-Louis pitched in with 20 on 9-of-12 shooting.
Assumption is hanging around, tied with Southern Connecticut and St. Anselm at 7-7 in league play after splitting its latest pair of games in the Nutmeg State. In a super-tight affair at New Haven that saw both teams shoot poorly (UNH 37%, AU 36%) and with no more than six “degrees” of separation over the final 25:09, the Chargers prevailed, 54-50, allowing exactly half as many points as their previous outing vs. Bentley. Tyler Saint-Furcy sank the clinching foul shots with seven seconds on the clock and Davontrey Thomas was high man with 22 points for the winners, while Kani Glover offered the same for the Greyhounds… Assumption’s most recent win came at Southern Connecticut, 79-76, though they nearly squandered a 66-51 lead with six-and-a-half minutes to play, as Sean James’ 3-pointer brought the Owls within 78-76 in the waning moments. That’s as close as they would come, however, as Kasey Draper (21 points, 4-7 from deep) topped off the scoring with a free throw… Southern then shot 52% in downing American International at Moore Field House, engineering a 26-10 run that boosted a 41-40 lead to 67-50 midway through the second half. It would never be seriously challenged thereafter as all five Owls starters finished in double figures, led by Marty Silvera’s 20 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
Our region boasts Division 2’s top two assist men in Tray Alexander (Pace) at 7.4 per game and Silvera at 6.7 apg. Alexander also leads the nation in minutes per game at 39.2.
CACC Dribbles…
The region’s hottest team is Bloomfield, which captured its sixth straight, knocking off Wilmington at The Den, 78-70, to remain percentage points out of first in the North Division. D2 blocked shots leader Edward Ngene (10 rebounds, three swats) and reserve rookie guard Starrell Hearns each sported 14 points for the Bears, who led by as much as 70-53 with 3:28 left before the Wildcats made a late push, drawing within 75-70 before Hearns iced the game at the line with 18 seconds remaining. And it was at the foul line where Bloomfield won this game, going 26-31 compared to the Wildcats’ 14-25. Both teams were frigid from distance, combining to go 6-35 from beyond the arc… Wilmington proceeded to lose at Chestnut Hill by a whisker, 60-59, in a tug-of-war that featured eight ties, nine lead changes and no more than a four-point spread the entire second half alone! In fact, after Kamal Lee’s two foul shots with 3:09 to go, there wasn’t a single point scored the balance of the ballgame as WilmU shot a flaccid 5-12 from the foul line (CHC was 10-13) in slipping to third place in the South. Argel Pettit IV (22 points) and Alejandro Redondo Cybak (eight points, 15 rebounds, three blocks in 40 minutes) were the top performers for the Griffins, while Amiri Stewart collected 24 points for the Cats.
Post is still setting the pace in the North after pulling away from Georgian Court at the Drubner Center, firing off a 21-2 blitz upon the restart as the Eagles’ 35-31 halftime lead ballooned to 56-33 and the Lions never came closer than 16 thereafter. Deng Deang produced 23 points and nine rebounds for Post, which was outshot from the field (49%-43%) but made hay at the stripe (19-21 to 5-7) while forcing 20 turnovers in improving to 10-0 in the series. Clint Wright, Jr. generated 26 points, though it wasn’t enough to prevent the Lions’ seventh straight setback.
Third-place Felician clubbed Caldwell on the road behind Jabari Fitzpatrick’s personal bests of 27 points and 10 rebounds while playing the entire game. The freshman guard chalked up nine of his points during the Golden Falcons’ 18-6 spurt that put the game out of reach at 68-52. Darnell Evans compiled 10 points, six rebounds and five steals for the Cougars, joining their esteemed 1,000-Point Club in just his sophomore year. Felician feasted at the foul line (21-29 compared to CU’s 6-9). In a statistical rarity, both Felician teams won by the same score in the doubleheader: 79-61!
Dominican was the busiest team over the last week, going 2-1 in solidifying fourth place, a game ahead of Caldwell, winning the Monday make-up game at the Newman Center, 92-77. A 16-14 game early on quickly got out of hand thanks to a 38-14 Chargers “charge” that embellished the lead to 54-28, essentially ending all doubt as the hosts never came closer than 13 points over the final 20 minutes. Seth Sharif-Brown drove home 23 points (3-3 from 3) and Joshuel White handed out a dozen assists without scoring a point for the victors, who placed six in twin figures. Melvin Evans garnered a personal-best 17 points off the pine for Caldwell, which shot better overall (52%-48%) but was outclassed from long range (10-23 to 4-13)… Dominican survived Chestnut Hill in its Saturday home contest, scoring the game’s final seven points to prevail, 69-65. Jaden Honis’ 3-pointer with 45 seconds on the clock put the Chargers on top to stay, 67-65. Javel Cherry totaled 18 points and Sharif-Brown 13 in his first start for the winners, while Cybak (18 points, seven rebounds) and Neal Hill (two points, 19 rebounds) made the greatest impacts for the Griffins; Hill’s 19 boards establishing a school record and tying a regional season best along with New Haven’s Joshua Hopson and Caldwell’s Derrick Bueno. The previous rebounding record holder for CHC was Dan Comas, who snatched 18 on February 21, 2010 at University of the Sciences. The Griffins were the superior shooters (46%-42%) and rebounders (39-33) but were outscored 25-9 off turnovers, sealing their fate… And Dominican lost its Wednesday match-up with Bridgeport at Hubbel Gym, 93-76 as the Purple Knights triggered a critical 31-9 outburst in flipping a 56-54 deficit into an 85-65 upper hand with 3:10 left. Sam DeSouza powered the P-Knights with 19 points and 12 rebounds as they dominated the glass (54-33) in snapping a five-game slide.
Goldey-Beacom continues to set the pace in the CACC South, taking two games last week, doubling its win streak to four and opening up a 2.5-game divisional lead over idle Jefferson. During a 78-68 victory over Holy Family in Northeast Philly, Nazim Derry supplied 24 points (6-11 from 3) and doled out four assists while Zayon Marsh earned a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double for the Lightning, which bolted out to a 20-4 lead and maintained an advantage the entirety of the game. The Tigers sidled within a single point three times in the second half but could never net the equalizer as a late 9-0 rush provided the necessary cushion at 71-58… Derry’s two free throws with 4.4 seconds remaining iced an 85-80 result vs. Felician in its prior game. Marsh led a balanced attack with 18 points and nine boards, followed by Derry (16 points, six assists) and Caleb Bates (15 points off the bench). Jaylen Colon (24 points, five assists) and Fitzpatrick (23 points) played all 40 minutes for the Golden Falcons, who were outworked from behind the 3-point line (11-24 to 4-18)… Holy Family halted a five-game skid with an 81-70 triumph over Bridgeport at the Campus Center, piloted by Taz Cantey’s 21 points. DeSouza supplied 22 and seven boards for the Purple Knights.
Poll Position
St. Thomas Aquinas returned to the Top 25 this week at #25, St. Michael’s is the only other regional team receiving votes. West Texas A&M remains #1.
Outside the Region
Florida Southern withstood Palm Beach Atlantic in a Sunshine State Conference game, 117-110 in FOUR overtimes – the longest D2 game this season.
And lastly, Lincoln Memorial (TN) added 6-2 freshman guard Wes Enis to its roster in December, as he submitted 19 points in his collegiate debut. Through 10 games, he’s averaging 17.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Why is that newsworthy? Well, Enis was playing at Miami East High School in Conover, OH up until Christmas and joined the Railsplitters’ lineup without any preseason practices. “Put me in, coach – I’m ready to play!”
If you like what we do, please consider a Patreon subscription. My next Rim Shots article will be posted on Patreon early next week. That exclusive content will only be accessible to subscribers. It’s a way to cover our website costs so we can continue covering the region with the same commitment to excellence. The link is: www.patreon.com/D2easthoops. Also, please follow us on X for info and action photos at @D2EastHoops. You can also email me with any questions or comments at chrisgranozio@gmail.com. Next Around the Rim will come your way next Friday at the latest. Happy Hooping to All!