RADNOR, Pa. – For the third consecutive season, the Cabrini men's basketball team is off to a 2-0 start following a 70-62 triumph against Landmark Conference opponent Drew University on Tuesday night at Nerney Field House. The victory extends the Cavaliers' home win streak to 14 games, dating back to the start of the 2009-10 campaign.
Sophomore point guard Cory Lemons led the Cabrini offense, scoring a team-high 16 points. Lemons turned out a solid floor game overall, also handing out five assists, grabbing five rebounds and swiping four steals.
Senior forward Dom Farrello netted 11 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots. Sophomore guard A.J. Williams also finished in double figures, tallying 10 points and shooting 2-for-6 from 3-point range.
Junior forward Brandon Carter narrowly missed his first career double-double, posting nine points and corralling 11 boards in 22 minutes off the bench. Freshman center Jon Miller played a spirited 12 minutes in a reserve role, scoring nine points and collecting three rebounds.
Freshman forward Fran Rafferty paired seven points with four rebounds. Junior guard John Boyd chipped in with six points and six caroms.
However, Boyd's influence in the contest was felt on the defensive end as he was tasked with stopping Drew junior guard Asmar Capers. Capers entered Tuesday's game averaging 26.0 points an outing. He finished with 18 points, but was limited by Boyd to a 5-for-14 shooting performance.
The Cavaliers held the Rangers to a 32.3 percent shooting clip in the first half and owned a 36-28 advantage at the intermission. Williams led the Blue & White in the opening 20 minutes with eight points.
Cabrini pushed its lead to a game-high 14 points, 42-28, at the onset of the second half. Williams keyed the spurt with a lay-on off a feed from Farrello at the 18:12 mark.
Yet, a 3-point bucket from Drew junior forward Dara McKeon pulled the visitors back to within six points, 48-42, with 13:05 remaining. The Rangers kept the Cavaliers in striking distance down the stretch, never trailing by more than 12 points.
Cabrini held a five-point edge, 67-62, in the final minute before Lemons iced the victory with two free throws with 16 ticks left.
McKeon complemented Capers on the offensive end with 16 points, also grabbing eight rebounds. Sophomore center Dylan Bulger added 10 points and eight rebounds.
The victory extends the Cavaliers' win streak at Nerney Field House to 14 games. The Blue & White went 13-0 on its home floor last season en route to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The win also stands as the 49th in just 60 games for third-year Cabrini head coach Marcus Kahn. Kahn guided the Cavaliers to a program-record 25 overall wins in 2009-10.
Cabrini (2-0) returns to the road on Monday, Nov. 29 versus non-conference foe Widener University. Game time against the Pride is set for 8 p.m.