DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Delaware Valley College seniors Jeremy Beckett and Daulton Derr combined for 39 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks as the second-seeded Aggies advanced to the Freedom Conference Championship Game for the second time in three years with a 65-49 home semifinal victory over third-seeded and defending champion Misericordia University.
Delaware Valley improved to 18-8 overall, setting a program record for wins in a season along the way. It also continues the amazing turnaround that the Aggies have had in Casey Stitzel's five years as head coach. He took over a team that went 3-22 overall and 0-14 in the conference the year before and has since led the program to 67 wins, three playoff appearances, two trips to the championship game, one Freedom title and one trip to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
The title contest will be a rematch from 2011 as Delaware Valley will meet DeSales University, this time on the Bulldogs' home court. Two seasons ago, the Aggies were the hosts as the top seed and defeated DeSales, 79-58, for the crown. Now, the Bulldogs are 21-5 and the top seed. They survived a 59-57 scare from fourth-seeded FDU-Florham in Wednesday's other semifinal match-up. The Freedom Conference Championship Game, with a berth to the NCAA playoffs on the line, will take place on Saturday, February 23 with a time that will be determined on Thursday morning.
For Misericordia, its season ends with a 13-13 record and a fourth straight trip to the conference tournament. The Cougars were the number one seed last year and rode the home court advantage to their first Freedom title in just their fourth year in the league.
Beckett, who was battling the flu, got off to a slow start as he managed just five points in the first half. He heated up in the second stanza by scoring 15 points, including a pair of highlight-reel dunks. Beckett also ended the night with five boards and four blocks.
While Beckett struggled early, Derr and sophomore Francis Arnold were there to pick up the slack. The two combined for 20 points in the first half, including three straight treys from Arnold at one point. Those bombs capped an 18-4 run (Derr had five in the spurt) that gave Delaware Valley a 27-17 lead with 5:36 remaining.
However, Misericordia outscored the Aggies, 13-1, the rest of the way to trail by just two at the break. Steve Ware had six of his 12 first-half points in the run to pace the Cougars.
Misericordia tied the contest in the early portion of the second half and took its lone lead of the stanza when Ware hit inside with 17:24 to go to make it 34-32. Delaware Valley responded with seven straight as Derr hit two jumpers while Beckett had a three-point play inside.
The Cougars' Anthony Sergio drained a 3-pointer from the corner with 11:47 remaining to pull his team back to within three, but the Aggies answered again, this time with a 9-2 spurt, for a 52-42 lead advantage with 7:46 on the clock.
It was still a 10-point game two minutes later, when the conference's top 3-point shooter, Matt Greene, hit his first trey of the night to get Misericordia within seven. The teams then went scoreless for the next minutes before Joe Busacca added a free throw to make it 54-48 with 3:20 remaining.
The rest of the game belonged to Delaware Valley, starting with Beckett as he stole a pass at his own end, dribbled down the court and dunked the ball while being fouled. He finished the three-point play for a nine-point lead with 2:11 to go. Ware got one back at the foul line but Beckett hit two free throws with 55 ticks remaining and threw another one down 14 seconds later for a 12-point advantage. Zach Sly added four points the rest of the way for the 65-49 victory.
Derr finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds for the first double-double of his career. Arnold had 13 points while Sly added seven points and seven assists.
Ware had a double-double for Misericordia as he scored 19 points and grabbed 11 boards. Justin Grotevant added 12 points and seven rebounds while Greene was held to that one trey and three points. He dished out five assists.