Clarks Summit, PA – Keystone College's men's basketball team earned a crucial win on Monday night at Baptist Bible College by defeating the Defenders, 95-66 in a Colonial States Athletic Conference matchup.  The Giants improve to 9-15 on the season and 9-8 in conference play heading into Wednesday night's regular season finale against Marywood University needing a win to earn their sixth-straight CSAC and 11^th consecutive overall playoff berth.
 
Wednesday's showdown with the Pacers marks a crucial rematch of January 21^st's contest at Marywood in which the hosts held on to edge Keystone, 94-92.  The Giants can secure a playoff berth with a win while Marywood needs a victory along with an Immaculata loss to Neumann to clinch the sixth and final playoff spot.  
 
With the scored tied at 17-17 with 11:18 remaining in the first half of Monday evening's contest, Deion Monroe (Kingston, NY/Kingston ) connected on a three-pointer that started an 18-4 run for Keystone that gave the Giants a 35-21 lead with just under five minutes left in the period.  The Defenders (2-22, 1-15 CSAC) drew to within 10 points before Jesse Longmire (Harlem, NY/John S. Burke Catholic) scored six-straight points, including a four-point play, that gave the visitors their largest lead of the half 43-27 and the hosts went on to hold a 47-35 lead at the break.
 
Longmire, Miles Dargan (Orlando, FL/Wekiva), and DaVaughn Roberts-Thomas (Port Arthur, TX/Silsbee) had eight points apiece to lead a balanced Keystone offense in the opening 20 minutes of play while Duncan Lunsford (Marietta, GA/Sprayberry) netted seven points in the frame and Monroe chipped in with six points. The Giants, who held a 24-14 advantage in rebounding in the period, went 47.5 percent from the field including a 6-17 performance from three-point range in the half.
 
Abe Valentine led all players with 14 first half points for Baptist Bible, who connected on 45.7 percent of their attempts from the floor in the frame while going 3-13 from long distance.
 
Keystone scored the first seven points of the second half to open up a 19-point advantage before Baptist Bible cut their deficit to 58-45 with 14:01 left on the clock.  The Giants countered with an 18-4 run to open up a 76-49 lead with 8:22 left on the clock and the Defenders were unable to pull any closer than 19 points the rest of the way.  Keystone's 29-point win marked their largest margin of victory this season and the squads 95 points marked the third time this season the Giants have reached the season-high offensive output.
 
Dargan and Roberts-Thomas scored 16 points apiece to lead five Keystone players in double-figures.  Lunsford added 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists, Longmire netted 12 points and a game-best eight boards, and Dan Candemeres (Holbrook, NY/Sachem East) chipped in 10 points while leading all players with five assists in the contest.      
 
Keystone, who got points from 14 different players in the victory, shot 47.9 percent from the floor for the game while hitting on 30.3 percent of their three-point attempts and 75 percent of their free throw chances.  The Giants also outrebounded the Defenders by a 43-29 margin and were plus-six (9-15) in the turnover category.
 
Dan Decker finished with a game-high 18 points for Baptist Bible while Valentine added 17 points and four assists.  Mitch Raup added 10 points for the Defenders, who hit on 42.9 percent of their attempts from the floor while going 30.4 percent from downtown and 50 percent from the stripe.
 
Wednesday's regular season finale between the Giants and Pacers will tipoff at 7:05 p.m. in Keystone's Gambal Athletic Center and will be broadcast live by Fox 56 Sports on WQMY My Network TV.