PHOENIXVILLE, PA – The Cairn University Men's Basketball fell in a tightly contested Skye Division matchup with University of Valley Forge on Saturday afternoon as the Patriots stole a 81-79 win away from the Highlanders.
 
Senior forward Derian Bradford (Lansdale, PA / University of Valley Forge) scored the first four points for Cairn (10-6 / 5-4 United East Skye Division) before the Patriots went on a 10-3 run, compiling a 14-7 lead. Junior guard Jonathan Desir (Feasterville, PA / Neshaminy) hit from behind the arc to cut the Valley Forge (2-15 / 2-7 United East Skye Division) to two points. Bradford tied things up at 17-17 before fifth year guard Josh Forker (Telford, PA / Faith Christian Academy) gave the Highlanders a 20-19 lead. The Patriots would go on to take the lead back, holding on until Bradford took the lead again, 31-29, on a layup. Cairn would finish the half on an 8-2 run led by sophomore guard Moses Ilodigwe (Wilmington, DE / Lycoming College) who nailed back-to-back threes, giving the Highlanders a 42-37 at the break.
 
Cairn held onto the lead out of the intermission before the Patriots began a 15-0 run to take the lead back and stretch it as far as eight points. Senior guard Aytor Alberto (Willemstad, Curraçao / Clarks Summit University) was fouled on a fast break layup, making the contested shot and hitting the free throw for a three-point play which aimed to shift some momentum in the direction of the Highlanders with Ilodigwe cutting the lead to three points with a layup. Alberto got the lead back on a three from deep, adding a layup to put Cairn up by a pair. Senior forward Owen Bradford (Lansdale, PA / University of Valley Forge) and Derian Bradford would team up to put Cairn up 7 heading into the last five minutes of play. With Cairn finding themselves in foul trouble down the stretch, Valley Forge struck for ten points to the Highlanders' four, tying and taking the lead back in the closing minutes.
 
The Highlanders would put Valley Forge on the free throw line down one point with under a minute to go. The Patriots would miss both as Cairn took it the distance and was forced into a turnover, not finding an open look and being forced to foul again. Trailing by three, the Patriots put Alberto on the line with 5.5 seconds to play, knocking down the first and looking for the ricochet on the rebound to tie the game, which fell into the hands of the Patriots who held on to sneak past the Highlanders, 81-79.
Alberto led the way again for Cairn, scoring 28 with 10 boards, shooting 50% (9-18) from the floor and 2-3 from behind the arc. Derian Bradford added 15 with three steals. Desir was 2-6 from three with 10 points followed by Ilodigwe who had 8 with a pair of triples.
 
The Highlanders continue the road-heavy portion of their schedule, heading to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. tip off.