DANVILLE, Ky. – The Cabrini College Cavaliers and Centre College Colonels took advantage of all 45 minutes on the clock tonight, with the Cavaliers coming up just short in tonight's final of the Papa John's/Country Hearth Inn Tournament at Centre College's Alumni Gymnasium.  Two Centre free throws with 0.2 seconds to play in overtime sent the Cavaliers to a 69-67 defeat, their first of the season.

The loss drops the Blue and White to 9-1 in the year.

For the second consecutive game, the Cavaliers got off to a hot start, tallying the game's first 10 points.  The home team settled into the game over the next four minutes with a 10-0 run of their own to tie the score with 13:13 to  play.

Cabrini returned the favor with seven consecutive points of their own to regain the game's momentum.  The Blue and White extended its lead to a game-high 11 points with 6:22 on the clock, but the Colonels responded, hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer.  The Cavaliers took a 31-26 halftime advantage to the locker room.

Eight Cavaliers notched points in the first half, led by reserve Jeremy Knowles' eight points and six rebounds before the break.  Preseason All-American senior Cory Lemons added seven points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

Cabrini maintained a slim lead throughout the second half, but Centre remained close with a barrage of three-pointers.  Centre sophomore Collin Lopez connected on his fourth three-pointer of the half to tie the score at 51 with 4:42 on the clock.  A Centre three-point play gave the Colonels their first lead of the game at the 3:00 mark.

A lay-up by Cabrini senior John Boyd cut deficit to one point with just under a minute to play.  After a defensive stop, Lemons took the game into his hands, hitting a jump shot in the paint to give the Cavaliers a 57-56 lead with 2.8 seconds on the clock.

The Colonels inbounded a long pass and forced a Cabrini foul with just 0.3 seconds to play.  Centre's Greg Ross hit one of two free throws to send the game into overtime.

Centre rook an early lead n the extra period and never gave it up.  They led by as many as three points, but the Cavaliers hung tough, tying the score at 64 with just under two minutes remaining.  

The Colonels scored the next three points to take a 67-64 lead with :40 to play.  The Blue and White calmly came down the court and ran their offense.  The ball came to the top of the key in the hands of junior Goran Dulac with :20 on the clock.  Dulac pump faked one defender and raised up and connected on a three-pointer to tie the game with 20 seconds to play.

After a Cabrini time out, the Colonels brought the ball down the court.  Cabrini held tight, forcing a loose ball that Centre recovered.  Centre's Ross again was in the right place at the right time.  As he gathered the ball and drove to the baseline, Cabrini sophomore Fran Rafferty was there to meet him.  As Ross went up for the shot at the buzzer, Rafferty elevated with him.

Simultaneously, Rafferty swatted Ross' shot, the buzzer sounded, and the officials called a Cabrini foul, sending Ross to the line for two shots with 0.2 seconds on the clock.

Lemons narrowly missed the triple-double, finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.  Boyd scored 13 points and Knowles finished with 10 points and eight boards.

Cabrini shot 42.4% from the floor, including connecting on eight three-pointers, while holding Centre to 38.3% from the floor.  The Colonels knocked down 14 of 23 attempts from the charity stripe while Cabrini attempted only five free throws, making three.

The Cavaliers will return to the comfy confines of Nerney Field House on Wednesday, January 4 at 6:00 p.m. when they host York (Pa.) College.