1st Round (at Washington): #4 Washington College d. Muhlenberg,
85-78
Semifinal (at Ursinus): #1 Ursinus d. #4 Washington College,
92-80
Semifinal (at Ursinus): #2 Johns Hopkins d. #3 Gettysburg,
78-66
Final (at Ursinus): #1 Ursinus d. #2 Johns Hopkins, 100-82
COLLEGEVILLE, PA - Five players scored in double figures for
Ursinus and the Bears hit on 93 percent of their chances from the
free throw line to clinch their second straight Centennial
Conference men's basketball title with a 100-82 victory over Johns
Hopkins on Sunday at Helfferich Hall.
The win marked the second straight conference championship for the
Bears (21-6), who earn the Centennial Conference's automatic bid to
the NCAA Division III tournament, beginning Friday (March 3) at
campus sites.
Senior Brian McEvily led Ursinus with 22 points and sophomore Nick
Shattuck rang up 21 in the winning effort. Junior Matt Fabian and
senior Mike McGarvey each posted their seventh double-double of the
season, as Fabian posted 11 points and 12 rebounds, while McGarvey
scored 16 with 11 assists. McGarvey was 11-of-12 from the free
throw line. Senior Will Furey also contributed 19 for the Bears,
scoring 16 in the first half.
The Blue Jays got off to a fast start, claiming an 18-14 advantage
in the game's opening 8:08 paced by junior Matt Griffin's (Glen
Mills, PA/Penncrest) eight early points. But Ursinus narrowed the
gap and raced ahead for the lead with a 22-9 run in the final nine
minutes the half, keyed by eight points from Furey. Ursinus led
47-33 at the half on the strength of 64 percent shooting from the
field (16-of-25).
The Blue Jays (18-8) came back to tie the score at 57-57, using a
24-10 scoring spree that included nine points from Griffin to open
up the second half. Ursinus answered with a 12-0 run to open up a
69-57 advantage, sealing up the win. The Bears extended their lead
by hitting on 15-of-16 free throws in the final 3:26 to open up a
lead that grew to as much as 21.
Griffin finished with 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting, a
career-high. It was the first time this season that a Hopkins
player scored better than 30 points. Junior T.J. Valerio (Blue
Bell, PA/St. Joseph's Prep) added 23, hitting on four-of-six
attempts from beyond the arch.
Senior Bobby Sharafeddin (Silver Spring, MD/Barrie School) added
11 points, shooting three-of-six from long range while senior Jeff
Thompson (Binghamton, NY/Loomis Chaffee) played a team-high 32
minutes. Both handed out five assists in their final games as Blue
Jays.
Ursinus out-rebounded Johns Hopkins, 44-28. The Bears finished the
game shooting 50 percent from the field (28-of-56).
For the Blue Jays, this was their sixth Centennial Conference
championship appearance since the league's formation in 1993-94 and
their second in three seasons.