* Another busy weekend of regional action moved the needle just a bit across the board. The CACC South rolled over the CACC North (6-1) in crossover play and the NE10 bigwigs prevailed but the highlight was the long-awaited showdown atop the ECC…
* Daemen put together a big fourth quarter on Friday to deal St. Thomas Aquinas their first ECC loss of the season and take over first place in the loop, 60-57. The home-standing Wildcats (now on a 16-game home win streak) led most of the first half but the Spartans ended the half on a 9-0 run to cart a 30-24 lead into the locker room. Daemen came within a point in the third period but STAC extended the margin to 45-37 late in the frame. Daemen scored the last two points of the quarter and followed it up with an 18-6 spell to begin the last stanza, taking a 57-51 lead. STAC made a pair of triples in a 6-2 flurry to cut the deficit to 59-57 with 45 seconds left and the teams swapped turnovers before Ashli Jeune (11 points) made 1-2 at the line to push the score to 60-57 (:07.7). An open three-pointer from Ruth Adams (19 points) that would have forced overtime was off the iron, allowing the Wildcats to keep their overall win streak alive at eight and end STAC’s 11-game winning skein. Tiara Filbert (all 15 of her points in the second half; career-high 8 assists and 6 boards, also) filled the stat sheet for Daemen but Jordan Heinold (11 points, 10 minutes), Jeune, Katie Titus (11 points, 13 boards, 5 blocks) and Caroline White (9 points, 10 caroms) all played critical roles for the winners. Zaria Thomas added 13 points for the Spartans, who have only lost two regular season ECC games since the start of last season, both in Lumsden Gym. Team numbers were close but Daemen held an edge in shooting (43%-35%), boards (41-33) and paint scoring (30-12).
* For the second time this season, Adelphi surpassed triple digits, blowing out the College of Saint Rose in Garden City, 115-59. The Panthers scored at least 21 points in each quarter and led by a 56-30 halftime margin on the way to their seventh straight victory. Six players reached double digits for AU, led by Leonie Edringer (22 points, 7 boards; 11-17 FG), Fallyn Stephens (21 points; 7-11 FG, 4-8 3FG), Julia Strachan (15 points; 5-10 3FG) and Emily Miccile (15 points, 10 caroms), and they shot a blazing 59% overall. Leah Dollard (15 points; 6-9 FG) and Cameron Graupman (13 points, 7 rebounds) topped the Golden Knight scoring but they shot only 37% and lost for the tenth time in a row. Adelphi’s dominance was reflected prominently in three-point shooting (15-31; Saint Rose 1-16 3FG) and off the glass (43-27), and they are have clinched at least a tie for the NE10 Southwest Division crown.
* Stonehill pulled away from Assumption in the fourth quarter to notch a 62-53 win, their seventh in succession, and stay atop the NE10 Northeast ladder. The Skyhawks were the better unit in three of the four quarters and led 28-17 at the half but the third frame was all about the Greyhounds and it made this a close contest. AC scored 21 of the first 26 points after the restart and held a 38-33 lead with 2:21 to go in the stanza. That proved their high-water mark, as Stonehill came back and eventually took the lead for good thanks to a Kelsey Shaw trey (49-46) with 5:53 to play. The Hounds trimmed the gap to 52-50 but Stonehill scored the next six points (58-50, :58) to lock it up. Kayla Raymond (18 points, 12 boards), Gabrielle Reuter (11 points, 8 rebounds), Jennifer Worden and Emily Bramanti (11 points each) all had hands in the Stonehill attack while Emme Poulin (12 points) and Temi Falayi (10 points and a personal-high 19 rebounds) led the way for Assumption. Both teams shot poorly (Stonehill was better, 38%-29%) and they were a combined 9-44 from three-point land in a game with defense (Stonehill had a dozen blocks) at the forefront. Assumption remains tied for fourth place in the division with Southern New Hampshire but the Hounds hold the tiebreaker.
* CACC North Division leader Post fended off an upset bid from Georgian Court to collect a 65-58 victory and clinch the division title, their first in program history. As the only North Division team to win on the day, the Eagles made sure of their status and had the trio of Sha’Raya Haines (23 points, 6 boards, 5 assists), Angelica Flores (16 points; 6-8 FG, 2-4 3FG) and Taylor Williams (10 points, 9 rebounds) to thank. They blasted out to a 26-9 lead after one period but the Lions rallied and cut the deficit to 46-44 after three periods by scoring the last nine points of the frame. Post answered with a 9-1 opening salvo in the fourth quarter (55-45, 6:30) and stayed in control, although GCU did manage to get within 59-56 at the :54 mark. Williams’ three-point play with 26 ticks left (62-56) put a pin in the comeback and all but eliminated the Lions from CACC South Division playoff contention. Safiyyah Lee (12 points, 16 boards, 6 steals) and Jada Atchison (11 points) led the scoring for the Lions in a game but losing effort.
* Make it sixteen wins in a row for the University of the Sciences, this one an easy 88-58 decision at Felician. The outcome was decided early as the Devils started the game on a 22-1 run and led 27-4 after one frame (in which they made 9-14 shots, including 6-10 from three-point land, and held the Golden Falcons to 1-11 shooting while forcing nine turnovers). The tally was 48-19 at the break and 73-37 after three frames, meaning almost every Sciences player in uniform (13 of 14) scored. Jordan Vitelli (16 points; 6-8 FG, 4-6 3FG), Jess Huber (12 points) and Irisa Ye (11 points) topped the ticket for the Devils as they shot 52%, made 14-27 from deep and ruled the glass (49-35). Briana Lee (11 points) and Rosie Arias (10 points) fronted Felician’s attack but they shot just 28% overall and hit only 3-19 from long-range. Sciences holds a two-game lead in the CACC South Division over Holy Family while the Golden Falcons are almost out of playoff hopes in the CACC North Division.
* Monica Viapiano led Bentley with 22 points (and eight rebounds) as the Falcons beat Southern New Hampshire in Manchester, 76-67, to pull into a tie for second place (with idle St. Anselm) in the NE10 Northeast Division. The Falcons never trailed and led 35-27 at the interval but the Penmen were unbowed and came back to eventually tie the game at 53 after a 24-10 surge late in the third quarter. Bentley scored the last two points of the period, presaging a 14-5 start to the last quarter to make it a 69-58 game (5:38), and SNHU couldn’t fight back again. Megan Lewis (14 points) and Ella Thompson (13 points, 6 boards) lent support for the Falcons as they shot better (46%-40%) and were +10 on the glass (41-31). Victoria Dean (18 points, 6 rebounds) and Jenna Roche (13 points) led the way for the Penmen.
* Liz Millea (23 points; 4-7 3FG) and Jenna Zimmerman (20 points, 10 boards; 7-11 FG) keyed Le Moyne’s comeback win at Southern Connecticut, 69-58, allowing the Dolphins to jump idle Pace for second place in the NE10 Southwest Division. The Owls led at the break, 29-22, but LC closed the third quarter on a 12-2 burst to go ahead for good (47-46). They extend the run to 20-2 by scoring the first eight points of the final frame (55-46, 8:35) but SCSU rallied and cut the margin to 55-53 at the 5:55 mark. They were still within 62-58 (1:26) after a pair of Jessica Fressle (19 points, 6 boards) free throws but LC scored the last seven points, started by a Millea three-point play (1:08) to ice it. Erin Fouracre added 12 points for the Dolphins as they out-shot (46%-38%) and out-rebounded (36-25) the Owls. Imani Wheeler (12 points) and Amani Boston (11 points) provided depth for SCSU but they lost a chance to gain ground in the NE10 Southwest Division playoff picture.
* Holy Family wrapped up a CACC South Division playoff berth (and stayed in second place in the loop) thanks to a 56-52 victory over Caldwell. The Tigers surged ahead after a 22-all halftime tie and led by as many as ten points in the fourth quarter, holding off the Cougars down the stretch to prevail. The closest Caldwell came in the last quarter was the final margin as they stay in third place in the CACC North Division. Moe Moore (15 points, 12 boards), Elizabeth Radley (11 points, 13 rebounds) and Casey Schweitzer (10 points, 11 caroms) all double-doubled for HFU with Mia Ehling adding 12 points. Alessia Smaldone (18 points, 8 assists), Rebecca Morrison (12 points) and Tina Lebron (10 points) topped the scoring for Caldwell in a game that saw 106 of the 108 points registered by starters.
* Goldey-Beacon kept its CACC South Division playoff hopes alive with an 81-62 win over Dominican, denying the Chargers a chance to stay in the hunt for the CACC North Division title (won by Post). The Lightning took care of the hard work early, dominating the first quarter to the tune of a 27-8 lead and never looked back. The Chargers managed to get within 39-25 by halftime but were not able to crawl within single digits for the last 20 minutes. Amanda McGrogan (24 points; 7-9 FG, 10-11 FT) sparked the winners with Sarah Round (13 points, 6 boards) and Alexis Harrison (12 points, 7 rebounds) providing help. Korina Guerra (22 points, 10 caroms), Naaba-Janaan Assibe (13 points) and Khay’la Latimer (10 points, 6 boards) led the DC effort and although they did hold a big edge in second chance points (23-10), the Lightning buried them with far superior shooting (56%-27% FG) and paint points (52-18).
* Jefferson held onto their share of third place in the CACC South Division by wiping out Nyack, 79-40, for their fifth straight win. The Rams bolted to 25-6 and 47-19 leads after the initial two checkpoints and coasted in from there behind the efforts of Alynna Williams (14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists; 4-7 3FG), Sabria Lytes (11 points, 7 boards), Morgan Robinson (10 points, 6 caroms) and Haley Meinel (10 points). Kyla Given (9 points) topped a feeble Warrior attack that shot just 24% and went 2-22 from three-point turf. Jefferson shot 42% as a unit, made 7-19 from deep and won the glass, 48-34, in this comprehensive win. Despite the loss, Nyack remains in fourth place in the CACC North Division.
* Sharing third place in the CACC South with Jefferson is Chestnut Hill, a 77-71 victor against Bloomfield in New Jersey. The Griffins led most of the way but it took until the third quarter to extend their advantage to a game-high 14 points (62-48). The Bears, losers of thirteen in a row, rallied and made CHC sweat, closing to within four points twice (71-67, 2:11 and 73-69, 1:08) in the late stages, but were not able to complete the comeback. Cassie Sebold (24 points, 8 assists; 8-15 FG, 6-11 3FG), Leah Miller (19 points, 8 boards; 8-11 FG) and Lauren Crim (10 points) marshalled a Griffin effort that produced 49% shooting. Kayla Sykes (14 points, 10 boards) and Jaylah Bennett (11 points) led the Bears attack but they only shot 37% overall and are all but out of CACC North Division playoff contention.
* Micah Womack exploded for 27 points (9-15 FG, 9-15 FT) and a career-high tying 18 rebounds to lift New Haven to a 60-46 win against AIC, keeping the Chargers (in fourth place) within a game of second place in the NE10 Southwest Division. Aurora Deshaies added 9 points and 14 boards for UNH as they scored the first 11 points and led 17-3 at the end of one period. They bookended the half with another 11-0 spree to tote a 31-17 lead into the half and extended it to 38-20 thanks to an 8-3 start to the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets, on a three-game slide, never got within single digits again. Asia Turner (career-high 16 points; 6 boards), Kayla Robinson and Rashana Siders (11 points each) led the AIC offense and despite the loss, they still hold the last playoff spot in the division. New Haven smashed AIC off the glass (59-26), making amends for 30 turnovers and an 0-9 three-point showing (AIC was 6-25 from deep). AIC turned it over 17 times and was unable to take full advantage of UNH’s miscues, compiling just a 17-12 edge in points-off-TO’s.
* New York Tech beat Queens, 70-46, to extend their winning streak to four games and pull even with idle Molloy for third place in the ECC. The Bears never trailed, racing to a 34-15 halftime lead and keeping the Knights on the back foot the rest of the way. Zoe Amalbert (16 points; 6-8 FG, 4-6 3FG), Carol Arfinengo (15 points; 7-11 FG), Meg Knollmeyer (14 points) and Ketisa Athias (11 points, 6 caroms) combined to front the NY Tech attack while Lucy Tougas (15 points), Raiana Brown (14 points) and Brianne Moxley (10 points) tossed in double figures for QC. The Bears held the upper hand in most areas, including three-pointers (8-1) and points-off-turnovers (26-9). Despite the loss (their third in a row), Queens still has a half-game lead for the final ECC playoff place.
* Sara Nady (20 points) and Tashayla Sutorius (19 points, 5 rebounds; 8-9 FG, 3-3 FT) sparked Roberts Wesleyan to a 71-39 win over Mercy on Friday, allowing the Redhawks to get back to .500 in ECC play. RWC won each quarter, scored the first nine points of the night and led 16-5, 30-17 and 56-29 at the usual intervals, consigning the Mavericks to their fourth consecutive loss and denting their dimming playoff hopes. Emily Miller added 10 points and eight board for Roberts Wesleyan as they out-shot (41%-23%) Mercy and were eons better from three-point territory (RWC, 8-19; Mercy 1-20 3FG). Katie Wall (10 points) and Destinee Hall (9 points, 7 rebounds) were the bright lights for Mercy.
* Bridgeport scored the last dozen points of the night to beat the University of the District of Columbia, 53-46, and snap a ten-game losing skid. The Firebirds led a back-and-forth contest (10 ties and 12 lead changes) 46-41 with 6:37 to go when they went ice cold, missing their last eight shots (and committing four turnovers) the rest of the game. Gracen Kerr (who played all 40 minutes) gave the Purple Knights the lead for keeps with a trey at the 1:50 mark (49-46) and two foul shots each from Samirah Henderson (15 points) and Kyle Felton (14 points, 9 boards; 6-10 FG) wrapped it up. Hunter Rowson (10 points, 6 rebounds) and Maya Thomas (10 points) led the UDC scoring but they shot just 25% as a team and lost a chance to climb over Queens for the last ECC playoff spot. In fact, these two teams and Queens are locked in a struggle for the last post-season berth in the conference that seems destined to go down to the final game of the season.
* Franklin Pierce used a late 6-0 run in Vermont to take the lead for good and claim a 64-62 NE10 win over St. Michael’s, reaching double digits in overall victories for the first time since 2015-’16. Izzy Lipinski (26 points, 10 rebounds; 10-18 FG, 6-11 FT) was the lynchpin for the Ravens as these teams battled all the way (six ties and eleven lead changes). FPU led 31-25 at the half and by a 44-29 count when the Purple Knights caught fire and rode a 12-2 binge to pull within 46-41. SMC topped that with an 11-0 fourth quarter spree, flipping a 53-44 deficit (7:29) into a 55-53 lead (4:51), largely thanks to Nicole Anderson (career-high tying 26 points; 10-19 FG, 6-13 3FG), who tallied 16 points in the frame. After the teams traded the lead a few times, Demi Akins sank two foul shots with 2:28 left to put the Ravens in the lead for good, 60-59. Lipinski did the same (:46) and then scored the final blow with 9 seconds left to make it a 64-59 game and secure the result. Nicole Ladas tossed in 13 points for St. Mike’s but they have dropped eight in a row and are out of the NE10 Northeast Division playoff picture.
* Even though other results meant Wilmington is out of the CACC South Division playoff chase, the Wildcats still beat Concordia, 60-50. Sabreen Muslim (14 points, 14 rebounds), Kiara Eubanks (13 points; 6-11 FG) and Emily Ansah (10 points, 11 boards) combined to lead the WU effort, one that saw them lead 27-24 at the half and 46-37 after three frames. The Wildcats put up a 6-0 spurt early in the fourth quarter to push the gap to 52-40 (6:46) and kept the Clippers at least seven points in arrears the rest of the way to confirm the win. Nicole Nicholson (17 points; 5-11 3FG) was Concordia’s top threat but they have lost three straight and missed a chance to gain ground in the CACC North Division race. Wilmington enjoyed better shooting (37%-27% FG), rebounding (58-42) and free throw volume (WU 16-25; Concordia 3-10 FT) on the day, negating Concordia’s 5-0 edge in three-pointers.