ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University men's basketball team will travel to Cabrini College for a CSAC semifinal matchup with the number one seeded Cavaliers. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 pm tonight.
Neumann comes into the semifinals fresh off a 78-73 CSAC First-Round win over Marywood on Saturday. Four Knights hit double figures in the home win over the Pacers. CSAC Rookie of the Year Mark Blount led the team with a double-double, scoring 20 points and adding 10 rebounds. Marquise Boggs also scored 20 points for the Knights, while Patrick O'Connor added 16 points and Mike Walukiewicz netted 10. The Knights will look to keep their momentum rolling into their matchup against the Cavaliers, having won their past 6 games.
Neumann split the season series with Cabrini this year, with both teams getting wins on their home floor. The Cavaliers won the first contest, squeaking out a 71-69 win at Nerney Field House on January 24th. In that game, the Knights were led by double figure scorers Boggs (13 points), Terrance Clark (13 points), and Rich Whitten (12 points).
More recently, the Knights prevailed over Cabrini with an 86-78 triumph last Thursday (2/17) at the Mirenda Center. Boggs posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. O'Connor led Neumann in scoring with 23 points, while adding five assists. Whitten also got into double-digits by dropping 16 points. Blount added to his single-season record with six more blocks. With the win, Neumann put a halt to the Cavaliers 14 game winning-streak.
For the season, the Knights are being led by the trio of Boggs, O'Connor and Blount. Boggs is averaging 17 points per game while O'Connor is close behind, netting 16.5 ppg. Blount is leading the team with 7.6 rebounds per game, while also chipping in 9.9 ppg. The freshman set a Neumann record for blocks this season on his way to CSAC Rookie of the Year Honors. Clark and Walukiewicz have also been big contributors for the Knights, starting every game this season.
Cabrini is led by CSAC Player of the Year, Cory Lemons. The sophomore point guard averages 15.8 points and 6.4 assists per game. In addition to Lemons, the Cavaliers also boast another First-team All-CSAC performer in Dom Farrello. The senior leads the CSAC in scoring with 18 ppg, and is also fourth in the conference in rebounding, averaging 7.8 per game.
If the Knights are to advance back to the CSAC finals for the second straight year, they will have to snap another Cabrini streak to do so. The Cavaliers currently own a 32 game home winning-streak against conference opponents that Neumann will look to break tonight.
The other semifinal tonight will feature No. 2 seeded Gwynedd-Mercy College hosting No. 3 Keystone College. The winners of the semifinals games will meet on Friday evening for the 2011 CSAC Championship.
