Old Westbury, NY, (December 29, 2004) – The DeSales University men’s basketball team posted an 84-65 win over Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the championships game of the SUNY-Old Westbury Tournament on Wednesday evening.

 

        Senior Michael Venafra (Belmont Hills, PA/Lower Merion) scored a game-high 18 points to lead the attack and was named the Tournament’s Most Valuable Player following the game.  Venafra averaged 22 points in the two wins and scored his 1,000^th career point in the first game on Tuesday. 

 

        Joining Venafra on the All-Tournament Team were senior David Spadt (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus) and junior Drew Christman (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall).  Spadt averaged 12.5 points in the two games and Christman 11 points including his first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game win.

 

        DSU (7-2 overall) held a four-point lead at halftime on the strength of a 9-3 run over the final 2:04 of the first half.  Venafra canned two three-pointers and Christman one during the spurt as the Bulldogs led 39-35.

 

        In the second half, DeSales led 49-44 with 14:33 left before a 10-2 run gave the Bulldogs a commanding 13-point lead at 59-46 with 9:57 remaining.  Freshman Jamie McCloskey (Newark, DE/St. Mark’s) and Spadt started the run with consecutive lay-ups before Christman canned a three-pointer and followed that with a lay-up to give DeSales the 13-point lead and the eventual win.

 

        Venafra was 5-for-8 from the field and made three treys.  Spadt totaled 13 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting night and Christman recorded his first career double-double in 26 minutes off the bench.  Senior Kyle Koch (Lehighton, PA/Lehighton) totaled 14 points and six rebounds and the point guard duo of senior Kevin Welsh (Havertown, PA/Haverford) and freshman Eddie Ohlson (Allentown, PA/Parkland) combined for 13 points, eight assists and five steals.

 

        The Bulldogs shot 55.6 percent for the game and converted 70.0 percent (10-of-16) of its long range attempts.  WPI (9-1 overall) was led by Ryan Cain with 18 points and Mike Prestileo with 15 points.