RADNOR, Pa. – For the 39th consecutive time, the Cabrini College men's basketball team did what head coach Marcus Kahn preaches, protect the Nerney Field House floor.
With tonight's 83-71 win over the visiting Rosemont College Ravens, the Cavaliers extended their overall home win streak to 39 games and their home win streak against Colonial States Athletic Conference foes to 42 games.
The #7 Cavaliers remain unbeaten in the CSAC at 14-0 and 20-1 overall.
Senior John Boyd (Trappe, Pa./ Perkiomen Valley) led four Cavaliers in double-figure scoring with 28 points, including 12-13 from the free throw line, and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
Cabrini got off to a great start, scoring the game's first 13 points. Four of the Blue and White's starters recorded points in the game's first four minutes. Even with the big lead, the Cavaliers maintained their defensive intensity, never allowing the Ravens to get closer than nine points in the first half.
The Blue and White led by as many as 14 points in the first half and took a 36-26 lead into halftime. Boyd and junior Jeremy Knowles combined for 21 of Cabrini's first half points.
The Cavaliers struggled coming out of the halftime break, missing their first four field goal attempts and committing four turnovers in the opening six minutes of the second half. The drought gave Rosemont an opportunity to cut Cabrini's lead to just 39-37 with 13:54 to play.
Cabrini responded with a 12-1 run over about five minutes of action to take a 51-38 lead with 9:19 on the clock. During that span, the Blue and White forced three Rosemont turnovers, six missed field goals, and six fouls, including a technical foul.
The Ravens continued to fight, penetrating the lane and forcing Cabrini fouls. A three-pointer cut the Cavaliers' lead to seven points with 43 seconds on the clock, but Cabrini sealed the game from the free throw line.
Having struggled from the line for most of the night, the Cavaliers connected on 10-13 from the line in the game's final five minutes.
The Cavaliers punctuated the win when they broke Rosemont's press and freshman Aaron Walton-Moss (Camden, N.J./ Camden) found sophomore Fran Rafferty (King of Prussia, Pa./ Upper Merion) streaking down the right side of the floor for a one-handed tomahawk dunk.
In his second start of the season, Knowles posted 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Rafferty and junior A.J. Williams (Wilmington, Del./ St. Elizabeth) added 14and 12 points, respectively. Junior Goran Dulac (Levittown, Pa./ Pennsbury) and Walton-Moss also secured eight caroms for the Cavaliers.
Cabrini maintained a 52-24 advantage in points in the paint and outrebounded the Ravens 55-40 in the win.
Rosemont junior Derrick Carter (Millville, N.J./ Millville) led the Ravens with 22 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Junior Justin Chaney (Williamstown, N.J./ Williamstown) added 19 points in the loss.
The Cavaliers will travel to Scranton, Pa. on Saturday to face the Marywood Pacers. The game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.