ROSEMONT - The Rosemont men's basketball team (9-8, 7-3 CSAC) won their second straight game and 6th out of their last seven games, defeating the Marywood Pacers (10-7, 5-5 CSAC) in a conference game this afternoon by a final score of 70-56. The win of the home-and-away games against Marywood marks the first time since the inception of Rosemont's men's basketball program that they had accomplished that feat against the Pacers.
As in their game at Marywood on 1/7/2015, the teams played a very tight game, with both sides appearing to be even, at least for most of the first half. The first half would feature eight ties and two lead changes. A layup by Kyle Lafferty with 6:28 left on the clock in the first would knot the score at 20-20 and the Ravens would be ahead for the rest of the afternoon. Trailing 20-16, the Ravens went on a 14-2 run to put some distance between the two teams, to take a 32-22 lead with 1:45 left in the half. The half would end with Rosemont in front 36-27.
Rosemont would come out firing on all cylinders to start the second half. After Marywood canned a trey the Ravens would score the next nine straight points to grab a 45-30 lead with 16:25 left. The Pacers refused to go away and pecked away at their deficit coming to within four points, 49-45 with 8:05 left in the game, but the Ravens righted themselves and answered with a 11-3 advantage to put the Pacers further behind as Rosemont went ahead 60-48 with 4:10 remaining. Rosemont would up that lead to as many as 17 points, and key free throws down the stretch ensured that the Ravens would carry the day.
Rosemont out-rebounded Marywood by a 46-28 count and scored 36 points in the paint with 13 second-chance points. Leading by nine at the half, the Ravens outscored Marywood 34-29 in the second frame.
Rosemont was led in scoring by Marcus Thomas's 18 points. Dom Scafidi scored 16 and had 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Dyshon Pack was also key in the paint for the Ravens as he took in 11 caroms. Charles Presley drilled two three-pointers at key points in the game to help salt away the win for Rosemont.
The CSAC men's basketball race is wide open right now, and so another huge game is on deck for the Ravens when they host Immaculata on Ravens Rally Night, Wednesday, 1/28. The conference game is slated for an 8:00pm start.
