Elms College, Becker Advance To NECC Tournament Championship
2009 NEW ENGLAND COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Dates: Friday, February 27 - Saturday, February 28
Times: Friday (6:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m.); Saturday
(2:00 p.m.)
Site: Maguire Center on the campus of Elms College
(Chicopee, MA)
Click here for
directions to Elms College
NECC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE/RESULTS
First Round
Tuesday, February 24
No. 3 Daniel Webster defeats No. 6 Newbury,
86-65
No. 4 Wheelock defeats No. 5 Mitchell,
105-91
Semifinals
Friday, February 27 (at Elms College)
6:00 p.m. - No. 1 Elms College defeats No. 4 Wheelock,
94-74 Box
score
8:00 p.m. - No. 3 Daniel Webster (17-8) vs. No. 2 Becker
(18-7) Box
score
Championship
Saturday, February 28 (at Elms College)
2:00 p.m. - No. 2 Becker (19-7) at No. 1 Elms College (25-1)
NECC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
NO. 1 ELMS COLLEGE 94, NO. 4 WHEELOCK 74
Junior guard Juan Galdon (Holyoke, MA) dropped in a game-high 26 points and Elms College used a key run late in the first half en route to a 94-74 win over Wheelock College in Friday night's first semifinal.
Elms College (25-1 overall), the top seed in the NECC Tournament, won its program-record 15th straight game and added to its school-record win total, as it now advances to Saturday's 2:00 p.m. championship to face the winner of Friday night's other semifinal between No. 2 Becker and No. 3 Daniel Webster.
Wheelock, which went 1-24 in its first intercollegiate season a year ago, finished 10-17.
The Blazers led just 36-34 following a layup from Wheelock junior forward Sherard Robbins (Malden, MA), but reeled off a 12-0 run over the final 1:56 of the half, as Galdon drained a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws to send Elms College to the locker room with a 48-34 halftime lead.
The Blazers then used a 10-4 run over the first 2:28 of the second half to build what proved to be an insurmountable 20-point lead at 68-48.
Galdon finished 8 of 15 from the field, including four 3-pointers, and also went a perfect 6 of 6 from the free throw line in 29 minutes.
Senior forward Ronald Thomas (Chicago, IL) finished with 11 points and sophomore guard Dan Gonzalez (East Windsor, CT) added 10 points as the other two Blazers to reach double figures in the victory.
Senior guard Aswad Thomas (Hartford, CT) added six points and game-highs of 11 assists and seven steals for Elms College, which forced 33 turnovers and held a decisive 38-15 advantage in points off turnovers.
Robbins led the Wildcats with a team-high 23 points on 10 of 13 shooting in 36 minutes, freshman guard Kyle Pierce (Burlington, MA) added 15 points and a team-high six assists. Sophomore guard Dan Main (Hopedale, MA) and freshman guard Victor Kashouh (Providence, RI) added 12 points apiece to also score in double figures.
NO. 2 BECKER 74, NO. 3 DANIEL WEBSTER, 65-49
Sophomore center Trey Jacobs (Lexington Park, MD) led four players in double figures with 20 points and added eight rebounds, and Rajai Leggett (New Haven, CT) added 14 points and nine rebounds as the second-seeded Becker College men's basketball team held on to nip third-seeded Daniel Webster College, 74-71 in the semifinals of the inaugural NECC championship tournament Friday night at Elms College.
Senior guard Travis Suber (Springfield, MA) notched 12 points and freshman guard Terrance Favors (Boston, MA) hit for 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Hawks (19-8) advanced to the title game to face host top seeded Elms College.
Sophomore guard Chris Hanson (Salem, MA) led the Eagles (17-9), who had set a record for wins in a season, with a game high 21 points including five three-pointers and pulled down 11 rebounds. Senior guard Brian Inge (Fort Washington, MD) added 12 and senior guard Tim Jackson (West Henrietta, NY) notched 11 in the career finale for both seniors.
The game was a back-and-forth affair throughout with numerous momentum swings. The Eagles held a seven point lead (55-48) with 12:05 remaining in the contest after an Inge three-pointer, but Becker would follow with a steady 7-0 run over the next two and a half minutes including a tip in from Jacobs and jumper from Suber to forge a tie.
Tied at 57 with 8:46 remaining, the Eagles went cold over a three minute stretch and Becker heated up as sophomore guard D.J. Exum (New London, CT) buried a layup for a 59-57 lead, Leggett followed with two inside and added another huge jumper with 5:15 to go. The 10-0 run gave Becker control over the final five minutes.
Trailing 67-60 with 4:05 left, DWC mounted one final charge. After two freebies at the line from Hanson, freshman guard William Kemp Harris (Suitland, MD) added one, and Hanson buried a trey for a 67-65 game with 3:16 to go.
But Suber drew a foul burying one and followed with a nifty inside move off an Eagle turnover to rebuild a five-point lead.
Trailing 74-67 with 1:55 left, a Jackson layup and Hanson three closed the gap to 74-71 and the Eagles had possession in the closing moments.
But a Jackson three with two second left just barely missed and the Hawks escaped with the victory.