When and Where: March 19, 2024 – Colchester, Vt. (Ross Sports Center)
Score: #3 seed Southern New Hampshire University 73, #1 seed Saint Michael's College 61
Records: SNHU 24-10, Saint Michael's 24-9
SNHU finished on a 17-0 run to stun top-seed Saint Michael's 73-61 to win the NCAA Division II East Region Championship on Tuesday night in Colchester, Vermont. The Penmen head to the Elite 8 for the eighth time in program history, and for the first time since 2014-15.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Graduate student Matt Becht (Vienna, Va.) – 18 points (5-11 FG, 3-8 3-FG, 5-5 FT), 9 rebounds, 3 assists
- Senior Noah Kamba (Lynn, Mass.) – 16 points (4-8 FG, 4-7 3-FG, 4-4 FT), 1 rebound, 2 assists
- Senior Preston Santos (Providence, R.I.) – 14 points (4-8 FG, 1-4 3-FG, 5-6 FT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 blocked shot
- Junior Derrick Grant Jr. (Plainfield, N.J.) – 9 points (2-5 FG, 5-7 FT), 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
- Junior Kurtis Henderson (Brockton, Mass.) – 9 points (4-11 FG, 1-4 3-FG), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
- Graduate student Alex Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) – 5 points (1-4 FG, 3-3 FT), 2 rebounds
KEY MOMENTS
- The Penmen used a pair of field goals by Grant and three-pointers by Becht and Santos to build a 10-6 lead before the Purple Knights responded with a 9-0 run over the next 4:55.
- Playing for the first time in the NCAA tournament, Rivera was fouled on a three-point shot and made all the free throws to cut the lead to 15-13.
- Saint Michael's responded with a pair of three-pointers.
- The Penmen rallied back to tie at 24-24 when Kamba found Henderson in the corner for a trey. Kamba would drain his own three to give SNHU a 29-28 lead with 5:11 left in the half.
- Saint Michael's went on a 10-0 run and eventually led at halftime 40-34.
- Becht missed most of the last 8:34 after picking up his third personal foul but hit a lay-up and three free throws to open the second half to make it 40-39.
- The Penmen finally drew even, at 49-49, with a lay-up and free throw from Santos with 11:23 to play.
- Santos hit another lay-up and free throw with 8:15 to play to give SNHU a 56-55 advantage.
- A three-pointer by Darrel Yepdo of the Purple Knights made it 61-56 with 6:41 to play, but Saint Michael's was held scoreless for the remainder of the game.
- After the final media timeout, Kamba drained his fourth three-pointer from the corner to give SNHU a 63-61 lead.
- A miss by the Purple Knights and a jumper by Henderson in the lane made it 65-61, matching SNHU's largest lead of the night.
- Henderson hit another lay-up, and Kamba knocked down his free throws for a 69-61 lead.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Also playing for the Penmen in the game were junior Paul Greene (Freeport, Bahamas), sophomore Royce Williams (Manchester, N.H.), and junior Jordan Brathwaite (Silver Spring, Md.).
- Greene hit a free throw and had four rebounds, Brathwaite hit a free throw and pulled down 2 rebounds, and Williams had a rebound.
- Southern New Hampshire finished 20-for-51 (39.2%) compared to 20-for-72 (27.8%) for Saint Michael's. SNHU was 9-for-29 from three (31.0%) while the Purple Knights were 10-for-41 (24.4%). SNHU was 24-for-29 from the line (82.8%) while Saint Michael's was 11-for-17 (64.7%).
- Each team had 43 rebounds, although Saint Michael's had 15 offensive rebounds to just five for the Penmen. Saint Michael's had a 7-6 edge on second-chance points.
- The Purple Knights only turned the ball over four times compared to eight for the Penmen. Saint Michael's had a 15-4 edge on points off turnovers.
- There were 14 lead changes and the game was tied four times.
- The Penmen had a 4-0 edge on fast break points, and 22-16 on points in the paint.
- Saint Michael's College was led by Romar Reid with 18 points.
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire reached 24 wins for the first time since 2014-15 (24-8), also the last time the Penmen reached the Elite 8.
- The Penmen have ten games in a row, and the seven consecutive postseason wins is a new program record.
- The Penmen improve to 31-21 (.596) all-time in the NCAA Championship.
- SNHU leads the all-time series with Saint Michael's, 44-15, and has won 19 of the last 23 meetings, including eight of nine. The Penmen have also won six of the last seven on the road versus the Purple Knights, who last defeated SNHU at home on Feb. 6, 2019 (82-72).
- Saint Michael's, picked 12th in the pre-season NE10 Coaches poll, finished 24-9.
- Grant and Becht were named to the All-Tournament team, and Becht was named Most Outstanding Player for the Regional.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The NCAA Elite 8 takes place in Evansville, Indiana March 26-30.
