UNC Wilmington 76, Delaware 72
Second-seeded UNC Wilmington punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 by edging No. 12 seed Delaware in the Coastal Athletic Association final in Washington. The Seahawks (27-7) rode a go-ahead layup by Khamari McGriff with 7:37 left and never trailed again. Donovan Newby led the way with 17 points, including four free throws in the closing seconds to seal the win. Noah Ross (14), Bo Montgomery (13) and McGriff (10) also scored in double figures for UNC Wilmington, which extended its winning streak to six.
Delaware (16-20), the tournament’s Cinderella after winning four games in four days, held a 58-57 lead until the Seahawks surged ahead. Izaiah Pasha notched 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Niels Lane had 20 points in a losing effort.
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Saint Francis (Pa.) 46, Central Connecticut 43
Third-seeded Saint Francis (Pa.) claimed the Northeast Conference crown by stifling top-seeded Central Connecticut in New Britain, Conn. Daemar Kelly’s pull-up jumper with nine seconds left broke a 43-43 tie, and Chris Moncrief’s steal plus free throw made it a three-point margin with one second to go. Devin Haid’s last-second 3-pointer missed at the buzzer.
Saint Francis advances to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. Juan Cranford Jr. and Haid led all scorers with 14 points apiece in a defensive clash that saw just two players reach double figures.
Robert Morris 89, Youngstown State 78
Top-seeded Robert Morris (26-8) secured its first NCAA berth since 2015 by beating No. 4 Youngstown State in the Horizon League final in Indianapolis. Josh Omojafo dominated with 24 points and 13 rebounds, helping the Colonials place all five starters in double digits. Kam Woods posted a well-rounded performance of 17 points, six rebounds and five assists.
For the Penguins (21-13), Juwan Maxey recorded 23 points and Nico Galette had 21, while Gabe Dynes contributed an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double. The Colonials’ balanced scoring proved too much down the stretch as they pulled away for the conference title.
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