CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
Saint Michael's, Adelphi, Bentley and Pace Earn First Round Byes.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – For the first time since the 2000-01 season, Saint Michael's has won the Northeast-10 Conference regular season championship and will be the top seed in the upcoming Men's Basketball Championship, which is scheduled to begin with four first round games on Friday.
The Purple Knights (21-7, 17-5 NE10) are one of four teams to earn first round byes and automatically advance to Sunday's quarterfinals, along with No. 2-seeded Adelphi (18-10, 14-8 NE10), No. 3-seeded Bentley (19-10, 14-8 NE10) and No. 4-seeded Pace (18-10, 14-8 NE10). Saint Michael's looks to capture its first NE10 Championship title in 23 years and its third in program history (1999, 2001).
For a complete list of seedings and matchups in the NE10 Men's Basketball Championship, please see below.
It is the third regular season title for Saint Michael's in program history and the first under head coach Eric Eaton. The Purple Knights had a remarkable turnaround in the NE10 standings, finishing 17-5 in conference play this season after a 5-15 record in 2022-24. Saint Michael's was picked to finish last in the Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll this season.
Adelphi won a three-team tiebreaker with Bentley and Pace for the No. 2 seed and enters the Championship having won two of its past three games - including a convincing 90-75 win over Saint Michael's at home on February 24. Bentley earned the No. 3 seed and has won six of its last eight, while Pace is the No. 4 seed and is riding a six-game winning streak.
No. 5 Southern New Hampshire, No. 6 Southern Connecticut, No. 7 Saint Anselm and No. 8 Assumption will host first round games on Friday.
Games for all rounds of the NE10 Men's Basketball Championship will be available on NE10 NOW, the Conference's digital streaming platform, via NE10NOW.tv or by downloading the mobile app. Admission for all rounds of the Championship is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and youth, and free for all NE10 students with a valid ID.
NE10 Men's Basketball Championship
1. Saint Michael's (17-5)
2. Adelphi (14-8)
3. Bentley (14-8)
4. Pace (14-8)
5. Southern New Hampshire (13-9)
6. Southern Connecticut (13-9)
7. Saint Anselm (12-10)
8. Assumption (11-11)
9. Saint Rose (8-14)
10. New Haven (7-15)
11. American International (7-15)
12. Franklin Pierce (2-20)
First Round – Friday, March 1st:
Game 1: #12 Franklin Pierce at #5 Southern New Hampshire – 7:00 PM
Game 2: #11 American International at #6 Southern Connecticut – 7:00 PM
Game 3: #10 New Haven at #7 Saint Anselm – 7:00 PM
Game 4: #9 Saint Rose at #8 Assumption – 7:00 PM
Quarterfinals – Sunday, March 3rd:
Game 5: Game 4 winner at #1 Saint Michaels – 4:00 PM
Game 6: Game 3 winner at #2 Adelphi – 2:30 PM
Game 7: Game 2 winner at #3 Bentley – 3:30 PM
Game 8: Game 1 winner at #4 Pace – 3:00 PM
Semifinals – Wednesday, March 6th (at highest remaining seeds):
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 winner (at highest remaining seed)
Game 10: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner (at highest remaining seed)
Championship – Saturday, March 9th (at highest remaining seed):
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner (at highest remaining seed)
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 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.
