RADNOR, Pa. – The Cabrini men's basketball team remains unbeaten in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) action following a 68-57 win against Keystone College on Friday night at Nerney Field House. The victory is the Cavaliers' 17th straight at home dating back to the start of the 2009-10 campaign.
The win is also Cabrini's 26th in a row on its own hardwood versus CSAC opponents. Under third-year head coach Marcus Kahn, the Cavaliers are 21-0 at home in conference play and 32-2 overall.
Senior forward Dom Farrello and sophomore point guard Cory Lemons led the Blue & White offense in the victory, each scoring a game-high 18 points. Farrello also notched 10 rebounds for his third career double-double. Lemons added seven assists.
Junior guard John Boyd also reached double figures, tallying 13 points.
Freshman center Jon Miller logged a spirited 17 minutes play off the bench for the Blue & White, scoring nine points and claiming six rebounds. It was Miller's emphatic blocked shot and subsequent tip-in down the other end that keyed a critical 6-0 run for the Cavaliers mid-way through the second half.
Cabrini owned a 46-44 advantage with just under 12 minutes remaining when Keystone forward Malcolm Boone's lay-in attempt along the baseline was turned away by Miller, spurring a fast-break opportunity for the hosts. Farrello's triple try kicked off the iron, right into the hands of Miller for the putback.
The Blue & White led 52-50 at the 7:21 mark before an 8-2 run provided a comfortable 60-52 advantage with 3:36 to play. A Lemons' 3-point field goal sparked the run with just under seven minutes on the clock.
Cabrini extended its lead to 10 points, 64-54, at the 2:12 mark. The Blue & White shot 7-of-8 from the stripe in the final 3:36.
The Cavaliers scored 20 points off 20 Keystone turnovers and shot nearly 54 percent from the field in the second half.
Junior guard Kenneth Hardnett led the Giants' offense with 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Boone (14) and sophomore forward Mike Kelly (12) also scored in double figures. Kelly pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds.
Prior to Cabrini's spurt down the stretch, tonight's game was shaping up to be yet another classic in this series. Last season, the Cavaliers rallied in the final minutes for a dramatic 100-98 win against the Giants at home. Also during 2009-10, just 10 days earlier, former Cavalier Kevin Misevicius poured in a program-record 45 points in a 93-85 win at Keystone.
Cabrini has won four straight against Keystone, including a 64-62 victory in the semifinal round of the CSAC Tournament in 2009. The Giants have been slated to finish second in the league in 2010-11.
The Cavaliers' 25-game home CSAC win streak dates back to a 69-59 victory against Immaculata University on Feb. 2, 2008. It's been nearly three years since Cabrini has suffered defeat on its home floor, a 74-68 loss against Gwynedd-Mercy College on Jan. 31, 2008.
Cabrini (6-3, 3-0 CSAC) returns to the road on Monday, Jan. 10 against CSAC opponent Marywood University. Game time against the Pacers is set for approximately 8 p.m.