Behind a strong second half shooting effort, the Moravian College men's basketball team rallied from a ten-point deficit to post a 74-63 victory over Manhattanville College in the championship game of the 33rd Annual Greyhound Starters Classic Monday evening in Johnston Hall.
Moravian won its third straight game and captured its 15th tournament title while going 16-for-28 in the final 22 minutes of action. Sophomore guard D.J. Strayhorn was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after 16 points in the championship game.
Freshman forward Jack Bramswig started the game with a lay-up for the Valiants before Strayhorn tied the game with a jumper on Moravian's first possession. After Strayhorn tied the contest at 6-6 with a lay-up, Manhattanville ran off ten straight points to take a 16-6 lead on a jumper from junior guard Trevory Pointer at 13:39. The Valiants also led by ten points, 22-12, after junior guard Jeff Ventura connected on a three-pointer with 9:40 to go in the first half.
The Greyhounds responded with a 9-0 run capped off by a three-pointer from junior forward Chris Cullinan at 6:36, but Manhattanville answered, pushing the lead back to nine points, 32-23 on a three-pointer by Pointer. Moravian scored the final five points of the first half to head to the locker room trailing 32-28.
The Valiants were 14-for-29 from the floor (48.3 percent), three-for-seven on three-pointers and one-for-two at the foul line in the opening 20 minutes while Moravian was just nine-for-27 from the field (33.3 percent), three-for-17 on three-pointers and seven-for-eight at the foul line. The Greyhounds had an 18-17 edge in rebounds in the first half while both teams committed seven turnovers.
Strayhorn started the second half with a basket for the Greyhounds, and he would tie the contest at 41-41 with a three-pointer at the 14:59 mark. Moravian took the lead for good 1:16 later when sophomore guard Garrett Johnson hit a lay-up for a 43-41 lead. Strayhorn's three-pointer started an 11-0 run that saw the Greyhounds take a 49-41 lead on a three-pointer by senior forward Chris Cullen with 11:20 to go.
Manhattanville would get no closer than four points the remainder of the game while Moravian pushed the lead to double figures on three occasions with the largest lead of 12 points, 74-62, coming on two Cullen free throws with 16 seconds to play.
The Greyhounds were very hot shooting the ball in the second half, making 14-of-25 field goal attempts (56 percent) eight-of-11 three-pointers and ten-of-11 free throws in the final 20 minutes. Moravian finished the game with a 34-30 advantage in rebounds while both teams had 15 turnovers in the contest. The Valiants also shot well in the second half, connecting on 13-of-28 field goal attempts (46.4 percent) but Manhattanville struggled behind the three-point line, going one-for-seven, and at the foul line, going four-for-ten.
Strayhorn was one of four players in double figures for Moravian with 16 points while Cullen earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team with an 18-point, eight-rebound performance. Johnson contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Greyhounds while senior guard Ryan O'Donnell had ten points including a team high three three-pointers. Cullinan and freshman guard Kenny Gula each had seven points with Cullinan adding seven boards.
Pointer led Manhattanville with 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals while Bramswig had ten points, three rebounds and three assists as both players were named to the All-Tournament Team. Senior guard Lamar Glass contributed eight points and three boards for the Valiants while senior forward Peter Mehmel, junior forward Glenn Rodriguez and Ventura each had six points. Mehmel contributed five boards and four assists while Rodriguez added four rebounds.
Wentworth Institute of Technology junior guard Adam Dombrowski and Muhlenberg College junior forward Spencer Liddic were also named to the All-Tournament Team as Wentworth rallied from a 16-point deficit to defeat Muhlenberg, 54-50, in the consolation game.