TEANECK, N.J. — The way of life in the lower-tier conferences means all of a league’s teams are playing for one bid. The 12-member Northeast Conference is one of those leagues. The players and coaches understand it and don’t complain. They know the deal. In fact, only the top eight make the NEC Tournament, whose games are contested on the home floor of the higher seed.

As a conference member, you are either playing for homecourt, or, if you are mathematically eliminated from the chance to play in the conference tournament, you play the role of spoiler. This makes for some entertaining games, such as the one on Thursday in which Fairleigh Dickinson defeated Monmouth, 75-69. Here’s a look at the advanced box:

These two teams entered the game in the NEC’s very large middle tier, which includes eight teams with 4-6, 5-5 or 6-4 conference records. Two of those teams will be among the squads that does not advance to the conference tournament, and Fairleigh Dickson and Monmouth — both now 6-5 — knew a win would bring each a game further from the cut line. Read More »