FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2013
Additional Information Provided by SNHU Athletics Communications
BOX SCORE | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | HIGHLIGHTS
Penmen claim stake to first-ever Northeast-10
title, earn automatic qualifier to NCAA Tournament
RINDGE, N.H. - Sixth-seeded Southern New Hampshire University claimed its first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball Championship Saturday afternoon with an 85-74 road victory over fourth-seeded Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H.
With the victory, the Penmen (19-10) receive an automatic berth to the 2013 NCAA Division II Championship Tournament, their first bid since 2005.
The Ravens (21-8) are still expected to receive an at-large bid when the field is announced Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. on NCAA.com, and it is likely that as many as five Northeast-10 teams will be selected to the NCAA field.
So. New Hampshire freshman Rodney Sanders (pictured, below) was named Most Outstanding Player of the Northeast-10 Championship after averaging 17.0 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 68 percent over three victories in championship play. Sanders joined teammates BJ Cardarelli, who had 23 points on Saturday, and CJ Marriro on the All-Championship Team.
So. New Hampshire, which was picked 12th in the Northeast-10 preseason coaches' poll, earns its first NCAA berth since 2005 and the 17th in program history. The win marks So. New Hampshire's first Northeast-10 title in its third finals appearance, and is the seventh conference title in program history, as the Penmen captured six New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) crowns before that league ceased operation in 2000.
Cardarelli led four Penmen in double figures, finishing 9-of-13 shooting and six rebounds. Mike Stys totaled 18 points, going 7-of-8 from the free throw line and 5-of-9 from the field, while Sanders finished with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, knocking down a pair of three pointers. Elijah Bonsignore recorded 11 points, five rebounds, five assists and a pair of blocked shots off the bench.
Franklin Pierce was led by Ellis Cooper, who totaled 23 points and eight rebounds, while Eric Jean-Guillaume and Ryen Vilmont each finished with 15 points. Cooper and Jean-Guillaume were also named to the All-Championship Team.
So. New Hampshire, which led 38-24 at halftime, opened up a 16-point advantage, 50-34, with 15:28 remaining following a Sanders three that capped a 9-0 run. A 9-2 Raven spurt pulled the hosts within nine, 52-43, with 13:21 to go. The Penmen lead fluctuated between nine and 13 for the next several minutes, but with 8:41 left, a three by Scotty Tavares-Taylor pulled Franklin Pierce within seven, 60-53.
Franklin Pierce cut the lead to seven four more times, the last on a Jean-Guillaume layup with 2:29 left, but could not make it a two-possession game. With So. New Hampshire leading 74-66 after Cooper made 1-of-2 at the free throw line with 1:38 to go, Cardarelli hit the dagger with 1:04 left with his three from the right corner that made it 77-66. After Jean-Guillaume missed a three at the other end and Bonsignore controlled the rebound, So. New Hampshire sealed the victory by going 8-of-10 at the free throw line in the final 50.1 seconds.
The two teams traded the lead three times in the early going before So. New Hampshire reeled off 10 unanswered points and a Phillip Tripodakis layup with 11:41 to go in the first half gave the guests a 20-12 lead. An 10-4 spurt pulled the Ravens within two, 24-22, with 5:59 to go, but the Penmen allowed just one Franklin Pierce field goal the rest of the half and a 14-2 run to close the frame gave So. New Hampshire a 38-24 lead at intermission.
So. New Hampshire shot 57.1 percent over the final 20 minutes and 52.2 percent for the contest, the fifth time in the last six games the Penmen have shot 50 percent or better. The Penmen connected on eight of its 21 three-point attempts and was 21-24 at the free throw line while outrebounding Franklin Pierce, 33-24. Franklin Pierce shot 48.4 percent over the final 20 minutes and stayed in the game by converting five of 12 threes in the second half, but shot 43.1 percent for the game and just 28.6 percent behind the arc after going 1-9 in the first stanza.
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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