RADNOR, Pa. – Senior Christian Roberts totaled 23 points and made the go-ahead basket with three seconds left as the Stevenson University men's basketball team edged Cabrini College 71-69 Saturday evening at Nerney Field House for its first win of the season during the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
Roberts led three Mustangs (1-4) in double figures on 9-19 shooting while also recording seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Ryan Hill matched a season high with 11 points, while Joe Kiely narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds after missing Stevenson's last two games.
Green Jair led the Cavaliers (2-3) with 16 points, while Tyheim Monroe registered 15 points and 15 rebounds.
Stevenson, which led by 11 with just over eight minutes remaining, found itself tied 69-69 with 30 seconds left after a pair of Deryl Bagwell free throws capped an 8-3 run for Cabrini. Roberts scored with three seconds left to give the Mustangs a 71-69 lead. After each team called timeout, a three-point attempt by Bagwell to win the game as time expired was off the mark.
The Mustangs never trailed and used an 8-0 run capped by a Julian Davis basket with 8:19 left to make it 59-48. The Cavaliers countered with nine straight points over the next 1:34 to cut the lead to two, 59-57. Stevenson held the hosts at bay, taking a 68-64 lead on a pair of Erik Fisher free throws with 1:43 left. Monroe made 1-of-2 at the line with 1:28 left to make it 68-65, and a Green tip-in with 40 seconds left made it 68-67. Roberts made 1-of-2 at the line with 31 seconds left to put the lead back at two before Bagwell was fouled on the rebound of the second free throw.
The game saw four ties in the early going before a 7-2 Stevenson run gave it a 15-10 lead just over seven minutes into the game on a Keily layup. The Mustangs took their largest lead of the first half, 24-16, on a three by Sean Mayberry with 7:42 left before halftime and took a 30-26 lead into the locker room.
Stevenson shot 50% (15-30) in the second half and 41.5% for the game while limiting Cabrini to 37.1% shooting for the contest. The Cavaliers took 11 more trips to the free throw line, going 20-28, while the Mustangs went 11-14 at the charity stripe, while the guests generated a 17-10 edge in points off turnovers. Both teams grabbed 44 rebounds.
Stevenson opens MAC Commonwealth play Wednesday night when it travels to Messiah College for an 8:00 conference contest.