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RADNOR, Pa. – The Cabrini men's basketball team will play for the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) crown for the first time since 2002 following a nail-biting 64-62 semifinal round win against Keystone College Tuesday at Nerney Field House. Under first-year head coach Marcus Kahn, the Cavaliers have reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 2000-01 campaign.
Cabrini will play at top-seeded Gwynedd-Mercy College Friday at 7 p.m. for the right to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Junior forward Kevin Misevicius needed just three points to set Cabrini's new single-season mark heading into Tuesday night's game. Misevicius struggled through scoring woes throughout, but managed 13 points on 4-for-13 shooting. He also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, dished three assists and swiped two steals.
Senior point guard Charles Bush notched 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting, none more critical than the 15-foot game-winning jump-shot he sunk with 29 seconds remaining. Bush added five rebounds and two helpers.
Sophomore combo guard Lamar Fisher totaled 12 points and corralled four boards.
Following 3-of-4 free throws from guard Spencer Lunger, Keystone held an eight-point lead, 61-53, with 4:17 remaining. With its back against the wall, the Cabrini defense limited the Giants' offense to just one point the rest of the way.
The Cavaliers quickly cut its deficit to five points on its ensuing possession, finding senior shooting guard Ryan Oxley off a screen for a rally-starting three-point field goal. After two charity tosses from junior guard Corey White with just over three minutes remaining, Cabrini was in striking distance and to within one possession.
Following an empty offensive trip from the Giants, a missed three-point attempt from Oxley was hauled in by Bush. The senior floor leader drew a foul along the baseline and calmly sunk two free throws, trimming the Keystone lead to just one point, 61-60, with 1:53 on the clock.
One more free throw from Lunger supplied the Giants with some momentary breathing room. However, the Cavaliers tied the score at 62-62 after Misevicius drained two more from the foul line with less than 90 ticks remaining.
Finally, Cabrini's second-to-last defensive stand set the stage for Bush's clutch mid-range jump-shot that has catapulted a 12-14 team from a year ago into the conference championship game. Lastly, Lunger's fall-away, desperation three as time expired fell short.
The Cavaliers were forced to overcome a dismal shooting performance in the first half. Cabrini shot just 32.4 percent from the field in the opening period, its second worst first-half showing of the season. The Blue & White trailed 35-28 at the intermission.
Freshman forward Kenneth Hardnett notched a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Rookie forward Malcolm Boone paired 14 points with 13 boards. Lunger contributed 17 points.
The Cavaliers' defense held Keystone guard Tercel Taylor, a second-team all-league selection, to just eight points on 3-for-6 shooting before fouling out. The Giants also lost Hardnett to five fouls with 4:43 remaining.
Gwynedd-Mercy coasted to a 96-70 victory at home versus fifth-seeded Baptist Bible College Tuesday. The Cavaliers and Griffins split their regular season meetings, each winning on their home floor. Cabrini answered a 35 point setback at GMC with an 8-point victory just 12 days later.
