WILKES-BARRE, Pa.—The University of Scranton’s attempt to battle back from a double-digit second-half deficit fell short in a 76-70 loss to King’s College in the semifinals of the Freedom Conference tournament Wednesday evening at the Scandlon Gymnasium.
The Royals trailed by as many as 11 points late in the second-half before cutting the lead to four, but the Monarchs held on to move into Saturday’s championship game against DeSales University, a 67-63 winner over Wilkes University in the other semifinal game.
Senior forward Brian Horgan, the Freedom Conference Player of the Year, lived up to his reputation by scoring 33 points in 24 minutes of action as King’s improved to 21-5. Senior forward Brian O’Donnell (Mahopac, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) led Scranton with 21 points, sophomore guard Darren Cannon (Paupack, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area) added 16 points, freshman point-guard Randy Arnold (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) chipped in 13 and sophomore guard Mike McGowan (Lansdale, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) had 11 as the Royals fell to 19-6.
Saddled by two early fouls that limited him to only nine minutes, Horgan still managed to score 13 first-half points, including six during a six-minute stretch that broke a 21-21 tie and sparked the Monarchs on a 14-5 run to take a 35-26 lead by intermission. O’Donnell and freshman guard Ryan Kirk (Lansdale, Pa./LaSalle College) scored seven points apiece for the Royals in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Trailing by 11 on three different occasions in the second-half, including 57-46 with 7:58 left, the Royals continue to chip away at the Monarch lead. With 18 seconds remaining, McGowan buried a 3-pointer to cut King’s lead to 72-68 before Horgan answered with two free throws to make it a two-possession game, 74-68. Arnold hit a jump shot with four seconds remaining, but Jamie Cousart set the final score with a basket on the Monarchs’ final possession.
The Royals will await word on a possible bid to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) tournament.