Pacers Down Misericordia for Laurel Line Title
Marywood claimed their second Laurel Line Championship Saturday night with 61-58 win over host Misericordia

Pacers Down Misericordia for Laurel Line Title

- 11/22/2008 10:10:27 PM

BOX SCORE

Dallas, PA - Prince Blacknall had a game-high 28 points and was a perfect 7 for 7 from the charity stripe as visiting Marywood topped host Misericordia University 61-58 in the Championship game of the 2008 Laurel Line Tournament in Dallas Saturday night.  Marywood, who also won the tournament title in 2004, had two players placed on the All-Tournament Team.  Blacknall and teammate Sidney Tharpe were each named to the All-Tournament team after combining for 43 of Marywood's 61 points on the night.  Blacknall picked up Tournament MVP honors as well. 

The Pacers, who have now won three consecutive games after falling in the opening game of the season to Richard Stockton College, built up a six-point halftime lead (32-26) thanks to 58% shooting from long-range.  Marywood would knock down 7 of 12 attempts from behind the arc in the opening half, while limiting the host Cougars to just 20% (1 of 5) shooting from 3-point range. 

Up 59-58 with under 15-seconds left, Blacknall (Stroudsburg, PA) grabbed a crucial defensive rebound off a missed Robbie Johnson shot and hit two free throws with just :12 seconds left on the clock to give Marywood a three-point lead.  A Johnson three-point attempt to tie the game at the buzzer was not successful.

Down 21-13 with 5:30 left in the opening period, the Pacers used a 11-3 run over the next three minutes to knot the game at 24-24.  Marywood then grabbed a 26-24 lead on a pair of Blacknall free-throws, and after a Vinnie Baumunk field goal tied the game back up briefly Marywood closed the half on a 6-0 run highlighted by a Blacknall three and Tharpe (Victorville, CA) field goal. 

The Pacers would maintain a six-point lead for the first three minutes of the second half and then extend their lead to nine on another Blacknall three, but Misericordia chipped away at the Marywood lead over the next six minutes and find themselves down just three (47-44) with just under 10 to play.  Baumunk would nail a three with 8:41 left to tie the game at 47-47, but Marywood regained control with a 10-0 run over the next 4:40 to take a 57-47 lead. 

The Cougars would once again chip away at the Marywood lead and with :57 left on the clock Baumunk would nail a field goal to bring Misericordia to within one, down 59-58.  From there, Blacknall's free-throws sealed the win for the Pacers. 

Tharpe was 3 of 5 from the floor and 3 of 8 from three-point range.  Lester Owens (Manalapan, NJ) dished out a game-high seven assists for the Pacers, while Matt Medici (Princeton Junction, NJ) had six boards and Joshua Pena (New York, NY) added eight points.

Misericordia was led by Baumunk's 19 point effort on 7 of 14 shooting from the floor.  Dom Del Prete (10 points) and Ethan Eichhorst (11 points) also reached double-digits for the hosts.

Marywood hosts Penn State-Scranton this Tuesday at 7:00 pm in the Insalaco Arena in non-conference action. 
Print Friendly Version