The Bloomfield College Deacons are shocking the world.

The lowest seed to ever win the East Regional Tournament, Bloomfield outlasted a late-game charge from top-seeded Bentley University to take a thrilling 75-71 decision Tuesday night, punching their ticket to the Elite Eight and making the type of history reserved for the game's true Cinderella stories.

“I'm extremely proud of our guys for the heart they showed in this game,” Deacons head coach Gerald Holmes said. “They hung tough and pulled out the win, and now we're moving on to the Elite Eight. They've made history tonight, and I couldn't be prouder of them.”

Senior guard Gage Daye led the way with 22 points, six rebounds and eight assists to pick up the tournament's Most Valuable Player honors, but the multi-dimensional attack that has become the Deacons' staple proved just as valuable as their star's final numbers. Four Bloomfield players reached double-figures on the evening, with six players totaling at least six points. 

Ryan Rodrigues netted 12 points in the triumph, and Matt Wafula paced the frontcourt scoring with 11 points on 5-10 shooting. Art Ellis came off the bench to continue his run of outstanding play in reserve, notching 10 points on 50% shooting from the field. Steve Henderson keyed a late first-half surge with a trio of threes to finish with nine points, and Kevin Udo continued his postseason coming of age with five points, five rebounds and four blocks.

“We are a tough team to guard, and we are able to match up with pretty much anybody,” Holmes said. “We have a lot of weapons that can contribute, and our depth has been a great strength for us all season long. It's really shown in this tournament, with so many different players stepping up.”

The seventh-seeded Deacons fell behind early in the contest, as Bentley shot 6-15 from beyond the arc to mount a 21-11 lead with 12:44 remaining in the first. The lead remained near double digits through much of the opening half, until Henderson came off the bench to provide the spark Bloomfield needed to get back in the ballgame.

The freshman sharpshooter connected on three of his four three-point tries in the final three minutes of the frame, slicing the Bentley lead to 39-35 and giving the underdogs the momentum heading into the break.

“Steve's shooting was huge for us. It completely changed the game,” Holmes said. “It allowed us to cut the halftime lead to four, and we were only able to shoot 35% in the first half. If we can shoot like that and only be down one or two possessions heading into the second half, we feel like we're in good shape.”

Bloomfield rode Henderson's shooting performance into an emphatic run to begin the second half, outscoring the Falcons 8-1 over the first three and a half minutes to take a 48-40 lead. The cushion would balloon to as much as much as 11 with 12:38 remaining, the Deacons beginning to taste the biggest victory in their program's history.

But championships are never won without adversity, and with 11 minutes remaining, Daye went to the bench with four fouls, his team leading by eight. Though the Falcons would regain a slim one-point advantage with 6:40 remaining, Daye's teammates once again answered the call, keeping their team in the game while their top scorer went to the sidelines.

“I knew my teammates would step up when I went out,” Daye said. “We have so many great players – Art Ellis, Ryan Rodrigues, Ahmad Harris, everyone made some huge shots in the second half. I had no doubt they would do the job when I went to the bench, and they did.”

Bloomfield quickly regained a one-point advantage on Daye's first shot back in the action, setting up a dramatic stretch of play synonymous with postseason college hoops. After a Bentley three-pointer gave the Falcons a 63-61 lead, Bloomfield responded with a pair of buckets by Daye and Ellis on consecutive possessions to regain the advantage. 

It would be a lead the team would not relinquish, despite a frenzied charge from a Falcon team backed by a home crowd rising to the occasion with each Bentley score. The cushion would reach just a single point on three separate occasions in the final two minutes, but each time the Deacons would answer with a blow of their own to knock the Falcons back. Harris netted a pair of clutch free-throws to move the lead to 73-70 with six ticks remaining, and an intentional foul sent Bentley to the line with three seconds to go.

Greg Jacques made the first of his two attempts, and after a miss of the second free-throw, a scramble for the most important rebound of the night saw the ball trickle out of bounds. It was ruled Bloomfield's basketball, sending anyone donning the Deacons' colors into a frenzy with less than a second remaining. Ellis drained a pair of celebratory free-throws to ice the fairytale ending, the newly-minted East Regional Champions rejoicing as their faithful stormed the court. 

“This is such a special moment for our institution, and for our athletic department,” Athletic Director Sheila Wooten said. “I am so proud of Coach Holmes, his staff, and our student-athletes for this historic victory. This does so much to show the type of student-athletes we have at Bloomfield, and that we have in the CACC. I am honored that we are the program that has now gone further than any school in our league's history.”

The Deacons will now move on to face BYU-Hawaii, the West Regional champion, in the round of eight on March 23. Also a seven seed in their regional tournament, the Seasiders defeated Dixie State 79-73 in the West Regional Final to move on to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. 

“I really don't know much about them at this point, other then that they are a seven seed like us,” Holmes said. “But I've told our guys all along: If we play smart basketball, play defense and limit our turnovers, we can play with anybody. I'm excited to take our best shot at them in the Elite Eight.”