Marywood Holds Off Centenary for 74-72 Win
Prince Blacknall established a new Marywood consecutive free-throw record and nailed the game-winning 3-pointer against Centenary Monday night

Marywood Holds Off Centenary for 74-72 Win

- 12/1/2008 10:12:12 PM

BOX SCORE

Hackettstown, NJ - Marywood University built an eight-point halftime lead and then held off a furious Centenary College comeback in the second half to pick up a 74-72 win in the CSAC opener for both teams Monday evening in Hackettstown.  Marywood improved to 5-2 (1-0 CSAC) with the win while the Cyclones had a four-game win streak snapped and fell to 4-2 (0-1 CSAC).

Marywood University's Sidney Tharpe (Victorville, CA) had a game-high 24 points on 9 of 20 shooting from the floor and pulled down 10 boards for a double-double.  John Foreman (Sleepy Hollow, NY) also had a double-double on the night for the Paces after scoring 15 points and matching Tharpe's 10 rebounds.

The Pacers built a 45-37 lead at the break thanks in part to 48.4% (15 of 31) shooting from the floor in the opening half.  With the game tied at 19-19 with just under 10-minutes remaining in the first stanza, a quick 5-0 run highlighted by a Tharpe three-pointer gave the visitors a bit of a cushion.  The Pacers would soon extend that lead to nine points (30-21) on a Tharpe jumper with 7:02 to play and build a 34-22 advantage on a Foreman layup just under a minute later.

The Marywood lead would grow to as many as 15 (39-24) with just under five minutes left in the first half until a three by Centenary's Will Atkinson keyed a 5-0 run as the hosts got back to within 10.  Down 12 (49-37) just over two minutes into the second half, the Cyclones began chipping away at the Pacers' lead over the next three minutes with a 10-0 run to climb to within two.  A Tharpe lay-up broke that run but the hosts would eventually grab a 53-51 lead on a three-pointer by Corey Kearney with 10:51 left in the second. 

Centenary would then go up by as many as five (56-51) before Joshua Pena (New York, NY) hit a three to bring Marywood back to within two at 56-54.  A three-pointer by Centenary's Rob Urie seemed to seal the Pacers' fate as the hosts went up 66-60 with just over five minutes left, but a free-throw by Foreman and a Tharpe trey put Marywood right back in the thick of things.  With Centenary holding a 72-69 lead with 2:10 to play, Marywood senior Prince Blacknall and the Pacers defense took over. 

The Pacers' defense managed to hold the hosts scoreless for the final two minutes and Blacknall took over on the offensive end, hitting a jumper with 2:02 left to bring Marywood to within one (72-71) and with :50 ticks left Blacknall (Stroudsburg, PA) nailed the go-ahead three-pointer on a Lester Owens assist. 

Blacknall finished with 13 points on the night to become the third Pacer to reach double-digits.  The senior guard also established a new Marywood consecutive free-throw record with 29 in a row before he missed with 5:14 left in the game.   Blacknall had made 25 straight attempts to open the 2008 season and had not missed since going 7 for 9 from the line against Immaculata University one year ago to the day. 

Centenary College had four players in double figures highlighted by Andrew Baker's 14-point, 16-rebound night.  Ryan Kearney had a team-high 23 points for the hosts. 

Marywood returns to action Thursday with a CSAC battle against pre-season favorite Gwynedd-Mercy College.  Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm in Gwynedd Valley. 
Print Friendly Version