#4 MOUNT ST. MARY'S (14-15) at #1 BRYANT (20-9)
Saturday, March 5, 2022, 6 pm
Chace Athletic Center | Smithfield, R.I.
WATCH: NEC Front Row |
Post Game Press Conference
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS
MOUNT STORY LINES
- Mount St. Mary's heads to top-seeded Bryant for a Northeast Conference Tournament semifinal matchup on Saturday evening. The game is a rematch of last year's NEC Championship game where the Mount prevailed by a score of 73-68. The winner of this game earns a spot in Tuesday's NEC Championship game against the winner of the other semifinal between Wagner and LIU.
- On a milestone night at Knott Arena on Thursday, Mount St. Mary's rolled to a 78-48 win over St. Francis Brooklyn in the Northeast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals. The Mount's list of milestones included Nana Opoku and Jalen Benjamin each recording their 1,000th career point, Malik Jefferson becoming the Mount's NCAA Division I rebound leader, and head coach Dan Engelstad posting his 150th career win. The Mount's 30-point win was the team's second largest in an NEC Tournament game since joining the league in 1988-89. Jalen Benjamin (16), Mezie Offurum (15), Nana Opoku (15) and Malik Jefferson (12) all scored in double figures in the win.
- Mount St. Mary's is the No. 4 seed in the Northeast Conference Tournament for the sixth time since joining the league in 1988-89. The Mountaineers are 9-2 all-time in the NEC Tournament as the No. 4 seed, winning the title in 2008, 2014 and 2021. The Mount lost in the NEC Quarterfinals in 2006 and 2015 the other two times as the No. 4 seed.
- The Mount had a trio of players earn All-NEC accolades this season. Jalen Benjamin was named Second Team All-NEC while Mezie Offurum and Nana Opoku each earned a spot on the All-NEC third team. It is the first time since 1994-95 that the Mount had three players earn All-Conference honors in the same season. That year, Chris McGuthrie was First Team All-NEC while Riley Inge and Michael Watson were Second Team All-NEC honorees.
- The Mount is 8-7 all-time in the Northeast Conference semifinals. This will be the first time the Mount has faced Bryant in the NEC semifinal round. The Mountaineers have defeated the top seed on the road in the NEC semifinals on three occasions (at Wagner in 2021, at Robert Morris in 2013 and at Robert Morris in 2008). The Mount is 3-1 at home, 4-4 on the road and 1-2 at a neutral site in the NEC semifinals.
- Mount St. Mary's is now 30-18 (.625) all-time in NEC Tournament games. The Mount is 11-11 all-time on the road in NEC Tournament games, including a 7-3 mark since 2013.
