The Berkeley College men's basketball team advanced to the semifinal round of the 2015-2016 USCAA Division II National Men's Basketball Tournament on Thursday evening, as the Knights defeated the Fighting Saints of St. Joseph's College of Vermont by a score of 88-69 in the quarterfinal round. The game took place in the Maltho Gymnasium on the campus of Penn State Fayette. The victory for Berkeley was its 22nd straight triumph (22-1), while the Fighting Saints dipped to 20-10 with the loss.
"We showed exceptional determination this evening, and you could certainly see it in the eyes of our student-athletes," Head Coach Chris Christiansen said following his team's win. "Even when we fell behind by five points in the latter stages of the second half, we kept our focus and battled through that adversity. That is the sign of a successful team, and I'm very gratified that we've taken the first of three steps in accomplishing our ultimate goal of leaving this city with another National crown."
Four players scored in double figures for the balanced Knights, including first-year sensation Johnnie Green, as he posted a double-double with a team-high 17 points to go along with 12 rebounds. He also recorded a pair of steals as well. Massiah Merritt knocked down three shots from downtown and finished with 16 points to go along with five assists and three rebounds, and Stephon Jennings netted 16 points while grabbing 12 boards and recording three assists. Veteran Tasheen Carrow dropped-in 10.
The Knights raced out to an early 9-2 edge in the opening minutes of the contest, and eventually held a 16-6 lead with 15:35 remaining in the half. The Fighting Saints kept their composure and answered Berkeley with a 15-5 run over the ensuing 7:30 to tie the game at 21 apiece. Later – with St. Joseph's College of Vermont leading the contest 29-24, the Knights powered back into the game, as a three-point basket by Carrow and a pair of lay-ups by Jennings put Berkeley back on top, 31-29. The Knights would outscore the Fighting Saints 11-6 over the final 3:13 of the opening session to take a 42-35 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
Like clockwork – the Knights came out with unmatched intensity in the second stanza, eventually distancing themselves from the Fighting Saints. Berkeley established a 10-point lead at the 17:20 mark of the second half with a Johnnie Green layup, and the Knights would maintain a double digit lead for the remainder of the contest. The Berkeley lead would grow to 24 on three different occasions in the second half, and the Knights eventually went on to win the game by 19.
The game turned out to have no resemblance of last year's thrilling contest between the two squads – a triple-overtime classic in the semifinal round of the 2014-2015 USCAA Division II National Men's Basketball Tournament. Berkeley used several clutch plays in that game to outlast the Fighting Saints to earn a spot in the championship. This year's confrontation between the two teams was much less dramatic, as the Knights used a "business-as-usual" approach in the second half to build a big lead and put the game far out of reach for the opposition.
Despite the loss for St. Joseph's College of Vermont, the Fighting Saints were paced by Antonio Gordon, as he connected on all five of his attempts from the charity stripe while nailing six of his 12 shots from the floor to finish with a game-high 18 points. Additionally, Kareem Brown would net 14 points while grabbing seven rebounds, and Travis Threewitts and Joshua McAfee would contribute nine points apiece.
The Knights were more efficient from the floor for the game, connecting on 47.8 percent of their shots from the floor (33-69) compared to 40.4 percent for the Fighting Saints (23-57). Berkeley held a 48-34 edge in the rebounding department, while also collecting 24 assists compared to nine for St. Joseph's College of Vermont. The Knights also won the turnover battle, committing just 16 of their own while forcing 20 opponent mistakes.
Berkeley College will look to inch closer to another National title on Friday evening, as the Knights will take on No. 4 seeded Warren Wilson in the semifinal round. The game will take place in the Main Gymnasium on the campus of Penn State Fayette. Start-time for that contest is scheduled for 5:00pm.
