View box score
RADNOR, Pa. – The Cabrini men's basketball team captured its fifth straight win with a thrilling 92-88 double overtime non-conference victory against backyard-rival Eastern University at Nerney Field House Monday. The Cavaliers offense boasted five scorers in double figures led by a game-high 24 points from junior forward Kevin Misevicius.
Misevicius shot 8-for-13 from the field and drained 8-of-9 free throw attempts. He also grabbed seven rebounds and swiped six steals. Misevicius played just seven minutes in the first half due to early-game foul trouble.
Sophomore forward Dom Farrello tallied 20 points, five rebounds and four steals. Sophomore shooting guard Glenn Washington paired 14 points with three rebounds and two thefts. He shot 4-for-9 from long range, including what proved to be the game's most crucial shot with the clock winding down in the first overtime period.
Junior forward Chris Blake and junior guard Corey White each added 11 points off the bench. The Cabrini reserves out-scored the Eastern second unit, 36-18.
Senior point guard Charles Bush handed out a game-high seven assists.
The inaugural edition of “The Battle of Eagle Road” featured 50 minutes played, 19 lead changes and 11 tied scores. The high-energy, back-and-forth pace of play was fueled by two screaming student sections and a near maximum capacity Nerney Field House.
Both teams had a chance to win in the final 10 seconds of regulation. However, Bush's runner from the elbow missed the mark with six seconds left before Eastern guard Jason Reels' fall-away shot along the baseline at the buzzer fell short, sending the contest into an extra session.
The lead never surpassed more than three points in the first overtime period. In fact, the lead changed hands seven times before it looked like the Eagles all but sealed the win with 12 seconds remaining, pushing their edge to 75-72 following two free throws from guard Martin Soaries.
After the second made free throw came through the net, Bush took the in-bound pass and raced the length of the floor. With one reverse dribble, he slipped Washington a hand-off coming off a rotation at the top of the key. Washington rose and knocked down the game's equalizer in front of two defenders with just less than six seconds remaining, forcing a second overtime.
In the encore overtime, the Blue & Gray displayed the resolve it has shown throughout the season in tight games, shooting 11-for-13 from the foul line. For the season, Cabrini is shooting better than 73 percent from the charity stripe in the last five minutes of games.
The Cavaliers jumped out to a four-point cushion, 79-75, with 3:44 remaining. Cabrini's lead ballooned to a game-high nine points, 87-78, with 58 ticks left after Misevicius twisted home a fast break lefty lay-in off a nifty feed from Bush.
Eastern would climb no closer than five points down the stretch before Reels canned a long trifecta as time expired. The win pushed the Cavaliers' record to 7-4 this season in games decided by 10 points or less. The team's current five-game win streak matches a season-best after the Blue & Gray opened the season with five straight victories.
The win improves Cabrini's record to 16-5 overall. The Blue & Gray last won 16 games in a season in 2002-03 when the program finished with a 17-9 record.
Guard Tyrik Tucker paced the Eagles, scoring a team-high 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Tucker claimed six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Soaries contributed 19 points, five rebounds and five steals. Reels recorded a double-double with 17 points and a game-high 17 boards.
Cabrini (16-5, 9-3) resumes Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) play Thursday, February 12 at 7 p.m. on the road against Centenary College. The Cavaliers own a half-game lead in the conference standings against Gwynedd-Mercy College with four contests remaining.
