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GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. - The Cabrini men's basketball team's run at its first Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) title in seven years came to an end Friday night at Gwynedd-Mercy College. The Griffins earned a 108-96 victory and receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Junior forward Kevin Misevicius led the Cavaliers in scoring, totaling 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting overall. Misevicius grabbed seven rebounds and dished two assists.
Sophomore forward Dom Farrello tallied 22 points, shooting 7-for-12 from the field and 3-for-3 from long range. Junior guard Corey White and sophomore guard Glenn Washington each scored 16 points.
The first half was played at a feverish pace. The Cavaliers jumped to an 8-4 lead out of the gates behind two quick three-point baskets from Misevicius. Cabrini forced the Griffins into a 30-second timeout at the 14:54 mark after Misevicius flicked in a lay-in off the glass.
However, sophomore forward Jon Hogga made a quick and emphatic presence off the bench, scoring 22 points in the opening half on 8-for-12 shooting. He shot 5-for-6 from long-range. GMC pushed its lead to 15 points, 40-25, and the Cavaliers burned a full timeout after Hogga's fifth three-point basket of the half.
Gwynedd-Mercy shot 52.8 percent from the field in the first half and knocked down 8-of-14 three-point field goals.The Griffins' ballooned its cushion to a half-high 20 points, 49-29, after a fast break lay-in from junior point guard Matt Johnson.
But as quickly as the Cavaliers fell behind mid-way through, Cabrini climbed back into the contest before halftime just as fast. The Blue & White closed out the opening stanza on an 11-1 run and pulled to within 10 points, 50-40, at the break.
Oxley and Washington capped the Cabrini spurt with two back-to-back trifectas in transition. Farrello also added to the cause, shooting 4-for-4 from the foul line during the closing stretch.
The second half's tempo mirrored the up-and-down pace from the first half. Cabrini pulled to within seven points, 55-48, in the opening minutes. However, Gwynedd-Mercy's lead returned to 20 points, 82-62, following two free throws from senior guard Tim McCauley.
Down the stretch, the Cavaliers trimmed the Griffins' cushion to 13 points, 96-83, after a 16-foot jumper from Farrello, but pulled no closer.
Senior forward Dave Smith scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds en route to receiving most valuable player recognition. Hogga finished with 25 points.
Junior guard Lemeire Talley recorded 19 points and junior guard Matt Johnson notched 18 points.
Cabrini (20-7) will await its postseason destiny any further with the announcement of the NCAA Tournament scheduled for Monday.
