Gwynedd-Mercy Defeats Host RIT in Title Game
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Senior Dan DelConte earned MVP honors and junior Doug Berzins hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 16 seconds left to help Gwynedd-Mercy claim the Harold J. Brodie Tournament Championship with a 69-66 win over the host Tigers Saturday afternoon.
DelConte finished with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting while Berzins made his only three-pointer of the day count. Junior Frank Champion added 17 points and eight rebounds as he was selected to the all-tournament team.
Brendan Harder scored 15 points for RIT. Justin Heisig added 13.
The Griffins (7-3) led by as much as 19 in the first half, holding RIT to just 29% shooting, before the Tigers (3-4) used a 16-5 run to close the half for a 37-29 score at the break.
Harder would hit back-to-back treys early in the second to help turn a 12-point deficit into a two-point game with 12 minutes to go.
The team's stayed within a bucket of each other for the next 10 minutes. RIT was able to capitalize on a GM turnover and foul to hit two free-throws for a 66-65 lead with just 31 seconds left.
Berzins then took a dish out feed from Champion on the next possession, and found nothing but net to quickly turn the momentum, and the lead, back in the Griffins favor.
Senior Brandon Sharp had a chance to ice it, but he hit just one of two at the line after a foul giving the Tigers a last chance with three ticks left. That attempt was quickly thwarted as DelConte stole in the inbound and ran out the clock.
Junior Brendan Stanton sank three of the team's five treys to finish with 12 points. Senior Brandon Williams tied Champion by pulling in eight rebounds.
