Cabrini tops Keystone for CSAC men's basketball title
BOX SCORE
RADNOR, Pa.: Behind a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double from game MVP
Fran Rafferty (pictured below), the Cabrini College Cavaliers defeated Keystone College 90-74 to capture their fourth consecutive Colonial States Athletic Conference men's basketball championship, and qualify for the NCAA Division-III National
Tournament.
Rafferty was joined by three teammates in double-figures, including
Aaron Walton-Moss, who was a
second Cavalier to post a double-double, scoring 11 points with 10 rebounds.
Jon Miller scored 17 points, going 8-for-10 from the field, while
Jeremy Knowles added 15 points, including three three-pointers, and
AJ Williams bucketed 11. For the game, the Cavaliers shot a strong 53 percent (33-62) from the field and went 75 percent (15-20) from the foul line.
Keystone, which falls to 18-10, boasted a trio of double-digit scorers, led by
Duncan Lunsford, who scored 20 points, all in the second half.
Mike Kelly added 19 points, going 6-8 from the field and 7-8 from the foul line, while
Dan Candameres scored 16 points to go with a team-high seven assists.
Cabrini led for the game's duration, eventually taking an eight-point lead (42-34) at the half. The Cabrini lead would fluctuate between six and 10 points for much of the second half, until the hosts would put the game away by out-scoring the Giants 17-7 over the final 5:20, including a perfect 8-for-8 mark at the charity stripe during the span.
Led by the double-digit efforts by Rafferty and Walton-Moss, Cabrini owned a 42-25 advantage on the glass. Both teams went an identical 9-for-25 from behind the three-point line, and each team picked up seven steals.
Cabrini will learn its first round NCAA opponent when bids are announced on Monday afternoon. The first round of the NCAA D3 National Tournament is slated to begin on Friday, March 1.