LANGHORNE, PA- In front of the largest crowd the Mason Activity Center has seen in years the Highlanders defended the 'Horne once more, outlasted a stellar first half shooting performance from the Centenary Cyclones, and advanced to host the CSAC Championship this Saturday against Rosemont College.
 
With a truly electric atmosphere inside the MAC, the Cyclones did an excellent job to quickly stifle Cairn's boisterous fans. Centenary started off incredibly hot from beyond the arc, knocking down 7 of 10 tries from distance and leading by as many as 15 points during the first half. Facing their biggest deficit in weeks, the Highlanders needed a spark, and thankfully the big man combo of Brennan Addley and Jordan Koczman delivered. Addley came through with a layup, huge block, and two free throws, while Koczman knocked down a clutch three as time expired to swing momentum firmly in the Highlanders favor.
 
Still facing a 10 point deficit, the Highlanders turned to newly-minted CSAC Player of the Year Julian Collazo and Defensive Player of the Year Malachi Hall to turn the tide in Cairn's favor. Collazo spurred the Highlanders forward on the offensive end, while Hall and Justin Dean ratcheted up the defensive pressure to shut down Centenary's stellar guard tandem of Chris Labelle and Divine Anderson. As the momentum swayed, the crowd's volume increased, and the Cairn defense rose to seemingly engulf the entire floor, allowing no open shots and zero Centenary points over the first 9 minutes in the second half.  Cairn led by 5 after tallying 15 unanswered points, and 10 after the 23-3 run ended. Labelle battled for Centenary, knocking down a couple threes but the Highlanders rode the wave to their first CSAC playoff victory in program history.
 
Collazo finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists and Hall finished with a mind-boggling 12 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, and 6 steals.
 
In a season of unprecedented new heights, the Highlanders will have the chance to climb the ladder one rung higher Saturday night when they host the Rosemont Ravens for the CSAC Championship at 7:00 PM. Get there early, wear black, and prepare to flex those vocal chords as the Highlanders seek to defend the 'Horne one final time.