SALEM, Va. - Cabrini fell just short in its bid to win the NCAA Division III men's basketball championship, losing 63-60 to Wisconsin-Whitewater on Saturday night. The Cavs blew an 18-point lead in the second half as the Warhawks stormed back to claim their second crown.
"[We] were up 18 in the second half and didn't finish," said Cabrini coach Marcus Kahn, after the Cavaliers' first Final Four appearance ended in defeat. "That stings."
John Boyd, Friday's scoring leader for Cabrini (31-2) with 34, opened the second half with four baskets, including two three-pointers, as the Cavs surged to a 39-27 lead just over two minutes in.
A 10-0 UW-Whitewater run made it 47-39 with just over 11 minutes to play. A turning point occurred when Cabrini center Jon Miller, who helped hold Whitewater standout Chris Davis to just two free throws in the first half, fouled out with 8:13 left, leaving starter Goran Dulac to carry the load in the post.
"[Dulac] wasn't picking me up in transition," said Davis. "[Miller] was chasing me all around."
UW-Whitewater crept to within a point at 53-52 with five minutes left, then finally tied the game on a Davis three-pointer with 3:13 to play.
"We knew they were going to make a run," said Cabrini's Cory Lemons, the two-time Colonial States Athletic Conference player of the year.
Aaron Walton-Moss's layup put Cabrini up 57-55 with 2:13 left, but two Whitewater free throws tied it again. A Davis basket, defensive rebound and his subsequent foul shots put the Warhawks up 61-57 with a minute to go.
Boyd's three-point play made it 61-60 Whitewater with 44 seconds left, but a reverse layup by Alex Edmunds put Whitewater up 63-60. Cabrini called timeout with 10.4 seconds on the clock, but neither Boyd nor Walton-Moss could make desperation three-point shots to tie the game.
The Cavaliers could only watch as the confetti came down and UW-Whitewater claimed the trophy.
"A tale of two games," said Kahn, who vowed that Cabrini "will continue to make runs like this."
Walton-Moss (Camden) led Cabrini with 18 points. Boyd (Perkiomen Valley), named to the Final Four All-Tourney team, added 14. Most Outstanding Player Chris Davis had 12 points, including 10 in the second half, to pace UW-Whitewater. Cabrini shot 33.8 percent for the game, Whitewater 40.8. Cabrini outrebounded the Warhawks, 46-32.
"We had a great run," said Boyd, who like Lemons was a senior playing in his last game. "We have a lot to be proud of."
Cabrini led 31-21 at halftime with Lemons leading the attack (seven points, also his total for the game). Neither team shot very well: the Cavaliers were just 11 for 23 (33.3 percent) while the Warhawks hit 6 of 23 shots (26.1). Cabrini held a 26-16 rebounding edge, with Miller (Gateway) coming off the bench to grab eight boards.
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