RADNOR, PA – Trailing by eight points with just over two minutes to pay, the Cavaliers made a late comeback attempt, pulling to within one point, before their potential game-winning three pointer bounced off the rim, sending the Cabrini men's basketball team to an 86-84 loss to Rosemont College tonight at Nerney Field House.

Four Cavaliers scored in double figures tonight, with sophomore Aquil Stewart leading the way with a career best 31 points on 11-20 from the field, including 7-10 from three point range, to go with six assists.

Freshman Marquis Tomlin scored six of his 12 points in the final two minutes, while senior Ryan Byars and freshman Donoven Mack added 10 points each.

Junior Josh Jones secured a team high six rebounds, one more than Byars and classmate Billy Warren. Fellow senior Brice Parks handed out five assists and matched junior Christian Lane with three steals.

Both clubs went back and forth over the game's first 14 minutes, as evidenced by five ties and 13 lead changes.

The final change came at the 5:54 mark with the Cavaliers holding a slim 28-27 lead. The Ravens used an 11-0 run to build a 38-28 advantage, a lead the visitors would not relinquish. A Stewart lay-up ends the Rosemont spurt, but the Blue and White could not cut into its deficit and trailed 45-36 at the half.

The Rosemont cushion swung between 3-9 points for much of the second half, but the Cavaliers could not hit the big shot to pull any closer… until the game's final minutes.

Trailing 81-73 with 2:08 to play, Tomlin drained a three. On the ensuing possession, Parks stole the ball and found Tomlin for a traditional three point play, pulling Cabrini to within 81-79 with 1:41 to play.

The Ravens left the door open for the Blue and White, as the visitors made just four of their next eight free throws over the next 95 seconds. The Cavaliers, however, could not take advantage, scoring just two points over the same span.

A pair of free throws by Rosemont graduate student Marlon Sharpton put the visitors ahead 85-81 with 10 seconds to play. Following a Ravens' timeout, Byars collected the in-bounds pass and went downhill straight to cup for a hoop and a foul. The three point play pulled the Cavaliers to within 85-84 with :06 on the clock.

A Cabrini timeout and subsequent foul sent Sharpton back to the charity stripe, where he split a pair of free throws with 3.7 seconds to play. Cabrini inbounded the ball and quickly hit the front court, where a potentially game-winning three pointer from the right baseline bounced off the rim.  

The Blue and White turned up its defense in the second half, holding Rosemont to just .393 shooting  from the floor, including 1-9 from three point range, but the Ravens made 24 trips to the free throw line in the second half, draining 18.

Junior Zaire Mitchell led the Ravens (1-5) with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Sharpton added 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The Cavaliers will chew on tonight's loss for a few days before returning to action next Wednesday, when they visit Moravian College. Game time is set for 7pm in Bethlehem, PA.