IMMACULATA, Pa. – Jayson Hyman scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, earning the tournament's most valuable player award, as Immaculata stamped its ticket to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament with an 85-68 victory over visiting Gwynedd-Mercy before a season-high sellout crowd of 660 in the championship game of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference tournament Friday night at Alumnae Hall.
With the win, Immaculata (18-9) claims the PAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Gwynedd-Mercy (19-9) saw its season come to an end with the loss.
Kyle Finklea tallied 15 points and Sean Fordham 14, lifting the Mighty Macs to their first conference championship in just the third year of the program.
“It is something that is very hard to explain,” said third-year head coach Jamie Chadwin. “I am excited for everyone that is a part of this program. I was happy we were able to execute the game plan and play so well.”
The Macs went on a 10-0 run with 5:49 remaining in the game to sew up its first trip to the NCAA Tournament. Gwynedd-Mercy's Dave Smith knocked down a jumper to draw the Griffins within three (67-64). However, Immaculata answered by holding its guests scoreless over the next four minutes to open up its first double-digit lead of the game, 77-64.
That burst late in the game broke open an affair that was very much a see-saw battle for most of the contest. The Macs' Julius Lopez (five points) sent the home team into the locker room at halftime with a 46-41 advantage by nailing 3-pointer off the glass from 22 feet away at the buzzer. It was Lopez's first shot attempt of the contest as he had just checked into the game with four seconds remaining.
That 3-ball ended one of the highest scoring halves of the season, which saw Gwynedd-Mercy shoot 53 percent from the field (16-for-30) while Immaculata shot 46 percent (18-for-39). The Griffins cooled off in the second frame, but the Macs maintained its hot hand to outlast its visitors.
Gwynedd-Mercy tied the contest at 48-all at the 17:42 mark, but that was the last time the tilt was knotted up. The Griffins pulled to within one (52-51) with 14:19 to go on a 3-pointer by Matt Johnson. But Dan Lepone answered with a trey of his own and tacked on a jumper shortly after to push the Macs out in front 57-51.
The Griffins would not get any closer than two the rest of the way.
Fordham added five assists to his 14-point effort, and Finklea four helpers. Hyman grabbed 10 defensive boards as Immaculata outrebounded Gwynedd-Mercy by a 47-36 margin.
The win also delivered Immaculata University its first PAC team championship in any sport.
Dave Smith scored a game-high 17 points for the Griffins in the loss. Lemeire Talley scored 15.
Immaculata will find out who and where it will play on Monday at noon, when the regional brackets of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament field are announced on www.ncaasports.com. First-round games at host sites begin Thursday, March 6.
