Thirty-four of the 39 regional teams took to the courts on Saturday, with some huge clashes in the mix. Let’s kick off the grand recap with a major match-up between the ECC’s elite:
BRIDGEPORT 74 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 65
Sharif Cobb scored 16 points, including a dagger 3-pointer with 42 seconds to play to lead #20 Bridgeport past St. Thomas Aquinas in Sparkill for its region-best 12th straight win, a season series sweep and a virtual stranglehold on the ECC regular-season title quest. The Purple Knights led the majority of the game, and by as much as 40-29 just over a minute into the second half when the Spartans engineered a 15-2 run, capped by a go-ahead jumper from James Mitchell (seven points) that made it 44-42 with 12:54 left. The game remained a tug-of-war the rest of the way, with the visitors clinging to a 68-65 lead at the 42-second mark when Cobb (seven rebounds) banged the big trey to double the margin, 71-65. From there, Bridgeport nailed three of four at the foul line to close out the scoring, giving them a two-game lead in the standings, but three counting the tiebreaker. D’vonne Trumbo recorded 12 points and eight assists for the Purple Knights, who also received 10 second-half points from Vakas Iqbal. Justin Reyes topped the scorecard for STAC with 21 points (7-9 FG) and 13 rebounds, but nearly made it a dubious triple-double with nine turnovers. Shaq McFarlan (16 points) and Jamar Sudan (13 points, 10 boards off the bench) also played well for the Spartans, who were outshot overall (45%-37%) and from beyond the arc (8-22 to 3-16) while getting punished 26-14 off turnovers. They stayed close by making twice as many foul shots (24-32 to 12-17) and winning the glass, 42-28.
BLOOMFIELD 86 JEFFERSON 85 (OT)
The two divisional leaders in the CACC squared off in Philadelphia, where Bloomfield outlasted Jefferson in overtime for its first win at the Gallagher Center in just over nine years (71-62 on February 7, 2009). Safee Abdus-Sabur led the charge with 22 points (4-6 from 3-point range) and eight rebounds, and it was his two free throws with 16 seconds remaining in OT that ended the topsy-turvy affair and gave the Bears their fifth straight triumph, clinching at least a tie for the North Division title. Bloomfield led 60-55 inside of the nine-minute mark when the Rams spun off a 13-2 run, grabbing a 68-62 advantage on a 3-ball from Kylan Guerra (24 points, 9-13 FG, 4-8 from deep, four assists) with 6:11 to go. The visitors clawed their way back, knotting the score at 75-75 on a Nick Davidson trey with eight seconds on the clock. Kaison Randolph missed a potential winning three at the buzzer, necessitating the extra period, where Jefferson jumped in front 81-76. Abdus-Sabur followed with a lay-up and 3-pointer to even things up at the 2:05 mark, and the lead swapped hands three more times, culminating in the winning tosses as Prince Hickson’s driving lay-up in traffic failed to fall as time expired, bringing an end to the Rams’ six-game win streak and consigning them to second in the South. Davidson totaled 19 points and six rebounds for the Bears, who also landed Keith Washington (15 points, eight assists) and Matt Lajeunesse (10 points on 5-for-5 shooting) in double figures. All five Jefferson starters finished in doubles, including Hickson (18 points, 7-10 FG), Randolph (14 points, six boards), Alexander Gorton (13, 8) and Yevgen Sakhniuk (10 points, 5-6 FG, four assists). Both sides shot 51% from the field and finished with positive assist-turnover ratios (BC 17/7, JU 16/13).
GOLDEY-BEACOM 93 CONCORDIA 61
Goldey-Beacom has now usurped Jefferson for first in the South after blasting Concordia at the Joseph West Jones Center in a game featuring teams headed in completely opposite directions. Corey Taite registered 19 points (6-9 FG, 4-5 from 3) to lead six in twin figures for the Lightning, who led from wire to wire, using a 10-0 spell to open up a 33-17 lead, then used a 19-6 charge at the start of the second half in expanding the gulf to 74-48 after a put-back by Chandler Levingston Simon (career highs of 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench) with 12:29 to play. The margin maxed out at 91-57 before the dust settled as Goldey snagged its seventh straight win and sent its guests to a sixth consecutive defeat. Mahir Johnson netted 17 points (3-5 from long range) and dished out four assists in a reserve role for the victors, who also received noteworthy outings from Isiah Graves (13 points), Troy Stancil (11) and Dante Thompson (10 points, nine caroms). Baron Goodridge (15 bench points), Alex White, Jr. (personal-best 10 points) and Cedric McFadden (10 points, five helpers) were the top options for the Clippers, who were eliminated from postseason contention. The Lightning proved the superior shooting team (47%-36%), especially from distance (14-28 to 6-24) and the line (13-16 to 11-22), while also winning the rebound battle (48-34), doling out more than twice as many assists (21-10) and scoring much more often off of turnovers (25-11).
DOMINICAN 72 WILMINGTON 63
Michael Richardson matched his personal best with 16 points off the bench and Ian Gardener posted 15 points with seven rebounds to carry Dominican past Wilmington in Orangeburg to remain entrenched in second. The Chargers trailed 48-45 inside of 12 minutes to go when Jonathan Garcia (four points, eight rebounds, six assists) scored a lay-up to set in motion a 14-4 run and put his team on top for good at 62-52 with 7:50 remaining. The Wildcats – who played without leading scorer Nick Richards – came within three points twice down the stretch – the last time at 66-63 – and Jermaine Head just missed a potential tying trifecta with 1:15 on the clock before Gardener came up with a huge bucket 14 seconds later, commencing a 6-0, game-ending flourish. Daraja Rodwell dropped a dozen for Dominican, while Head spearheaded the Wildcats' attack with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. He was flanked by Miles Gillette (15 points, nine boards), Shawn Church (11, 7) and Paul Medlin – the team's only bench player (10 points). The Cats – who remain third in the South – hampered their chances with a 5-for-11 performance at the stripe.
SCIENCES 68 POST 57
University of the Sciences is now just a half-game behind Wilmington for third after upending Post at Morgan Arena thanks chiefly to honored seniors Will Gregorits (21 points, 16 rebounds) and Flo Da-Silva (19 points, 7-10 FG, six caroms, four steals). The Devils never trailed on the afternoon, though their lead was a tenuous 45-44 over six minutes into the second stanza when Gregorits knocked down a pair of foul shots (the hosts were a perfect 16-for-16 at the line, compared to PU’s 2-of-5, and have now gone two straight games without a FT miss) to spark an 11-2 spurt and provide some breathing room at 56-46 near the midway mark. The margin barely budged between seven and 10 until Paddy Casey (12 points) meshed two more freebies with 37 seconds to play, sealing the deal. Brendan Crawford collected all 14 of his points in the first 12:23 for USciences, which was the superior shooting (52%-43%) and rebounding (33-24) team. Savion Boissard (13 points), Darrick Boyd (12) and Tyler Desrosiers (11 points, four assists) were the primary threats for the Eagles, who are a game-and-a-half behind idle Felician for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North. There were only 16 fouls whistled in the contest, only six on the Devils.
Le MOYNE 80 SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 70
The two hottest teams in the NE10 squared off in New Haven, where Le Moyne downed old NECC foe Southern Connecticut for its 10th straight triumph, clinching at least a tie for the league’s best record. For the second straight game, Isaiah Eisendorf eclipsed his career high, delivering 23 points (9-12 FG) along with six rebounds and two blocked shots, while fellow senior Tyquan Rolon hit for 21 points (8-11 FG, 3-4 from deep) and seven boards as the Dolphins trailed just once in the second half (41-40) before reeling off 13 straight to seize the reins at 53-41 with 12:43 left. Robert Jones III (10 points) jump-started the surge with a trifecta, and the divide hovered between 10 and 15 over the final 7:10 as the visitors shot at a higher clip (49%-40%) and outscored Southern 14-4 off turnovers. Jerry Luckett, Jr. was high man for the fourth-place Owls with 18 points, followed by Isaiah McLeod (14) and Ulyen Coleman (12) as their team’s six-game win streak came to an end. Both teams shot an identical 13-for-16 at the foul line.
SAINT ROSE 84 NEW HAVEN 68
Eleven of 12 players scored field goals, led by Mical-Ryan Boyd’s 16-point, four-assist effort, as Saint Rose cruised past third-place New Haven at Nolan Gym to secure at least second in the Southwest Division. Julian Lipinsky chalked up 13 points and Jamaal Greenwood 12 for the Golden Knights, who trailed just once (13-12) before orchestrating a 23-2 blitz to grab control at 35-15. The lead never dipped below 15 in the second half as the hosts enjoyed as much as a 62-36 bulge following two Boyd free throws with 9:35 remaining. Elijah Bailey garnered 19 points for the Chargers, who also saw Danny Upchurch pitch in with 16 points and four assists. Saint Rose made 53% of its shots and 10-of-15 from downtown Albany (UNH was 44% and 6-22 by comparison) while winning the glass (36-25), handing out twice as many assists (16-8) and outscoring its guests 17-6 on the break.
ADELPHI 85 PACE 67
Don’t look now but Adelphi has sidled within a half-game of the fifth and final playoff spot in the division after hammering old NYCAC rival Pace in Garden City. All eight Panthers who saw action notched at least five points, fronted by Michael Coffey (16 points), Jack Laffey (13 points, six rebounds), Terrel Martin-Garcia (13 points, 6-9 FG), Tavon Ginyard (13 points in a reserve role) and Conor McGuinness (10 points, 11 assists). The hosts only trailed on one occasion (5-4) before establishing a 44-18 chasm shortly before halftime. The lead crested at 62-32 following a McGuinness three with 15:11 to go, and never dwindled below the 18-point final spread as Adelphi proved the more accurate shooters (53%-41%), especially from beyond the arc (13-35 to 5-16). There were also sizeable advantages in assists (19-7) and points off turnovers (17-3). Austin Gilbertson sported 21 points for the Setters, who also landed Brandon Jacobs (15 points, seven rebounds) and Peyton Wejnert (15 points) in double figures.
ST. ANSELM 86 BENTLEY 66
The top three clubs in the Northeast Division all earned victories on Saturday. At Stoutenburgh Gym, Cody Ball produced 24 points (6-12 from 3) while Taylor Fortin compiled 20 points (8-12 FG), six rebounds and seven assists to power first-place St. Anselm past Bentley in a wire-to-wire triumph. A 47-43 game three-and-a-half minutes into the second half, Chris Paul (10 points, 4-5 FG) converted a traditional 3-point play to trigger a 15-2 run and extend the Hawks’ lead to 62-45 with 12:31 on the clock. The divide bounced between 11 and 22 the rest of the way as St. A’s shot better from the floor (51%-43%) and even better from 3-point territory (11-26 to 4-18) while also dominating the backboards (44-30) and accounting for 20 of the game’s 26 assists. Tim Guers cashed in 18 points, 10 rebounds and five helpers for the Hawks, while Ryan Richmond (22 points) and Chris Hudson (15) did the heavy lifting for the Falcons, who lost their second game in four days in Manchester, ending a stretch of 13 games alternating wins and losses. They remain tied for fourth in the Northeast Division.
MERRIMACK 74 SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 58
Merrimack stays a game back after getting back on track vs. Southern New Hampshire in North Andover. Juvaris Hayes drove home 17 points and distributed seven assists for the Warriors, who led 23-9 at the outset before the Penmen crept within 51-49 on a Daquaise Andrews lay-up with 10:12 to play in the second half. A 10-0 streak, culminating in a Ryan Boulter bomb at the 7:18 mark, fleshed out the lead to 61-49, and the margin ranged between 10 and 16 the balance of the ballgame. Boulter contributed 16 points and Khalief Crawford 11 (5-7 FG) for Merrimack, which shot at a much higher clip (57%-39%) while dominating in the paint (42-26) and feasting off turnovers (22-7). Chris Walters turned in a 27-point (4-7 from 3), six-rebound performance in a losing cause for the Penmen, who also received 15 points from Andrews. SNHU is tied with Bentley for fourth.
STONEHILL 84 FRANKLIN PIERCE 78
Will Moreton accumulated 25 points (9-16 FG), 11 rebounds and five assists in leading third-place Stonehill past Franklin Pierce at the FPU Field House for its fourth straight victory. In a game that saw 11 ties, nine lead changes and nothing more than four points of separation over the first 21 minutes, the Skyhawks took control with a 16-5 second-half upswing that stretched a tentative 50-48 lead to 66-53 with 11:43 left. The Ravens – who are still a game behind Bentley and Southern New Hampshire for the final playoff spot – came as close as 82-78 after two Jordan Lackey free throws with 18 ticks remaining, but Owen Chose closed the books with two of his own four seconds later, capping his 12-point bench outing. Daniel Largey supplied 15 points and six rebounds to Stonehill’s cause, while KJ Lee chipped in with 11 points (5-6 FG). Mike McDevitt generated 24 points and eight rebounds for Pierce, followed by Doyin Fadojutimi (16, 6), Falu Seck (14 points, six rebounds, six assists) and Lackey (14 points). The Skyhawks were bettered on the boards (40-33) and on second chances (12-2) but made more trips to the foul line (18-22 to 10-12), helping their cause.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 83 MERCY 81
The most dramatic finish of the day occurred in Washington as Danny Shand’s basket at the buzzer lifted District of Columbia past Mercy and into a four-team scrum for the sixth and final playoff spot in the ECC hierarchy, a game-and-a-half off the pace. The Firebirds trailed the entirety of the opening period, and the deficit grew to 60-49 near the midway point of the second half before UDC began chipping away, ultimately grabbing its first lead at 78-77 on a tran-slam by Maurice Waters (nine points, six rebounds off the bench) off Shand’s sixth steal of the game with 2:05 to go. Sal Barbetto (21 points, 8-13 FG) sank the tying and go-ahead foul shots with 1:40 on the clock, but Shand – who tallied 18 points – followed suit seven seconds later, making it 80-79 in favor of the hosts. Reserve rookie guard Matthew Alectus then came though with a huge hoop inside at the 50-second juncture to put the Mavericks back up on the see-saw, 81-80, but Shand split a pair at the stripe with 37 seconds to play, evening things up for the last time. Mercy turned it over on a shot clock violation on its next possession and Shand made them pay, hitting a runner in the lane as the final horn sounded. Traevon Butler (18 points), Kevin Cox (13 points, 3-4 from afar, six rebounds) and Khalil Jackson (10 points) made impacts for the Firebirds, who won despite being outshot (53%-46%) and outrebounded (37-33). They atoned for those disparities by shooting more efficiently from long distance (6-11 to 6-22) and outscoring their guests 18-11 off turnovers. Kelvin Howard gathered 13 points and eight rebounds for the Mavs, who also placed Brandon Smith (11 points, 5-6 FG) and Marko Kozul (10 points, seven caroms off the bench) in twin figures, but fell a half-game behind both Queens and Molloy in the chase for the final tournament berth.
QUEENS 79 LIU POST 66
Queens grabbed a share of the last playoff slot after holding off LIU Post in a tight one at Fitzgerald Gym. Isaac Grant paved the way for the Knights with 17 points (7-10 FG) and career-high four blocks, while Simon Green (13 points) and Tyrone Hall (11 points, six rebounds) provided solid support. The hosts led 51-44 when Jared Rivers splashed a 3-pointer to ignite a 12-4 run and give the Pioneers a 56-55 edge with seven minutes left. It was 61-59 after another Rivers triple nearly three minutes later before Grant came up big down the stretch with the tying and go-ahead jumpers, touching off a crucial 8-0 flurry that put Queens in control 67-61 with 11 seconds remaining. Rivers rang up 16 of his 20 points (4-8 from deep) after the break for LIU Post, while adding eight rebounds and seven assists to his ledger. Kyle McLeggan offered 15 points and Hunter Powell a career-best 12 on perfect 6-of-6 shooting, to go along with six rebounds, in a strong bench outing, though it wasn’t quite enough to overcome a 15-8 turnover disparity. The Pioneers were more accurate from distance (7-17 to 8-29) and won the glass, 34-30. They still maintain a one-game edge on idle Roberts Wesleyan for the coveted fourth playoff berth.
MOLLOY 86 NYIT 73
Molloy is also tied for sixth after pulling away from Long Island rival New York Institute of Technology in Rockville Centre, avenging a road loss last month (NYIT’s lone ECC win). Mike Torre exploded for a career-high 30 points (12-16 FG) and pulled down six rebounds for the Lions, who also saw Curtis Jenkins crank out 23 points (8-13 FG), including the 1,000th of his career, to go along with five assists. Molloy sprinted out to leads of 18-8 and 35-21 before settling for a 36-28 upper hand at halftime. It was just a two-possession game (69-63) four-and-a-half minutes after the restart when Nick Corbett (10 points, four helpers) converted a lay-up to launch a 12-2 jaunt and lengthen the lead to 81-65 with 2:15 to go, essentially ending all doubt. Jeffrey Hayden had the hot hand for the Bears with 34 points (8-13 FG, 17-19 FT), 13 rebounds and four assists in a rare bench outing, while Domonic Josephs and Laurynas Stonkas (2-2 from 3) both submitted a dozen in NYIT’s 11th consecutive defeat. The Lions shot it better (53%-39%), neutralizing a 29-18 shortfall in mistake points, The sloppy game was marred by 46 turnovers, 53 fouls and 64 free-throw attempts.
CALDWELL 72 CHESTNUT HILL 62
Ruud Lutterman deposited 15 points (7-11 FG) and Eric Johnson-Alford 13 in Caldwell’s victory over Chestnut Hill at Sorgenti Arena, solidifying third place in the CACC North. The Cougars – who also received 11 points from Vaughn Covington – led 54-42 with eight-and-a-half minutes to play, but the Griffins twice slashed their deficit to five points – the last instance at 59-54 before Johnson-Alford canned back-to-back lay-ups to unleash a 10-2, game-clinching spurt that provided the game’s widest spread at 69-56 with 1:34 on the clock. Demetrius Isaac logged 18 of his 22 points (7-11 FG, 8-8 FT) after intermission for Chestnut Hill, which also received 17 points from Chris Evans. Caldwell flexed its muscle in the paint (40-24) and scored twice as often on second chances (18-9) while nailing 9-of-12 at the stripe over the final 2:16 to secure the spoils. Both teams struggled from downtown Philadelphia (CU 5-17, CHC 4-23).
ST. MICHAEL’S 83 ASSUMPTION 80
Levi Holmes III remains the region’s hottest player, racking up another 33 points and snatching six rebounds in fueling St. Michael’s past Assumption in Worcester, snapping an eight-game slide in the process. Eli DiGrande chimed in with 15 points and eight boards for the Purple Knights, who constructed a 48-27 lead late in the first half and broadened it to 55-37 with 16-and-a-half minutes remaining before the Greyhounds made a furious push, outscoring their guests 19-4 and closing within 59-56 following a Branislav Vujodinovic steal and lay-up with 12:55 left. The game remained tight the rest of the way, with the exception of a 10-4 rush that gave the P-Knights an 80-72 advantage with 1:15 to go. It was far from over, however, as the Hounds closed within 82-80 on a Matthew Kelly trey with nine seconds on the clock. Holmes was fouled and split a pair at the line with 6.8 seconds showing, leaving the door ajar, but Kelly’s potential tying 3-pointer was off the mark as time expired. Jordan Guzman managed 11 points (4-5 FG) and six assists for St, Mike’s, which also welcomed back Colin Richey (10 points off the bench), who missed six games due to injury. All five Hounds reached double digits in defeat, led by Kelly (26 points, 6-10 from long range, six assists) and supported by Vujodinovic (14 points), Patrick Fleming (11 points, seven helpers), Joe Sullivan (11 points, nine boards) and Bryan Boehlert (10 points). Both teams shot well (SMC 51%, AC 49%) and boasted strong assist-turnover lines (SMC 17/6, AC 19/12).
NYACK 63 HOLY FAMILY 56
All 10 players scored field goals in a super-balanced effort as Nyack turned aside Holy Family at Bowman Gym, keeping alive its flickering postseason hopes. Three was the largest lead of the last 12:52 of the first half, and it carried over to the 14:30 stage of the second when Elijah Farley drilled a triple to give the Warriors a 44-38 advantage. The divide widened to 59-48 on a Carl Balthazar basket with 4:59 on the clock, and the Tigers never came closer than seven thereafter, falling for a region-worst 12th straight time. Farley paced Nyack with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point land. Balthazar stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a reserve role, while Curtis Thompson finished with 10 points off the pine himself for the winning side. Ryan Corcoran carried the load for Holy Family with a career-high 19 points (5-8 from deep) off the bench. He was supported by Terrell Jones (13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists) and Jalen Thompson (10 points) but the Tigers shot a shade under 30% from the field (NC was 43%) and 10-for-37 from afar (NC was 6-20) while getting blitzed on the boards (52-36) and surrendering all 12 second-chance points. They stayed close thanks to a 19-11 edge in turnovers.