Game 1 was officially underway with a tip-off win by junior Dan Tarentino (#24) to sophomore James Honekamp (#22) as the Stags took on Adelphi at Mahoney Arena on Super Bowl Sunday. The Stags fought from behind early in Game 1, constantly battling back. Plays from junior Leo Ackerman (#15) coming off the bench resulted in numerous Adelphi turnovers, turning defense into offense for the Stags.
Senior Sean Vinson (#5) contributed to the first-half comeback efforts with a beautiful spin move past an Adelphi defender, earning a tough and-one and draining the free throw. After a forced timeout by Adelphi, Ackerman nailed two free throws to give the Stags their first lead of the contest after being down 10 points. The first half ended with a bang as freshman Ryan Shanahan (#10) recorded a huge block. The Stags led 47–43 heading into the second half.
The second half was filled with action as Honekamp (#22), Ackerman (#15), and senior Joe Scandalious (#23) contributed with big plays. Ultimately, the Stags went on to win Game 1 with a final score of 90–81. Sophomore Luke Liscandra (#0) led the way with 25 points, followed by a 21-point performance from Vinson (#5).
After a short break, both teams jumped right into Game 2, hoping to finish in time for the start of the Super Bowl. Another jump ball win sent the Stags right back to work, as Ackerman and Liscandra picked up where they left off with early layups and free throws. Other players began to contribute as well, including sophomore Dylan Walsh (#30), who finished Game 2 with seven points. Walsh's best play came in the first half when he made an athletic move to grab an offensive rebound and knock down a pull-up jumper for an easy two points.
The second half featured back-and-forth action as Adelphi battled back after being down by over 10. The Stags maintained a narrow lead early in the half, but around the halfway mark saw it disappear, forcing them to dig deep. Scandalious kept the Stags close by hitting several big three-pointers, including his biggest with just over six minutes remaining to cut the deficit to one. Free throws played a major role down the stretch as both teams traded shots, but despite a strong effort, the Stags split the two-game series with a 75–70 loss in Game 2.
Team president and senior Sean Vinson (#5) reflected on the split and the experience of playing in Mahoney Arena:
"It's a privilege to be able to play in a state-of-the-art facility like Mahoney, and our team didn't take that for granted. Unfortunately, we lost the second game by five, but I was proud of the way our guys battled and that we won the first. We'll look to bounce back in our last games of the season against Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, and Hofstra. Going forward, we need to be better on defense. It's hard to win games when you give up 70-plus points."
As mentioned by Vinson, the Stags will look to bounce back in their weekend series against Quinnipiac on Saturday, February 21.