Sophomore center Tom Bicknell (Melbourne, Australia/St. Bede’s College) posted his sixth ‘double-double’ of the season with 16 points and a career-high 17 rebounds as The University of Scranton wrapped up the number one seed in the upcoming Freedom Conference tournament with a 64-56 victory over DeSales University in the regular-season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon at the John J. Long, S.J., Center.
Sophomore guards Randy Arnold (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) and Ryan Kirk (Lansdale, Pa./LaSalle College) added 12 points apiece as Scranton shook off a slow start to win its fifth straight game and improve to 19-6 overall and 11-3 in the Freedom Conference. Senior forward Drew Christman (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) scored a game-high 18 points to lead DeSales, now 16-9 overall and 7-7 in league play.
Christman and sophomore guard Eddie Ohlson (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) each hit a 3-pointer and sophomore center Phil Stricker (Womelsdorf, Pa./Conrad Weiser) converted a pair of lay-up down low as the Bulldogs built up an early 12-2 lead in the opening seven minutes of the game. Scranton missed its first eight shots and connected on only one of its first 11 field goal attempts.
Bicknell brought the Royals back by scoring six points as Scranton finally got untracked offensively and eventually tied the score at 21-21 with 3:21 remaining before intermission on a lay-up by Arnold that capped off a 19-9 run. DeSales scored the final four points of the half on lay-up by freshman guard Jeff Raimo (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) and a jump shot by Christman with eight seconds left to take a 28-24 lead at intermission.
There were five ties and six lead changes in the second-half before Bicknell put the Royals ahead for good with a lay-up with 4:01 remaining to give Scranton a 55-53 lead. After DeSales missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw and failed to score on its next possession, Bicknell extended the lead to six with a lay-up and two free throws, 61-55, with 1:24 left. After Ohlson made one of two free throws with 1:13 left, Arnold hit a pair of free throws with 38 seconds remaining before Bicknell canned one of two free throws with 17 seconds left after DeSales’ Mike Zinn (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) missed a 3-pointer to set the final score.
Kirk hit three 3-pointers in the opening five minutes of the second-half to help jump-start a Royal offense that made just 7 of 27 field goal attempts (25.9 percent) in the first-half. Scranton shot 50 percent from the field in the second-half to finish 37.7 percent for the game. DeSales struggled from the field in the second-half after shooting a respectable 42.9 percent in the first-half. The Bulldogs made just 9 of 29 field goal attempts (31.0 percent) in the final 20 minutes of play.
Bicknell’s previous career-high for rebounds was 15 in a 51-47 victory over Curry College (Mass.) in the 3rd-place game of the Radisson Invitational on January 8, at the Long Center. He has also had three ‘double-doubles’ in points and rebounds in each of his last five games.
The Royals earn the number one seed in the Freedom Conference tournament, which begins this Wednesday, February 22, for the second time in Carl Danzig’s five-year tenure as head coach. Scranton was the number one seed in 2003 and defeated King’s College, 71-70, in the semifinals and DeSales, 72-65, in the championship game to win the Freedom Conference title
Scranton will host Lycoming, which it defeated 82-79 last Wednesday at the Long Center, at 8:00 p.m. The winner advances to Saturday’s championship game against either King’s College, the number two seed, or Wilkes University at the site of the highest seed remaining in the tournament. The winner of the Freedom Conference tournament earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III championships.
DESALES UNIVERSITY (16-9/7-7 Freedom) Drew Christman 7-19 0-0 18; Eddie Ohlson 3-7 2-4 9; Sedale Walton 3-8 2-2 8; Phil Stricker 4-8 0-0 8; Steve Kriczky 2-2 1-3 5; Jamie McCloskey 1-4 2-3 4; Mike Zinn 0-3 2-2 2; Jeff Raimo 1-6 0-0 2; Marvin Satchell 0-0 0-0 0; Ed Lapinski 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-57 9-14 56. THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON (19-6/11-3 Freedom) Tom Bicknell 6-11 4-7 16; Ryan Kirk 4-7 1-2 12; Randy Arnold 4-14 4-4 12; Darren Cannon 2-5 2-2 8; James Powell 2-5 1-2 6; Ryan FitzPatrick 1-5 1-2 4; Bill Burke 1-3 1-2 3; Mike Kreuter 0-2 3-6 3; Nick Alfier 0-1 0-0 0; Michael Riccobono 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-53 17-27 64. DeSales University............ 28 28 - 56 The University of Scranton.... 24 40 - 64 3-point goals-DeSales University 5-26 (Drew Christman 4-14; Eddie Ohlson 1-4; Jamie McCloskey 0-1; Mike Zinn 0-2; Jeff Raimo 0-2; Sedale Walton 0-3), The University of Scranton 7-13 (Ryan Kirk 3-4; Darren Cannon 2-4; James Powell 1-1; Ryan FitzPatrick 1-2; Randy Arnold 0-2). Fouled out—DeSales University-Eddie Ohlson, The University of Scranton-None. Rebounds-DeSales University 40 (Phil Stricker 10), The University of Scranton 36 (Tom Bicknell 17). Assists-DeSales University 12 (Sedale Walton 4), The University of Scranton 10 (Randy Arnold 6). Total fouls-DeSales University 20, The University of Scranton 16. A-1200