Tweet #HFUMBB


BOX SCORE


Philadelphia, Pa. - The Holy Family University men's basketball team will be returning to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) semifinals after defeating the third seed out of the North Division Caldwell College by the score of 75-63 in the quarterfinal round on Saturday afternoon at the Campus Center Gymnasium.
 
Holy Family, seeded second out of the South Division, improves to 20-9 overall with the victory, while Caldwell concludes its season at 16-11 overall.  The Tigers' 20-win season is their first since the 2007-08 season when they finished 21-10.
 
With the win, Holy Family will face the number one seed out of the North Division, Bloomfield College, in the CACC semifinals this coming Friday at Caldwell College.  The Deacons defeated Chestnut Hill College, 84-62, in their quarterfinal game to advance. 
 
Holy Family had three players scored in double-figures to pace the offense. Sophomore Turhan Griffin (Philadelphia, Pa./Franklin Learning Center) shot a near perfect 5-of-6 from the field on his way to a team-high 19-point performance.  Griffin knocked down three three-pointers (3-4 3FG) and converted 6-of-9 from the free throw line.  Senior Ervin Ezell (Deptford, N.J./Deptford High) scored 15 points (4-9 FG) as he shot 7-of-8 from the free throw line.  Ezell filled the stat sheet with a team-high six assists, five rebounds and two steals.
 
Senior Alberto Munoz (Morrisville, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) also scored in double-figures with 11 points to go along with six rebounds a game-high five steals.  Sophomore Isaiah Gans (Philadelphia, Pa./Redemption Christian Academy) added nine points, while redshirt senior Khiry Hankins (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day School) contributed seven points.
 
For Caldwell, junior Wyatt Polk finished with a game-high 25 points after shooting 10-of-18 from the field.  Polk totaled six rebounds and dished out a pair of assists. Sophomore Billy McDonald scored 13 points off the bench for the Cougars, shooting 6-of-9 from the field.  Junior Michael Balkovic added ten points and a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Holy Family led the entire way as the Tigers shot close to 50.0-percent from the field in the first half (15-31 FG).  The Tigers' sharp shooting early on led to a 26-10 opening run as Holy Family led by as many as 16 points midway through the half.  A three-pointer by Hankins gave the Tigers their biggest lead of the game.
 
Caldwell also shot close to 50.0-percent (12-25 FG) from the field in the first half, however three-pointers played the difference.  Holy Family knocked down six three-pointers in the half, while Caldwell only had one made three. 
 
Caldwell managed to cut the lead down to eight points at the half with Holy Family leading 37-29. 
 
The Cougars would come within five points of the lead at the 12:14 mark of the second half after McDonald split a pair of free throws to make the score 43-38.  The Tigers quickly responded with back-to-back scores by Griffin to increase the lead back to double-figures (48-38).
 
Caldwell hanged close to the Tigers cutting the deficit to single digits multiple times, but it seemed each time the Cougars were about to make a run Holy Family quickly responded halting any possible comeback. 
 
The Tigers' lead did fall to seven points with less than four minutes to play, however like previous times in the half, Holy Family responded with a score to maintain its advantage.
 
Holy Family shot 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the final minute to preserve the 12-point victory. 
 
Holy Family is back in action on Friday, March 7 as the Tigers face Bloomfield in the CACC semifinals hosted by Caldwell College.  The Tigers and Deacons will face one another at 2 p.m. in a rematch of last year's semifinal match up.   More details on the CACC Tournament will be available later this week.