Wesley Hoists First Atlantic East Championship Trophy With Win Over Griffins - Mar 2, 2020
The #1 Wesley College men's basketball team etched their names in history Saturday afternoon with a win over #2 Gwynedd Mercy University in the Atlantic East Championship game, 91-88. First quarter nerves gripped Wesley's offense, as Gwynedd Mercy pulled ahead 25-16 with 8:09 left in the half. Greg Bloodsworth (5'8''-PG) would turn the tables on the Griffins with a jump shot that tied the game at 28 apiece, and a three-pointer by Mychal Stefanides (6'0''-PG) gave Wesley the lead 31-30 soon after. The team didn't look back from here as they led Gwynedd Mercy 38-32 at halftime.
The Wolverines shook off its championship nerves and began to pull away from the Griffins. Terrence Braxton (6'2''-F)'s jumper would give Wesley its biggest lead to this point 55-41 with 14:21 left to play. Wesley would keep its lead throughout the rest of the game despite Gwynedd Mercy's come-from-behind rally with under a minute to play. A Griffin layup made the score 88-84 with just 16 ticks in regulation. By the eight-second mark, Gwynedd Mercy put up a three pointer from Jalen Henry (6'1''-G), drawing closer to the Wolverines' lead 91-88. This effort was too late, however, as the team waited out the clock. Brian Cameron (6'1''-G) tallied 30 points in the win, 11 of which coming from free throws. He also grabbed three rebounds and sent out two assists. His efforts in the tournament earned him the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Greg Bloodsworth nailed five three pointers in eight attempts, helping him put 24 total points on the board. The Griffins were led by a 21-point effort by Rich Dunham (6'1''-G), who played all 40 minutes in the game to go with six rebounds and five assists. The Wolverines next challenge will be securing a Pool B bid for the NCAA Tournament. They will wait until Monday, March 2nd for the NCAA field announcement to see if their postseason run will continue.
Atlantic East Tournament Final: Wesley - Gwynedd Mercy 91-88 Atlantic East Tournament Semifinals: Gwynedd Mercy - Marymount 87-83 Wesley - Immaculata 85-75
All-Tournament MVP: Brian Cameron (6'1''-G) of Wesley Player of the Year: Brian Cameron (6'1''-G) of Wesley Defensive Player of the Year: Steve Etienne (6'2''-G) of Marymount Rookie of the Year: Tyler Tillery (6'5''-F) of Immaculata Coach of the Year: Dean Burrows of Wesley
Burrows
