No. 6 Cabrini men’s basketball defeat Rosemont College Ravens and advance to their 6th straight CSAC conference final with a 109-97 win.
As the game started, neither team could generate momentum in the first five minutes. After the first five minutes of the game, both teams were tied at 13. Cabrini then went on a 16-7 run to take a nine point lead with just over 11 minutes to play in the first half.
The Ravens cut the lead to four with just under seven minutes to play, but then the Cavaliers went on a 19-12 run to close out the half with an 11 point lead (54-43).
Junior Vinny Walls and freshman Brennan McCann led the Cavs with 16 and 13 points after the first half. The Cavaliers were 23-37 or 62.2 percent from the field, while having 11 assists with only three turnovers.
“Our focus was possessions that we didn’t score on,” head coach Marcus Kahn said. “I think we wasted 4-5 possessions, we focused defensively we didn’t talk much about our offense.”
The Ravens came out aggressive in the second half taking control of the game. Cabrini went back a forth trying to hold on to their 11 point lead in the first three minutes of the half, but the Ravens went on a 15-4 run that was capped off with senior Dan Kearney knocking down three consecutive three pointers to tie the game at 62.
The Ravens took a 63-62 lead which turned out to be their first and last lead of the game. The Cavaliers immediately answered with a 20-7 run in the next five minutes to take a commanding 12 point lead with just under eight minutes to play.
“Aaron [Walton-Moss] just got mad,” Senior Fran Rafferty said. “That’s usually what happens…he just takes the ball and goes, he was finding Vinny, Brennan hit some shots for us, but honestly, Aaron spearheads those runs for us and it showed tonight.”
The Cavaliers did not look back after that run as they did not allow the Ravens to come within eight points, ultimately winning 109-97.
The “Camden Connection” of juniors Aaron Walton-Moss and Walls led this run and took control of the game. Walton-Moss was one assist short of this third triple double of the season, but still captured his 13th double-double of the season with 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Walls had a career high 39 points and had his fifth consecutive game with at least 25 points per game.
“He’s done well offensively,” Kahn said. “He’s getting a lot of shots up…with Aaron out, we needed someone to score…he may have helped start a couple runs for us and end runs that they [Rosemont] had with a big shot for us.”
The Cavs shot an overall 58.2 percent from the field and were 23-28 from the free-throw line.
This was the fifth time this season that the blue and white have allowed more than 90 points in a game this season.
“Defensively we really have a lot of work to do,” Kahn Said. “My number one thing is we can’t give up 97 points in a conference championship game or an NCAA tournament game and expect to win.”
Looking ahead the to the CSAC final, the Cavaliers take on Neumann University at the Nerney Field House Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. This will be Kahn and the Cavalier’s sixth consecutive appearance in the CSAC final. If they win it would be Kahn’s fifth straight CSAC championship as head coach for Cabrini.
