COLONIA, NJ – Following the conclusion of regular season play this evening, the East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Championship bracket is now set. The six teams to compete for the 2025 ECC tournament title and automatic bid into the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship are No. 1 Daemen, No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, No. 3 Queens, No. 4 Roberts Wesleyan, No. 5 Staten Island, and No. 6 Molloy.
Tournament action begins on Wednesday, March 5 with a pair of First Round games at on-campus sites. After clinching the ECC Regular Season Championship for the third time in program history and first since 2019, #1/2 Daemen will host the tournament Semifinals and Final at Lumsden Gymnasium on its campus in Amherst, NY on Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9. The Wildcats become just the fourth program in conference history to finish the regular season undefeated, joining C.W. Post (1989-90 and 2008-09), Philadelphia (1992-93 and 1993-94), and Adelphi (2000-01).
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
After turning in a regular season for the ages with a 25-0 overall mark and 16-0 spot in conference play, Daemen has earned a First Round bye. The Wildcats are making their 10th consecutive ECC postseason appearance but are still on the hunt for their first ever ECC tournament title. Daemen has advanced to the ECC Final five times, including in each of the last four season, but has fallen to St. Thomas Aquinas all five times.
Daemen will take on the winner of No. 5 Staten Island/No. 4 Roberts Wesleyan, who will play in the First Round this Wednesday, March 5 at 7:00 PM in Rochester, NY. The Wildcats went 4-0 in regular season competition against the pair, sweeping RWU, 98-75 and 85-64, and CSI, 67-47 and 85-61.
The Redhawks and Dolphins split their regular season series, both winning at home, with Roberts Wesleyan earning a 93-90 win in Rochester, NY on January 15 and Staten Island taking a 74-52 win in Staten Island, NY on February 19. RWU (10-16, 7-9 ECC) returns to the bracket for the fifth season in a row; after advancing to the semifinals in each of the last three seasons, the Redhawks are still in search of their first-ever ECC title. The Dolphins (11-17, 7-9 ECC) have made back-to-back conference tournament appearances in their first two seasons of Division II postseason eligibility after transitioning from Division III, reaching the ECC Semifinals in 2024.
On the other side of the bracket, five-time defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas (22-8, 13-3 ECC) joins Daemen with a First Round bye as the No. 2 seed. The Spartans have now earned a First Round bye for 10 consecutive seasons (2021 exempt) and have reached the ECC Final 10 times in the last 11 years, winning it all eight times in the last nine seasons.
STAC will play the winner of No. 6 Molloy/No. 3 Queens, who will play in the First Round this Wednesday, March 5 at 7:00 PM in Flushing, NY. The Spartans went 4-0 against that opposition in the regular season, sweeping the Knights, 80-59 and 75-68, and the Lions, 113-76 and 104-83.
The Knights and Lions split their regular season series, both winning at home, with Queens earning a 105-90 win in Flushing, NY on December 7 and Molloy taking a 92-68 win in Rockville Centre, NY on February 1. QC (12-16, 8-8 ECC) returns to the tournament for the third time in the last four years and have won the ECC trophy twice, in 2002 and 2005. Molloy’s win over UDC in the regular season finale on March 1 locked in the sixth and final postseason spot for the Lions (10-7, 6-10 ECC), who will compete in the ECC Tournament for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
Live Coverage
Each game of the championship will be broadcast live on the ECC Sports Network. The games will also be available on the ECC Network app. Download the ECC Network app on any Apple or Android mobile device or on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku OTT streaming devices.
X updates will also be available throughout the tournament, at @ECCSports. Tournament recaps, live stats, box scores, and all other pertinent tournament information will also be available on the Championship Central page.
2025 East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Championship
First Round – Wednesday, March 5 at No. 3 and No. 4 seeds
7:00 PM – No. 6 Molloy at No. 3 Queens (@ Flushing, NY)
7:00 PM – No. 5 Staten Island at No. 4 Roberts Wesleyan (@ Rochester, NY)
Semifinals – Saturday, March 8 (@ No. 1 Daemen)
5:00 PM – Winner of No. 5 Staten Island/No. 4 Roberts Wesleyan at No. 1 Daemen
7:30 PM – Winner of No. 6 Molloy/No. 3 Queens vs. No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas
Final – Sunday, March 9 (@ No. 1 Daemen)
3:30 PM – Winners of the Semifinals