HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – A strong second half helped the Centenary University men's basketball team erase a 14-point deficit and complete a 71-63 comeback win over Cairn University in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) play on Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the Cyclones clinched the top seed for the upcoming CSAC Tournament. The win extended the Cyclones' current win streak to seven straight games which is the longest winning streak in program history. In addition, this year's squad ties the 1996 squad for wins in a single-game with 17.
"We came out flat in the game and Cairn took advantage of that in the first half," said interim head coach Jason Geleski. "We had to make some adjustments at half and our guys executed the attack plan flawlessly and were were able to get the win and secure the No. 1 seed."
"I thought Mike Young has really been giving us a defensive boost and that is something that isn't necessarily going to show in the box score," added Geleski. "Billy Veras had another double-double and his ability to finish in traffic was key. Tom Weiler did a little bit of everything, D'Angelo Blackmond came up with some big baskets and Chris LaBelle was solid in the second half."
Prior to the start of the game, the Cyclones honored their two seniors, Pablo Vasquez and Weiler who were playing in their final home regular season game.
"Both of our seniors are Deans List students who are among the hardest working kids we have," said Geleski. "Their leadership and the heart they show regularly is something that won't show up in the box score but gives us an immeasurable boost."
"Pablo is a quiet leader who is mature beyond his years," remarked the Cyclone leader. "He is the first college graduate in his family, and he will be a role model. The 'Old Man' has been an integral part of the growth the last two seasons. Tom plays through pain, plays hard all the time and is a fantastic leader."
Cairn got off to a quick start in this one as the Highlanders opened up an 8-0 lead and pushed it to 10-2 on a Jeremiah Harris bucket at 11:22. 4
Buckets from Weiler and Veras cut the Cairn lead to 10-6 with 9:34 showing on the clock.
Carin used an 11-5 run to push its lead to 21-11 with 5:38 to go in the half. Dashaun Cain scored six points during that stretch.
Centenary used buckets from sophomore Harrison Lucibello and Blackmond to cut the visitors' lead to 21-15 with 3:53 remaining in the period.
Cairn closed the first half on a 10-2 run and took a 31-17 lead at the break.
Centenary opened the second half on a 9-2 run and cut the Cairn advantage to 33-26 with 17:07 to play in the contest. Blackmond had four points during that stretch for the home team.
The Highlanders scored 14 of the next 20 points in the game and pushed their lead back to 14, 46-32 with 11:48 showing on the clock. Malachi Hall struck for four points during that run.
A bucket from Weiler at 11:30 kick started an impressive 19-0 run by the Cyclones. That scoring spurt turned a 14-point deficit into a five-point advantage, 51-46 with 6:44 to go in the game.
Weiler was huge during that stretch as he had 10 of the 19 points for the Cyclones.
The Cyclones and Highlanders traded points before an 8-3 run by the Cyclones extended the lead to 64-56 with 2:19 showing on the clock. LaBelle was responsible for all eight of the Centenary points during that stretch.
Cairn scored the next five points in the game and cut the Centenary lead to three, 64-61 with 1:46 to play in the game.
Centenary closed the game on a 6-2 run and secured the 71-63 win. LaBelle went 3-for-4 from the foul line in that final stretch to help the Cyclones.
After shooting just 24.2 percent from the floor in the first half, Centenary rebounded to shoot 56.8 percent in the second half and 41.4 percent from the game. The Cyclones were 7-for-11 from the foul line in the game. Cairn had a 35.5 field goal percentage in the contest and was 12-for-17 from the foul line. Cairn held a slight 44-41 edge in the rebounding battle.
LaBelle scored 19 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to lead the Cyclones' comeback. He added five rebounds in that contest. Weiler finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists while Veras added 12 points and 11 rebounds. Blackmond contributed 12 points and six rebounds.
Kameron Clark led Cairn with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
The Cyclones out the regular season by visiting Bryn Athyn on Wednesday, Feb. 19. The Cyclones will return home to host a CSAC semifinal game on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
