PHILADELPHIA, Penn. -- 364 days ago, Post University Men's Basketball saw their season come to a close in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Semifinals against Jefferson University with NCAA Tournament hopes still alive and well due to their hot start to the season. 364 days later, it was a different story in which the Eagles had no room for error heading into the CACC Tournament and Saturday afternoon's CACC Semifinals game against that very same Rams team. 

An up and down year did not put Post in the regional rankings, meaning their only hope at back-to-back NCAA Tournament trips was winning the conference tournament. Never wavering down five with just over five minutes remaining in the second half, the Eagles found a way to force overtime against the South Division's top seed in Jefferson, capturing an 85-78 victory on Saturday night to head to their first CACC Championship Game since the 2003-04 season to face the North Division three seed and in-state rival University of Bridgeport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 PM. 

THE BASICS

N#2 Post University 85, S#1 Jefferson University 78 (OT)

N#2 Post University (18-12)
 
S#1 Jefferson University (16-13)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Six lead changes and 10 ties marked an instant classic between the two programs vying for a spot in the CACC Championship Game, but it took a little while for both teams to get things going offensively with just a combined 12 points through the first 7 1/2 minutes of action. Momentum was on the side of Post, jumping out to a 10-2 lead which was capped off by a three from graduate forward Derrick Thomas II to force a timeout by the Rams.

That break would be the catalyst for Jefferson getting back into the affair as a 10-0 gave them their first lead of the game, 12-10 just 3:15 later. The Rams' lead would grow to as many as eight points, similarly to the Eagle lead in the early going, before they came back down to earth, allowing Post to strike back starting with a three-point play by senior forward Deng Deang , which sparked an 8-0 run to tie the game at 23 all. 

By half, the Eagles took a one-point lead into the locker room, 34-33, as Deang led the way with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting with two makes from the free-throw line. Senior guard Bol Akot followed him close behind with seven points on 2-for-3 shooting with a perfect 3-for-3 performance from the charity stripe as Post was 11-for-28 (39.3%) from the field with 2-of-8 (25%) of their threes made.

Junior forward Justin Hawkins and junior guard Isaiah Thomas-McClain each had a team-high eight points for the Rams, combining to shoot 4-for-8 from the field and 3-for-6 from three as part of an 11-for-25 (44%) shooting half for Jefferson. The Rams converted on 4-of-10 (40%) of their threes up to that point while also being massively overpowered on the boards as the Eagles held a 21-12 lead in rebounding. 

After Post opened up a seven-point lead, 44-37, in the first four minutes of the second half, eventually they would see that lead evaporate by the midway point of the frame as the Rams worked their way back into the affair to tie it up at 50 with 11:27 to go. Senior guard Ashton Miller's game-tying shot was part of another 10-0 run by Jefferson that flipped a two-point deficit into a five-point lead, 55-50, as Miller capped it with two free throws. 

The Rams would continue to hold the lead by two or three possessions as the half wore on before Post made their game-changing run with six minutes to go, starting with a free throw from Akot after being down 64-57. The 9-0 run by the Eagles was highlighted by a game-tying three from senior guard Robert Sanders and Akot's two free throws gave Post the lead, 66-64, for the first time since the 11:49 mark when they led 50-48.

With 3:12 remaining, the shots would stop falling for both sides as only three baskets were made during the homestretch of regulation to the tune of a Hawkins layup and tip-in by senior guard Tony McGregor with 1:39 left to give the Rams the lead back before Deang tied it up at 68 with 25 seconds left. Jefferson's ensuing possession would end in a turnover with one second left by Miller and a miss from three-point range by Deang sent the game to a five-minute overtime.

Heading into the game, Post had been 8-0 over the last two seasons in overtime affairs, a mark they would push to 9-0 with their 17-point overtime session to return to the CACC Championship Game for the first time since the 2003-04 season. Trailing by one, 71-70, with 2:43 left in the extra session, Akot's free throws and a three from sophomore guard Ta'Quan Williams gave the Eagles the lead for good as Jefferson would only pull within two on a Hawkins jumper with 1:25 remaining before Post pulled away for the 85-78 win.

Deang led all scorers on the day with 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting and a perfect 8-for-8 day at the free throw line while Akot nearly registered all his points at the line after going for 19 points on only 3-for-4 shooting while making 13-of-16 free throws. For the Rams, Hawkins finished the day with 23 points on 6-for-12 shooting and went 9-for-10 from the line while junior guard Sean Fullerton was 5-for-9 overall and 6-for-6 on free throws in his 18-point outing. 

BY THE NUMBERS  

• Beating Jefferson University for the second straight game this season, Post University has defeated the Rams in back-to-back games for the first time in program history 
• Post University is now 14-1 this season when leading at halftime while holding a 3-9 record when trailing at halftime and 2-1 when tied at halftime 
• In games that enter overtime, Post University is now 9-0 over the last two seasons in such situations since the beginning of the 2023-24 year 
• This is the third time in program history and first time since the 2003-04 season that Post University has made it to the CACC Championship Game -- That year, the Eagles lost to Bloomfield College, 97-90, after winning their first and only CACC Championship the year before against Felician University, 74-70
• Last night, Matthais Leichner was the recipient of the Top XVII Award for having the highest GPA among student-athletes from the four remaining teams in the CACC Tournament -- Leichner is the first player in program history to receive the honor 

WHO'S NEXT
Post University prepares for the North Division's third seed and in-state rivals in the University of Bridgeport for the CACC Championship taking place tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 PM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the campus of Jefferson University. In their two matchups this season, the Eagles defeated the Purple Knights by double digits and have won each of the last five games in the all-time series overall. This will be the first time the two teams are meeting in the CACC Championship Game, with it being the third time Post has made it here and the first time that Bridgeport has made an appearance.