CHAMBERSBURG, Pa - The Wilson College men's basketball team punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history with an exciting 77-72 victory over Cairn University in the CSAC championship game. Senior
Adrian Thomas (Germantown, MD., Northwest HS) was named the tournament's most valuable player after posting 14 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in the championship game following a 23 point, 9 rebound effort in the semi-final victory over Keystone.
How It Happened: The Phoenix grabbed their first lead of the game off a three-pointer by CSAC Player of the Year
Warrick Godwin Jr. (Largo, MD, ) at 5-4. A massive 17-2 run followed for the Phoenix, highlighted by 10 points from junior
Antonio Bussey (Aiken, SC, ), as the top seed in the CSAC took a commanding 22-6 lead. The Highlanders clawed back into the game with an 8-2 run that included back-to-back three pointers. A quick three by junior
Jordan Miles (Waldorf, MD., Westlake) and a bucket by Thomas put the Phoenix back up by 15 points. Again, the Highlanders had an answer, this time an 11-0 run to make the score 29-25 in favor of the Phoenix. In the final two minutes of the half, the Phoenix would get buckets from senior
Xavier Dowtin (Oxon Hill, MD., Oxon Hill HS) and sophomore
Khalif Dickson (Hampton, VA, ) as the hosts took a 34-29 lead into the break. Miles got the second half started for the Phoenix with a long three and Bussey brought the crowd to their feet with a jam, but the Highlanders continued to hang around with the score at 39-36 with fifteen minutes remaining. Back-to-back scores by Bussey and a three-pointer by Godwin Jr. increased the Phoenix lead to eight points at 46-38. With under ten minutes to go and the Phoenix holding a four point lead, junior
Darryl Garib (Dallas, TX., Forest Park) made back-to-back shots and Thomas finished strong in the paint to earn an old fashioned three-point play as the team extended their lead to ten points with seven minutes to go. After a basket by the Highlanders, Dowtin drilled a clutch three and then pressure by Godwin Jr. led to a steal and he pulled up on the break to drain another three and the Phoenix held a 62-48 lead. The next time down the floor, Godwin Jr. drove to the paint and put one a little too strong off the backboard, but Bussey cleaned it up with a monster flush off the glass that once again brought the standing room only crowd to its feet. There was no quit in the Highlanders though as the defending CSAC champs would continue to battle pulling to within two points at 69-67 with just under a minute to play. The Phoenix would need to fight the full court pressure by the Highlanders and make timely free-throws down the stretch if they were to prevail, and that they did. Thomas was stellar down the stretch as he had been all game, knocking down three free-throws and tallying a huge block in the final minute. Godwin Jr. would also hit clutch free-throws as he knocked down four straight attempts and iced the game in the final six seconds as the Phoenix earned the 77-72 victory.
Inside the Box Score: Bussey came off the bench to lead all scorers with 23 points and added 12 boards in just 26 minutes of action for his fourth double-double of the season. Thomas and Godwin Jr. added 14 points each and Garib added 10 points, all in the second half. The Phoenix shot it well from the floor as they hit 50% of their shots as a team, including 56% in the second half.
Up Next: The Phoenix have clinched a berth in the NCAA tournament by claiming the CSAC's automatic bid and will find out on Monday where they will play. The NCAA DIII men's basketball selection show will air at 12:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon and can be viewed online here:
NCAA DIII Men's Basketball Selection Show
