ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Benedictine University men's basketball team shared the NACC Title after besting Rockford 90-86 on the road in a hotly contested regular season finale, the fifth consecutive victory.

"What a great finish to our season," head coach Keith Bunkenburg said. "I am so proud of our team. Share or win on our own, doesn't matter. This league is a grind and our kids didn't quit."

Benedictine scored the first six points of the game on a three-pointer from John Dodson and a three-point play from Adam Reynolds. Rockford came back to tie the score at 20 with 12:24 remaining in the first but could not take the lead. Tim McGinty, who set the tone throughout, pushed the advantage to 29-23 with a layup at the 9:01 mark. Rockford again came from behind, grabbing the lead for the first time at 34-33 with 5:59 left. The hosts used a 12-0 run to lead by seven and held a 45-41 edge at the half.

The second half opened with Benedictine scoring six consecutive points, taking a 47-45 lead on a pair of free throws from Michael Blaszczyk with 18:32 to play. The Eagles rattled off eight consecutive points to open a 64-58 lead just past the halfway point of the half. Rockford was able to lead by four just two minutes later as part of the back-and-forth half. 

With the game tied at 76 following a pair of free throws from McGinty at the 2:27 mark, Benedictine would open a six-point lead with just 1:33 left. Rockford clawed within two points on three occasions in the final minute, but Benedictine secured the win by knocking down 11 free throws.

The contest featured eight ties and 10 lead changes. The Eagles netted 25 points at the line and held a 38-32 edge on the glass. McGinty finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds, his second double-double of the year. Blaszczyk netted 18 while Reynolds finished with 12. Benedictine last won a conference title in 2012, capturing a share of the South Division championship. The last overall conference title came outright in 2011.

Benedictine (17-8, 15-5 NACC) will open the conference tournament at home on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. The Eagles will be the second seed in the tourney and open play against seventh-seeded Wisconsin Lutheran (14-11, 10-10).