Hackettstown, NJ – The Centenary College men's basketball team has advanced to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) playoffs as the No. 3 seed. The Cyclones finished 14-11 overall and 11-7 in conference play. Centenary will host Immaculata University (12-13), who earned the sixth seed with a 10-8 CSAC record.
Under the direction of
Tim Fusina, the Cyclones have posted their finest season yet eclipsing their single-season best of 13 wins, while also earning the first ever three-seed and the opportunity to host the first round in the upcoming CSAC tournament.
"To finish the regular season with fourteen wins and to do it with relying on a lot of young guys is an outstanding achievement and is not something to be overlooked, however, our goal is something beyond what we have already accomplished. Our players have approached each practice and game with a great attitude and great effort and have set the bar for this program even higher.
This was one of the most competitive seasons that this league has had and to finish third is a credit to our players who have done an outstanding job this year. Each night, our guys played with great energy and played for each other and that was able to help us stay consistent throughout the season. We have used the phrase "together" a lot this year, and we have done a great job of sticking together during some rough patches. They truly care about each other and value the work that each put in." – Coach Fusina
The Cyclones and Mighty Macs have a trend for the past three years, where both squads are victorious on their home floor. If home court advantage is the key, then the Cyclones have the upper hand in this first round of the CSAC playoffs.
Centenary visited Immaculata on January 19
th, 2015 where the Mighty Macs sent the Cyclones home with a 66-48 loss. A difficult shooting night for the Cyclones proved to be the difference as they shot 36% from the floor and 26% from downtown, while Immaculata shot over 40 percent from the field and from behind the arc. Immaculata had three players in double-figures led by, Mamadou Diakite who scored a game-high 20 points. Rodney Duncan added 16 and Ron Melton finished with 14 points. Centenary's
Andy Charles tallied a team-high with ten points, with two blocks and one steal.
On February 7
th, 2015 Centenary again faced-off against Immaculata and this time came away with a 65-61 win. Centenary's
Myles McLeod led the Cyclones with a team-high 16 points and two steals, while
Rashaan Spencer and
Andy Charles each tallied 12 points respectively. The Mighty Macs were once again led by Diakite who netted 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Immaculata enters the CSAC Tournament for the sixth straight year and on a two-game win streak led by Diakite's 14.5 points per game (9
th in CSAC) and 8.5 rebounds per game (2
nd in CSAC). Diakite recently was named to the Second Team All-CSAC.
The Cyclones enter the postseason riding a three-game win streak defeating Baptist Bible, Marywood and Rosemont. Centenary came up short last year in clinching a playoff berth but bounced back with a strong season to claim the third seed. The Cyclones are led by senior
Andy Charles who leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points and seven boards per game, while
Rashaan Spencer sits second on the team in scoring and second in the CSAC in three pointers.
Spencer was voted this year's CSAC Rookie of the Year to be the first ever Cyclone on the men's basketball team to receive the award. Charles also was named to Second Team All-Conference, while
Djovan Beausejour earned All-Sportsmanship team honors.
No. 3 Centenary will begin their tournament play tomorrow February 21
st @ 1pm at the Reeves Gym in Hackettstown, NJ against No. 6 Immaculata University in the CSAC Quarterfinals.
If Centenary wins, they will travel to Aston, PA to face #2 Neumann University in the CSAC Semifinals, and if Immaculata wins, they will take on #1 Cabrini College.
#GoCyclones
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