Championship Central
SNHU and Pace Advance to NE10 Final
No. 5 Pace 72, No. 1 Adelphi 68 (OT) Box Score
On Wednesday night, spectators were treated to an epic battle in the NE10 conference semifinal round between #5 Pace and #1 Adelphi University. After the contest could not be decided in regulation, the Setters went the distance to capture the hard-fought victory over the Panthers, 72-68.
The semifinals victory advances the Setters to uncharted territory with their first-ever appearance in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship.
Fresh off their win, Pace will have two days to prepare for their championship clash against the #2 seeded Penmen of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). The action is set for Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in Manchester, NH.
Here's What Happened
- In the first half, neither side pulled away significantly, bringing a 35-30 score to the locker room in favor of the home squad.
- Adelphi went ahead, 38-30, early on in the second but could never manage to increase the lead to double digits. Faced with a difficult task on the road, the Setters slowly chipped away, eventually tying the game at 39 with under 15 minutes left.
- Both teams traded blows throughout the half as the game remained within five points the rest of the way. With under a minute remaining, a downtown make from the Panthers helped give the lead to the home side, 60-58.
- Trey Boyd III answered back immediately on the other end of the court, draining a mid-range look to even up the contest. In the final moments of regulation, opportunities fell short, and overtime was needed to decide a winner.
- Nearly two and a half minutes passed before the first field goal found the net in overtime. A layup in the paint from Jaden Kealey put Pace ahead, 64-60, with under three minutes in extra action.
- The Setters brought out the clamps on defense and forced their opponents into contested shots from out of their comfort zone. The Panthers were forced to send Pace to the free-throw line, where Jabari Nurse finally put the game out of reach with two makes.
- When the clock struck zero, the Blue and Gold led by four points, 72-68, earning the win and their first appearance in the NE10 Conference Championship.
Box Score Insights
- Alexander registered a team-high 20 points alongside three steals and four assists. The Freeport, N.Y. native has been blistering as of late, averaging 22.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.4 steals over his last five performances.
- Jamaal Waters played a key role in the victory, posting a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. The senior was a force on the defensive end, notching a career-best mark of five steals.
- Three other Setters scored in double figures with Boyd III (12 points, 4 rebounds), Jabari Nurse (11 points, 8 rebounds), and Darren Fergus (10 points, 4 assists) helping lead the charge.
- The game was heavily decided on the glass as Pace racked up 15 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second-chance points.
- Points off turnovers also had a significant impact for the road squad as the Setters produced 21 compared to the Panthers' seven.
- In overtime, the Setters held Adelphi to 1-6 field goals (16.6%) while going a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe to help solidify the win.
Up Next (#2 Southern New Hampshire University)
The Northeast-10 Championship concludes on Saturday afternoon with a showdown between two of the conference's best #5 Pace and #2 SNHU. The opening tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Saturday from the Stan Spirou Field House.
- Recap Courtesy of Pace Athletics -
No. 2 SNHU 58, No. 3 Bentley 56 Box Score
It was a tense, grind it out type of battle at SNHU Wednesday night. The defending NE10 Champions and No. 2 seeded SNHU Penmend defeated the No. 3 Bentley Falcons 58-56 to make the NE10 Final and defend their title.
From the tip, you knew this was going to be a battle of the league's best. Each team nailed a three pointer to set the tone of the game. For the first fourteen minutes of the first half neither team led by more than four, before Bentley went on a run led by Cooper Farrall, Chase Clarke, and an Aaron Latham three stretched it to 10 with four and a half minutes to go. SNHU immediately answered with a Paul Greene layup, two jumpers from Royce Williams, and a Kurtis Henderson three cut it to two. Farrall would answer with a three of his own and after an SNHU free throw, the Falcons led 34-30 at the half.
While the scoring in the second half was harder to come by, Farrall and Greene scored the first few points for their schools the first three minutes. After a Farrall three pointer the Falcon lead was nine before Greene of SNHU answered again. However, with 12:32 to go Bentley led by nine again. While the Penmen chipped away again, Bentley hit two three's and a jumper in the lane to go up by as many as 11 with 7:46 to go. For the next three minutes SNHU went on an 11-0 run with an old fashion three point play by Brenden Choate, three pointers from Kyle Rocker and Royce Williams, and another Williams jumpshot. All of a sudden with four minutes to play it was 54-54.
The final three minutes was a hard fought battle where both defenses held strong for most of the clock. Cash McClure made a jumper for Bentley, but it was quickly answered by another Royce Williams three pointer to take a 57-56 lead. Williams would finish with 16 points, second on the team only to Paul Greene. Both defenses battled the final two minutes with multiple blocks and steals, before Bentley's last possession with 20 seconds to go. Again it was Williams who was there to steal the ball with four seconds to go. Jhamyl Fricas would hit a free throw with under a second to go to clinch a two point 58-56 victory.
The Penmen will host No. 5 Pace who upset No. 1 Adelphi Wednesday night. The Penmen will defend their title in the NE10 Final on Saturday March 8. Tip off is currently scheduled for 3pm at the Stan Spirou Field House.
2025 NE10 Men's Basketball Championship
|
|
NE10 |
| 1. |
Adelphi |
17-3 |
| 2. |
Southern New Hampshire * |
14-6 |
| 3. |
Bentley * |
14-6 |
| 4. |
Assumption * |
14-6 |
| 5. |
Pace * |
14-6 |
| 6. |
Southern Connecticut |
12-8 |
| 7. |
Saint Anselm |
9-11 |
| 8. |
New Haven |
7-13 |
| 9. |
Saint Michael's |
4-16 |
| 10. |
American International |
3-17 |
| 11. |
Franklin Pierce |
2-18 |
* Within the mini-conference, Bentley & SNHU finished 4-2 and Assumption & Pace finished 2-4. Bentley and SNHU were 1-1 vs. each other during the regular season. When comparing results vs. teams occupying the highest position in the standings, SNHU earned the #2 seed based on their 1-1 regular season record vs. Adelphi (Bentley was 0-2 vs. Adelphi). Assumption earned the #4 seed based on their 2-0 record vs. Pace during the regular season.
First Round – Friday, February 28th:
Game 1: #9 Saint Michael's 66, #8 New Haven 58
Game 2: #7 Saint Anselm 84, #10 American International 53
Game 3: #6 SCSU 85, #11 Franklin Pierce 76
Quarterfinals – Sunday, March 2nd:
Game 4: #1 Adelphi 85, #9 Saint Michael's 77
Game 5: #7 Saint Anselm at #2 SNHU 78, #7 Saint Anselm 70
Game 6: #3 Bentley 87, #6 SCSU 84 (OT)
Game 7: #5 Pace 74, #4 Assumption 72
Semifinals – Wednesday, March 5th (at highest remaining seeds):
Game 8: #5 Pace 72, #1 Adelphi 68 (OT)
Game 9: #2 SNHU 58, #3 Bentley 56
Championship – Saturday, March 8th (at highest remaining seed):
Game 10: #5 Pace at #2 SNHU - 3pm
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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