76
Marywood MARYWOOD 14-13
86
Winner Gwynedd Mercy GWYNEDD 17-9
Marywood MARYWOOD
14-13
76
Final
86
Gwynedd Mercy GWYNEDD
17-9
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Marywood MARYWOOD 33 43 76
Gwynedd Mercy GWYNEDD 40 46 86

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Basketball's Deepest Playoff Run Ends at No. 2 Gwynedd Mercy

Seitz scores 20-plus points in second-straight playoff game

Gwynedd Valley, Pa. -- Marywood University's deepest playoff run in program history came to a halt in Wednesday's Atlantic East Conference men's basketball semifinal. The third-ranked Pacers fell to No. 2 Gwynedd Mercy University by a 86-76 decision.

The Pacers (14-13) end their season after earning the first-ever conference playoff victory in the 31-year history of the men's basketball program. Gwynedd Mercy will travel to top-seeded Marymount University Saturday in the Atlantic East championship game.

Trevor Seitz had his second consecutive 20-plus point scoring affair. Seitz finished with 21 points. He knocked down five 3-pointers.

Brendan Franko contributed 18 points. Mason Mendygral finished with 17 points and three steals.

Defensively, Shilo Bivins neared a double-double with nine rebounds and eight points.

Gwynedd Mercy's JoHaan Vinson matched Seitz with 21 points. He posted a double-double with 12 rebounds. Aquil Stewart (16), Mike Marable (14) and Manny Clark (11) were all in double figures scoring for the Griffins.

Despite being out-shot by a 58.8-to-42.9 percent mark, the Pacers were within two possessions until the final minute. Marywood benefited from a 21-15 margin in points off turnovers and an 8-0 favor in second-chance points.

Gwynedd Mercy led throughout the entirety of the first half, holding as much as a 12-point lead. Franko cashed in on a 3-pointer with 2:39 remaining to cut the deficit to 32-30. A Parker trey with 32 seconds left supplied the Griffins with a 40-33 advantage at the break.

In the second half, Marywood showed the upper hand for the first time. The Pacers went on a 22-7 run. With help from a Collin Himmelberg assist, Franko made a 3-pointer to even the score at 54-54 with 10:56 left. An Austin Bausman steal enabled Seitz to score an old-fashioned three-point play for its first advantage just beyond the midway point of the half.

It was short-lived as a Marable and-1 squared the score at 63-63. Vinson blocked a shot and made a basket at the other end for a 65-63 lead with 6:53 left in the game. Bivins stopped a seven-point run in its tracks with a 3-pointer to move within one (67-66). Gwynedd Mercy pulled away with an 11-1 run bookended by a pair of Marable free throws that gave the Griffins an 81-70 lead with 74 seconds remaining.

Gwynedd Mercy held the Pacers without a field goal for a five-minute stretch deep in the second half.

Marywood ties for the fourth largest win total in school history. Completing his second season at the helm, Coach Jon Showers is even with his former head coach Bob Simmons for the third-most career wins.
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