NCAA Tournment second round:
#6 Stockton 95, Gwynedd-Mercy 88

Omar Smith

Boxscore
No. 6 Richard Stockton (27-2) topped Gwynedd-Mercy (23-6) 95-88 to advance to the sectional round (sweet 16) of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Omar Smith (Newark/Central) set a new career high as the junior tallied 30 points and also tied his career best with 12 rebounds. The double-double was Smith’s fourth of the season. Kai Massaquoi (Lawnside/Haddon Hts.) made 8-of-9 from the free-throw line and also recorded a new career high with 26 points. 

Jerome Hubbard (Neptune/Neptune) tallied 15 points and Michael Farrow (Whiteside/Middle Twp.) contributed 10 points off the bench. The Ospreys won their 15th straight game and a new school record with 27 wins on the season. The last Stockton loss came two months ago when the Ospreys fell to TCNJ on January 7. With the victory, Stockton also advanced to the NCAA Sectionals for the second straight time.

Smith was unstoppable in the first half, making 9-of-13 field goals and recording 21 points, one shy of his career high. The Ospreys shot 58.6 percent from the floor but were outdone by Gwynedd-Mercy, which hit a blistering 62.5 percent of its shots, including 8-12 from three-point range. Stockton trailed 37-33 before closing the half on a 12-5 run for a 45-42 lead at the break. Hubbard led the charge with a three-pointer and a three-point play for half of Stockton’s offensive production during the spurt.

In the second half, Smith scored four points during a 7-0 burst that gave the Ospreys a 59-46 lead. Gwynedd-Mercy pulled within eight but Stockton later increased the margin to 15 points, 77-62, on a free throw by Farrow with 6:23 remaining. The lead was 15 again at 82-67 after Massaquoi sank two from the stripe with 4:33 on the clock. The Ospreys went 13-14 at the line in the last 4:33 to seal the 95-88 victory and finish 31-38 (81.6%) from the line in the game.