Saint Anselm to Host NE10 Championship Game on Saturday.
MANSFIELD, Mass. - Wednesday was a wild night in the Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball Championship semifinals, as New Haven outlasted Stonehill in a three-overtime thriller at Merkert Gymnasium to advance to its second-straight league title game. In the other matchup, top-seeded Saint Anselm rolled past Franklin Pierce, earning the right to host on Saturday at the Stoutenburgh Gym.
The Chargers played a back-and-forth game with the Skyhawks, eventually winning an intense 101-100 contest after miraculous, late-game shots by both teams. The three overtimes ties the longest game in NE10 men's basketball playoff history, as Stonehill and Merrimack also played a trio of extra periods in the semifinals in 1992.
Meanwhile, the Hawks beat the Ravens, 80-66, extending their winning streak to 10 games overall. Saint Anselm, the No. 1 seed in the Northeast Division, will host Saturday's championship game at 1 p.m. and the action will be live on NE10NOW.tv.
No. 1 Saint Anselm 80, No. 3 Franklin Pierce 66 - Box Score
MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Anselm men's basketball team is moving on to the Northeast-10 Conference championship game on Saturday after defeating Franklin Pierce on Wednesday in the NE10 semifinals.
The Hawks, who won by a score of 80-66, improve to 20-8 on the season. Saint Anselm, winner of 10 games in a row, will entertain the New Haven Chargers on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Stoutenburgh Gymnasium. Saint Anselm has now defeated Franklin Pierce three times this season.
The Hawks will play for its ninth NE10 postseason title – no other NE10 program has more than four league championships to its credit. Saint Anselm, owners of a 53-30 record in NE10 postseason play, will also make its league-leading 14th appearance in the conference championship game.
Recording the team's seventh 20-win season in the last eight years, the Hawks were led by a 28-point performance by junior Chris Paul, who earlier this week was selected as a First Team All-Conference honoree. Classmate Gustav Suhr-Jessen had 15 points and 13 rebounds with senior Danny Evans producing 12 points with 10 boards.
Freshman Tyler Arbuckle logged 13 points and four caroms with sophomore Miles Tention cashing in with eight points, eight assists and five rebounds. Freshman Matt Relihan was responsible for a career-best seven rebounds and two points off the bench for the Hawks.
HAWKS MAKE A STATEMENT! @STAHawks advance to the NE10 Men's �� Championship game with an 80-66 win over Franklin Pierce.
— The NE10 (@TheNortheast10) March 5, 2020
Chris Paul with a game-high 28 points on Wednesday! #NE10EMBRACE pic.twitter.com/Zy6EBiyC3M
No. 5 New Haven 101, No. 2 Stonehill 100 (3OT) - Box Score
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – In what could arguably be called the best Division II basketball game in the East Region this season, the New Haven men's basketball team (15-14 overall) survived a three OT battle with Stonehill to advance to the Northeast-10 Conference championship game for the second straight season. The Chargers will travel to Saint Anselm on Saturday to battle for its first NE10 Championship in program history with tip-off against the Hawks slated for 1:00 p.m.
The Chargers looked to be in perfect position to win with a half second left in the second overtime after the first of what could have been back-to-back SportsCenter Top-10 plays when Quashawn Lane tracked down a loose ball in the corner, turned and drained a three pointer to give the Chargers a two-point lead. The Skyhawks would go the length of the floor, thanks in part to a tipped ball out of bounds on the initial inbound play, and score on a tip-in with 0.2 seconds remaining to force the third OT.
In the third extra period, the Chargers would open up a four-point lead in the first 2:30 thanks to buckets from Derrick Rowland and Kessly Felizor. The second of those buckets, from the Chargers big man inside, was matched 16 seconds later by a three pointer from the Skyhawks' Will Moreton, the NE10 Player of the Year. That three pointer would turn out to be the final points of the night. A three pointer from Davontrey Thomas with six seconds remaining was off the mark and the Skyhawks, who corralled the loose ball rebound, managed a last-second three point attempt from Moreton that was tipped on its way up and fell short of the mark.
FIRST, @UNHChargers Quashawn Lane NAILS a corner three in 2OT with 0.5 seconds remaining.....#NE10EMBRACE pic.twitter.com/0xY5iBGGqi
— The NE10 (@TheNortheast10) March 5, 2020
And then, THIS HAPPENED. @GoStonehill Andrew Sims, with 0.2 seconds, with his LEFT HAND AT THE BUZZER!
— The NE10 (@TheNortheast10) March 5, 2020
It sent the game to triple overtime! ��#NE10EMBRACE | #SCTop10 | @ESPNAssignDesk @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/0GYh2uD35q
NE10 Men's Basketball Championship
Northeast Division:
1. Saint Anselm (14-5)
2. Stonehill (13-6)
3. Franklin Pierce (10-9)
4. Bentley (9-10)
5. Southern New Hampshire (9-10)
Southwest Division:
1. Le Moyne (15-4)
2. Adelphi (11-8)
3. Southern Connecticut (11-8)
4. Pace (10-9)
5. New Haven (10-9)
First Round Friday, February 28th:
Game 1: New Haven (No. 5 seed SW) 88, Bentley (No. 4 seed NE) 82 (2OT)
Game 2: Pace (No. 4 seed SW) 90, Southern New Hampshire (No. 5 seed NE) 75
Quarterfinals Sunday, March 1st:
Game 3: New Haven (No. 5 seed SW) 75, Le Moyne (No. 1 seed SW) 73
Game 4: Saint Anselm (No. 1 seed NE) 82, Pace (No. 4 seed SW) 77
Game 5: Franklin Pierce (No. 3 seed NE) 76, Adelphi (No. 2 seed SW) 74
Game 6: Stonehill (No. 2 seed NE) 86, Southern Connecticut (No. 3 seed SW) 71
Semifinals Wednesday, March 4th (at highest seeds remaining):
Game 7: New Haven (No. 5 seed SW) 101, Stonehill (No. 2 seed NE) 100 (3OT)
Game 8: Saint Anselm (No. 1 seed NE) 80, Franklin Pierce (No. 3 seed NE) 66
Championship Saturday, March 7th (at highest seed remaining):
Game 9: Saint Anselm (No. 1 seed NE) vs. New Haven (No. 5 seed SW) (1:00 PM)
-Recaps provided by New Haven and Saint Anselm athletics communications-
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 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.
