Center Valley, PA (March 5, 2016) – Neumann University shot 54.5 percent from the field and erased a two-point halftime deficit defeating the DeSales University men's basketball team, 76-74, in the ECAC South Region Tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon.
 
Neumann (21-8) advances to the ECAC title game on Sunday in Billera Hall where it will take on Swarthmore College, an 84-72 winner over PSU-Behrend in the other semifinal game.  Game time is set for 2:00 pm.  The Bulldogs season comes to an end with a 20-8 overall record marking the 10^th time in the last 14 season DeSales has recorded 20+ wins in a season.
 
Junior Brian Laird led the Bulldogs with a team-high 14 points, while junior Kuity Slanger and sophomore Aaron Burton each had 10 points in the loss.  Senior Cody Deal finished his career with nine points and with 189 made three-pointers, second all-time for the Bulldogs.  Junior Brandon Bridy played well in the loss totaling four points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
 
Neumann was led by Darian Barnes who totaled 23 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks.  Deshawn Lowman finished with 20 points, Tyaire Hudson added 13 points and six assists, and James Butler poured in 11 tallies in the win.
 
DeSales took control of this game mid-way thru the first-half opening up an 11-point lead (33-22) before the Knights scored 11 straight points to the game at 33 with 1:19 left in the opening half.  Five straight points by the Bulldogs gave them a 38-33 advantage before Neumann cut the margin down to two points on a three-pointer at the buzzer from Lowman.
 
DSU continued to lead by four (46-42) at the 15:29 mark when Neumann used an 8-0 run to take a 50-46 lead with 12:44 to go.  The Bulldogs chipped away at the lead and eventually re-claimed the lead on a lay-up from Burton at the 5:50 mark making it 65-63.
 
The two teams traded baskets over the next several minutes and the game was tied at 70 with 2:22 to go after Burton connected on 1-of-2 freebies.  Hudson scored on a driving layup on the ensuing Neumann possession and freshman Luke Connaghan was off the mark on the front end of a 1-and-1 giving the Knights possession back.
 
After a block from Connaghan at the other end Neumann inbounded under the basket with just four seconds left on the shot clock and Butler scored and was fouled on the inbounds pass but missed the free throw making it a 74-70 game with 1:21 to play.
 
Slanger was fouled on a drive into the lane but made just 1-of-2 from the line but DSU got a turnover on the next defensive possession and had a chance to tie.  Slanger drove the lane out of a timeout but his shot was blocked and Lowman secured the rebound while being fouled and hit 1-of-2 on the other end with 29 seconds left making it a two-possession game (75-71).
 
Out of a timeout the Bulldogs were out of sync on the ensuing play and the Knights caused a turnover as Lowman hit 1-of-2 once again at the line with nine seconds left and a three from sophomore Jacob Battle provided the final margin with 0.4 seconds left as time expired on DeSales.
 
Neumann shot an impressive 59.3 percent from the field in the second-half and committed just two second-half turnovers in the win.  The Bulldogs tied their season-high with 12 made 3's in the loss and controlled the glass out-rebounding the Knights, 39-28.
 
Laird earns A.B.E. Doors and Windows Player of the Game honors hitting four three-pointers and dishing out four assists without a turnover in the loss.