GAME CENTER

CACC Tournament Quarterfinals Saturday, Feb. 28 – 2 p.m. Post vs. Philadelphia Waterbury, Conn. – Drubner Center Coverage: Live Stats | Live Video

 
WATERBURY, Conn. – For the fourth consecutive season the Post University men's basketball team will take on Philadelphia in the opening round of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament. The last three years the Eagles were on the road, this time Post will host the Rams at the Drubner Center on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. Post earned the second-seed in the North while Philadelphia is the third seed out of the South Division.
 
Last Time Out: Post 71, Georgian Court 62 – Recap | Box Score
Freshman Matt Mareno (San Francisco, Calif.) led the way with 29 points and 15 rebounds (eight offensive) and added three blocks as Post won its final regular season game on Saturday.
 
The action was back-and-forth from the beginning. Mareno got off to a hot start scoring eight of the first 10 Eagle points. With five minutes remaining in the first, the score was knotted at 23 apiece. Georgian Court found a rhythm and pulled away to a 10-point advantage. Senior Nardie Bogues (Baltimore, Md.) nailed a much need three-pointer before the half and the Eagles went into the locker room trailing 37-32.
 
The Eagles clawed their way back into the game and took the lead with 13 minutes remaining. Junior David Seymour (Amityville, N.Y.) broke another tie score with a shot from behind the arc to give his team a 53-50 advantage, and the Eagles never looked back.
 
Post in the CACC Tournament
This season marks the Eagles tenth straight appearance in the CACC Tournament and Post is 2-9 during the stretch. Their last victory in the tournament came in the opening round in 2011 as the Eagles defeated Dominican 71-68 at the Drubner Center. Post has hosted a first-round game three times since 2005 and is 2-1 in those games. The Eagles won the CACC Tournament in 2003
 
Scouting the Rams
Philadelphia finished the regular season with an overall record of 21-7 and was 15-4 in CACC play, earning the third seed in the South Division. The Rams have won eight of their last nine games heading into the tournament. Nick Schlitzer leads a trio of Rams in the top-10 in the CACC in scoring at 17.8 points per game. Peter Alexis nearly averages a double-double with 15.2 points and 9.8 boards per contest. Philadelphia is second in the CACC shooting 74.3 percent from the line and averages the second-least amount of fouls per game in Division II. Four of the Rams five starters are in the top-six in minutes played in the NCAA.
 
All-Time Record vs. Philadelphia
Post has not fared well in recent years against the Rams, dropping the last seven meetings including three straight in the CACC Tournament. The Eagles last victory in the series was in 2011 and last win a Drubner in 2007.
Results
2/7/15 ................... A ……......L, 80-60
3/1/14 .............. A (CACC)......L, 84-55
2/8/14 ....................H...............L, 81-73
3/2/13 .............. A (CACC)......L, 68-62
1/5/13 .................... A...............L, 77-53
2/25/12 ............ A (CACC)......L, 74-52
 
Tough D From Distance
Post is third the CACC and 22^nd in the nation in opponents' three-point percentage. The Eagles allow their opponents to shoot at just a 31.6 percent clip. Post has held its rivals to under 25.0 percent shooting in eight games this year. Their season-best performance came in the opener against Roberts Wesleyan as the Redhawks were just 7.7 percent (1-13) from distance.
 
Limiting Giveaways
The Eagles have had less or the same amount of turnovers than their opponents in all but six games this season. In eight games this year, Post has committed 10 or less turnovers, with a season-low of seven coming in the opener against Roberts Wesleyan.
 
Eagles Piling Up Weekly Honors
Freshman Matt Mareno (San Francisco, Calif.) has been named CACC Rookie of the Week on seven times this season and ECAC Rookie of the Week six times. He has also earned Defensive Player of the Week honors once. Mareno leads the team at 13.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.52 blocks per game. He has also posted eight double-doubles this year. Freshman Jah'sheme Ringgold (Easton, Md.) was named CACC and ECAC Rookie of the Week on Jan. 26.
 
Starting From Scratch
The Eagles return just one player from a year ago in sophomore Rokas Lapsys (Vilnius, Lithuania). Lapsys who appeared in just three games, averaging 9.3 minutes per outing. This year's roster features 13 players including six freshman, two sophomores, four juniors, and one senior. The players come from all over the globe with two from England in freshmen Kyle Squire (Cheshire, England) and Joseph Lockwood (London, England) and one from Australia, junior Shannon McCready (Melbourne, Australia) and Lithuania.
 
Preseason Poll
Post was picked to finish fifth in the CACC North Division this year. The Eagles received 41 votes. Bloomfield and Philadelphia were selected to finish first in the North and South Divisions, respectively.
 
On the Horizon
The winner of this game will play the winner of top-seeded USciences and fourth seed Bloomfield in the semifinal round on Friday, March 6. Philadelphia University will host the CACC Semifinals and Finals.