Shannon KeoughThe men’s basketball team played driveway rivals Eastern University to a thrilling double overtime victory on Monday, Feb. 9.
Although Eastern is no longer a conference foe, the game had the feel of a playoff match.
The atmosphere in the Nerney Field House was electric as fans from both schools packed the stands were treated to a well-played game down to the last seconds.
“It was great atmosphere for college basketball with two liable teams trying to win over Eagle Road,” assistant basketball coach Saleem Brown said. “When both the teams meet, records are thrown out the window.”
Things looked grim for the Cavaliers, trailing by three with just six seconds remaining in the first extra session.
Then, sophomore Glenn Washington knocked down a clutch three pointer, sending the game into a second overtime.
Though Washington earned 14 points, that field goal was perhaps the most important of the game.
“Glenn’s shot was one of the most impressive I have seen in a live college game,” junior forward Chris Blake said. “Although, I have to admit, after playing with Glenn for two years now, I have become accustomed to him making a shot of that difficulty.”
It was all Cabrini from there, however, as the Eastern Eagles found themselves down by nine with a minute remaining.
They would get no closer than five, with the game ending in a Cavalier win, 92-88.
“Playing against Eastern is always a blast, but last night pulling through with a victory in double overtime was phenomenal,” Chris Blake, junior English and communication major, said. “The team gave its best effort for 50 minutes and having so many great fans made everything that much sweeter.”
Blake finished the game with 11 points, while junior Kevin Misevicius lead the team with 24.
When asked how it felt to beat Eastern in such dramatic fashion, sophomore Lamar Fisher said simply, “It felt good.”
“It was the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of so far,” the communication major said. “Glenn [Washington] hitting that three pointer when he did, and just hearing that crowd, it was amazing.”
The game featured 19 lead changes and was tied 11 different times before the smoke clearedand a winner finally emerged.
Over the past weekend, the team captured a win against Gwynedd-Mercy, at the Nerney Field House on Saturday, Feb. 7.
Cabrini’s men’s basketball team finished with a 95-87 win, earning its fourth straight victory.
The win improved its CSAC record to 9-3.
With now 15 overall wins, the Cabrini men’s team has the most victories since the 2003-04 season.
The Cavalier men pulled a 47-42 lead before the end of the first half. With less than two minutes left in the second half, Cabrini secured a win with a leading score of 88-83.
During the final four minutes, the team shot a perfect 10-10 on the foul line.
“We are playing real well this season. Our chemistry is good,” Fisher said.
The Cavaliers are back in conference action on Thursday, Feb. 12 at Centenary College. The game starts at 7 p.m.
