Southern Connecticut Men's Basketball continues postseason play in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship Quarterfinals, traveling to Waltham, Mass. to take on the three seed Bentley at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 2nd.
NE10 Men's Basketball Championship Tournament Quarterfinals
No. 6 SCSU (17-10, 13-8 NE10) at No. 3 Bentley (17-9, 14-6 NE10)
Date: Sunday, Mar. 2nd, 2025
Time: 3:30 PM
Location: Waltham, Mass.
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The Owls enter the Quarterfinals after defeating 11-seeded Franklin Pierce in the First Round, winning 85-76 in a tightly contested battle. Including the end of the regular season, Southern has won four straight and seven of their last eight. They will take on the three seed Bentley, who received a first round Bye.
The Owls vs. The Falcons
- Bentley swept both regular season games against SCSU, but the two wins were only decided by a total of three points. The first matchup in New Haven saw the Falcons send the game to overtime on a game-tying putback with two seconds remaining before free throws with five seconds left put Bentley ahead 90-89. The second matchup ended on a buzzer-beating fadeaway from Falcons' guard Aaron Latham that gave Bentley a 70-68 win.
- Both teams entered the postseason hot, with the Falcons and the Owls going 7-1 in the month of February. Both teams have only lost three times since January 8th, with all six losses coming down to a margin of six points or less.
- In the NE10 Tournament last season, the Owls upset Bentley in Waltham, winning 88-78 en route to a NE10 Championship appearance. Bentley leads the all-time series, 32-14, including 7-2 in the last nine. Sunday will be just the second time the two programs will meet in a postseason contest.
- Bentley and Southern are two of the top three offenses in the NE10, with the Owls at 80.2 points per game and the Falcons at 79.4 points per game. They are also the only two teams in the conference that average at least 10 three-pointers a game (SCSU: 10.5; Bentley: 10.0).
- Albert Vargas has seen plenty of offensive success against Bentley, scoring 32 points in the first matchup and 21 in the second.
- Cherif Diarra recorded double-doubles in both matchups, including a season-high 16 rebounds in the first game and 15 in the second game, his second-highest total. He has also recorded five blocks and three steals in the two games.
- Antonio Chandler scored 15 points in the first game and 14 in the second, also combining to grab 18 boards. Sean James scored 14 in the first game, and Isaac Hester scored 14 in the second.
The Owls' Tournament
- Southern advanced to the NE10 Quarterfinals after defeating Franklin Pierce, 85-76. They have now reached three consecutive NE10 Quarterfinals.
- Albert Vargas exploded offensively, scoring 28 points in the second half and ending the night with 32, also adding seven rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block. He went 11-18 (61.1%) from the field, including 6-6 from the free throw line.
- Antonio Chandler double-doubled with 24 points and 15 rebounds, including eight offensive boards. He also blocked three shots. Him and Vargas combine for the highest-scoring duo in the NE10.
- Christian McClease scored 11, and Cherif Diarra filled the scoreboard with nine points, six rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal.
The Owls will take on Bentley at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 2nd in Waltham, Mass. The winner will be paired with the winner of Saint Anselm/SNHU for the Semifinals on Wednesday, March 5th. The championship game will take place Saturday, March 8th. For more information on Bentley heading into the game, click here.
