Pacers Fall at Neumann to Close Regular Season, Host BBC Saturday
Prince Blacknall's game-high 20 points was not enough Thursday night as Marywood fell at Neumann College

Pacers Fall at Neumann to Close Regular Season, Host BBC Saturday

- 2/19/2009 10:33:04 PM

BOX SCORE

Aston, PA - Marywood University dropped the final game of the 2008-2009 regular season Thursday evening with a 81-67 loss to Neumann College in Aston.  Despite the loss, Marywood advances to post-season play for just the third time in program history and will host Baptist Bible College Saturday afternoon in the first round of the CSAC men's basketball tournament. 

Neumann, who ends their season at 11-14 (7-9 CSAC), is the only team to defeat Marywood twice during the regular season.  The Pacers registered at least one win against every other conference foe on their way to establishing program bests for overall wins (15) and conference wins (9) during a single season.  The Knights hit at a 45% clip from the floor in the opening half, building a 15-point lead (47-32) at intermission.  The hosts hit 40% of their shots in the second half while limiting Marywood to 11 of 36 shooting (30%) in the second half.  Marywood connected on just 6 of 24 three-pointers on the night and were out-rebounded 45-38. 

Prince Blacknall (Stroudsburg, PA) scored a game-high 20 points on 7 of 17 shooting from the floor to lead Marywood while Sidney Tharpe added 19 points.  Eli Hitchens led five Knights in double-figures with a team-high 15 points. 

Marywood, winners of two regular season games over Baptist Bible College, enters post-season play as the fourth-seed.  The fifth-seeded Defenders went 6-3 down the stretch after falling to Marywood in a close 86-84 battle in Scranton on January 22.  BBC and Centenary College finished out CSAC play with identical 8-8 records and split their regular season meeting.  BBC was awarded the fifth seed because of a win over top-seeded Gwynedd-Mercy College in the regular season. 

Gwynedd-Mercy and second-seeded Cabrini College will enjoy byes in the first round on Saturday and will host the winners of Saturday's first-round games.  The other Saturday match-up features third-seeded Keystone College taking on sixth-seeded Centenary College in LaPlume. 
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