HAVERFORD, Pa. – CUA opened the first leg of its four-game road trip with a 52-40 victory over Haverford on Monday evening that pushed the Cardinals record to 4-0. CUA once again received balanced scoring as Dan DiVietri led three double figure scorers with 18 points. Jason Banzhaf added 14 and R.J. Dixon scored 11.
The Cardinals had another strong game on the backboards, outrebounding the Fords 50-38 led by DiVietri with 13 and Banzhaf with 10. DiVietri also led CUA in assists with three and he shared team-high honors in steals with R.J. Dixon (2).
The Cardinals struggled with their shooting, as they hit on only 32-percent from the field and 22-percent from three, but CUA's defense more than held its own, limiting Haverford to 26-percent shooting.
The Fords were led in scoring by Sam Permutt and Ian Goldberg with 10 points apiece, while Permutt pulled down a team-best 10 boards. Haverford did a nice job of taking care of the ball, committing only 11 turnovers, but a 2 of 20 showing from three-point range and a 16 of 60 performance overall was too much to overcome.
Both teams started the game cold, as neither scored for the first 2:10 until Goldberg hit a three to put the Fords on top 3-0. CUA scored the next four points and went in front 4-3, but Cam Baker got inside for a layup and Haverford was back on top 5-4.
The teams traded baskets for the next several minutes and the score remained close, with Goldberg's jumper at the 8:57 mark giving the home team a 10-8 advantage. Two Banzhaf free throws on CUA's next possession tied the score at 10, but Brett Cohen answered with a basket down the other end to put the Fords up 12-10.
With under seven to play in the half and the score knotted at 12, CUA ripped off 13 straight points capped by DiVietri's bucket with no time remaining. Brennen Sawyer was then fouled and he made one of two at the line for Haverford, sending the teams into halftime with the Cardinals comfortably in front, 27-15.
Haverford scored the first four points of the second half to close within eight, 27-19, but Kearney's layup pushed CUA's lead back to double digits.
The Fords then ran off six straight to make it a four-point game with 14:05 to play, but DiVietri answered with a Cardinals basket to put CUA on top 31-25.
Permutt responded with a bucket of his own for Haverford, and that was followed by two free throws from Baker, which cut it to a two-point game, 31-29.
DiVietri had an answer once again though as he scored, got fouled, and hit the ensuring foul shot to put CUA in front 34-29, and Dixon followed with a trifecta to make the score 37-29 with 12:09 to play.
With under 10 to play Haverford again closed to within four on a Cohen jumper, but CUA responded with the next four points and led 41-33 at the 8:42 mark.
Louis Cipriano sank one of two at the line for Haverford with 4:39 on the clock, and once again the Fords were within four, but a DiVietri layup and old-fashioned three-point play by Dixon gave the Cardinals a nine-point cushion with under a minute remaining.
Two free throws by Dixon and another pair from sophomore Shawn Holmes then sealed the win for CUA down the stretch, as the Cardinals improved to 3-0 away from home this season.
CUA's four-game road swing continues on Wednesday when the Cardinals travel to Pittsburgh to take on Carnegie Mellon. Tip-off is slated for 7:30.