CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The No. 5 seeded Neumann University men's basketball team defeated No. 2 seeded Swarthmore College 89-71 on Sunday afternoon to claim the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Championship.
 
Darian Barnes was named to tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The junior had 15 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks in the championship game.
 
DeShawn Lowman netted 26 points for the Knights. The junior had two three-pointers and went 10-for-11 from the free throw line. James Butler notched 16 points. Denzel Yard netted 15 points and had seven assists.
 
The teams remained close for the first 10 minutes of the game and with 9:58 on the clock, the teams were knotted at 23. Two free throws by Tony Parker and a layout by Tyaire Hudson put Neumann up four. The teams then traded baskets and then Yard hit a three-pointer and Barnes connected on a layup for a 34-25 Knights lead. The Garnet then went on their own 8-0 run for a one point game. Neumann scored the final seven points of the half to take a 41-33 lead into halftime.
 
Swarthmore got back to with four, 45-41, two minutes into the second half. Neumann then began to build on its lead and took a 17 points advantage, 63-46, with 11:11 on the clock. The Garnet were not going quietly and chipped their way back to within seven, 67-60, with 5:18 remaining.
 
After a Neumann timeout, Barnes converted a three-point play, layup and free throw, for a 10 point advantage. The Knights would use free throws down the stretch to continue to extend their lead. Jordan Collins and Adam Robinson made Neumann's final two baskets of the game as the Knights came away with the 89-71 win.
 
Neumann finishes its season 22-8 overall.