#1 CCSU 76 #4 FDU 72 (OT)
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New Britain, CT -- The madness made its way to New Britain on NEC Men's Basketball Semifinal Saturday.

Top-seeded CCSU watched what seemed like a runaway victory turn into a battle of attrition, as the Blue Devils survived a furious FDU rally to hold on for a 76-72 overtime win, securing the program's first NEC final appearance since 2007.

The game marked the first overtime contest in the NEC semifinals since these two teams squared off in another classic back in 2004. In that matchup, CCSU forced overtime on an iconic Justin Chiera 30-footer at the buzzer, eventually winning 76-73 in a near mirror-image of Saturday’s final score.

With the win, CCSU advances to its sixth NEC final and will shoot for its fourth championship. The Blue Devils are a perfect 3-0 in NEC title games as the #1 seed.

CCSU extended its nation's-best win streak to 14 games.

CCSU’s offense was firing on all cylinders early, hitting nine first-half three-pointers, with Devin Haid contributing 17 points to help the Blue Devils build a 38-23 halftime lead.

The Blue Devils extended their lead to 21 points with under 15 minutes remaining, but the third-seeded Knights weren’t done yet.

FDU methodically chipped away at the deficit, holding CCSU to just four points over an eight-minute stretch to pull within 11.

After CCSU built the lead back to 15 on a Jayden Brown jumper with 8:58 on the clock, the Knights went back to work.

Jameel Morris buried a clutch triple to cap a 22-9 run that pulled FDU to within 64-62 with 1:22 to play.

CCSU's Joe Ostrowsky repsonded with a runner, but a Bismark Nsiah tip-in kept the Knights two points back.

FDU forced a turnover and first team All-NEC guard Terrence Brown tied things up on a clutch jumper with 18 seconds to go.

CCSU had a chance to win it in regulation, but Ostrowsky's jumper rimmed out, sending the game to overtime.

The Blue Devils held the lead throughout the extra session. NEC Player of the Year Jordan Jones hit four straight from the stripe to put CCSU up five, but Morris once again had the answer, drilling a corner three to make it 74-72 with 47 seconds on the clock.

The Knights had a final opportunity to tie or take the lead, but Brown’s backdoor pass was intercepted by Jones, who sealed the victory with two more free throws.

Haid was spectacular, scoring a career-high 29 points in the win. He hit 12-16 from the floor and 4-6 from deep. He added five rebounds, three assists and four steals.

Jones added 17 points and three steals.

FDU's Jo'el Emanuel scored a team-best 17 points, including a SportsCenter worthy putback slam in OT, and added eight boards. Brown finished with 16 and Nsiah contributed 15 points and nine caroms. 

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#3 Saint Francis U 71, #2 LIU 68
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Brooklyn, NY -- Saint Francis U keeps proving it's built for the big moments, and today’s NEC Men’s Basketball semifinals was another wild ride.

Trailing by 15 at the half in the first semi of the day, the third-seeded Red Flash were unfazed, mounting a stunning comeback behind a star-making performance from NEC Rookie of the Year Juan Cranford Jr. to take down second-seeded LIU, 71-68, at the Steinberg Wellness Center.

Cranford, who scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half, sank three deciding free throws with 1.4 seconds left, sending SFU to its first NEC Championship since 2020.

SFU (15-17) has now won five straight games in thrilling fashion. The Red Flash triumphed in their last three regular season contests in overtime and followed it up with a dramatic quarterfinal win over Wagner, iced by three Riley Parker free throws with just two seconds to play in a finish eerily similar to today’s victory.

With the comeback, Saint Francis U advances to its first NEC Championship since 2020. The loss snapped LIU's seven-game win streak.

Looking to capture its second-ever NEC crown, the Red Flash will face top-seeded CCSU for the title on NEC Championship Tuesday at 7 pm on ESPN2.

LIU (17-16) controlled the first half, with a sizzling Jamal Fuller leading the way, scoring 17 points to help the Sharks take a 38-23 lead into the break. But SFU came out strong in the second half, scoring the first seven points to cut the deficit to 38-30.

The key stretch came shortly after, as the Red Flash used a 13-1 run, fueled by four points apiece form Cranford and Valentino Pinedo, to take a 52-47 lead with 11:49 remaining.
 
The teams were not separated by more than five points the remainder of the contest.
 
With LIU’s Malachi Davis heating up – scoring all 16 of his points in the second half – the Sharks took a five-point lead at 67-62 following a Brent Davis layup with 2:59 left on the clock.

That would be the last field goal for the Sharks.
 
SFU’s Chris Moncrief sandwiched a pair of buckets around a Terell Strickland free throw for LIU to make it 68-66.
 
After an LIU shot clock violation, it was Cranford who hit a clutch shot in traffic to knot things up with 43 seconds remaining.
 
After two LIU misfires, the Red Flash set up for a final shot.
 
SFU worked the ball to Cranford, and as the Dayton, OH native fired up a wing 3, he was fouled. Cranford, a 90 percent free throw shooter, calmly hit all three free throws with 1.4 seconds left on the clock to make it 71-68.
 
The Sharks had one final chance, but Blake Lander’s trifecta was off the mark.
 
Moncrief finished with 15 points, while Riley Parker (13) and Pinedo (10) also reached double digits as well.
 
Fuller led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

SFU shot 14-15 from the line in the second half and 18-23 for the game.