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Cairn University Athletics

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2024 Men's Basketball Championship Preview

| By: By: James Patterson
LANGHORNE, PA - The Cairn University Men's Basketball Team has earned the No. 5 seed on the Skye Division side of the 2024 United East Men's Basketball Championship, which kicks off for the Highlanders on Saturday, February 17 in La Plume, PA at 1 p.m. against No. 4 Keystone College. 

THE FIELD:

Wilson College (13-3) secured the No. 1 overall seed on Tuesday night as they finished conference play with a 76-75 win over Notre Dame (MD). Bryn Athyn (12-4) was officially seeded second after overcoming a tie breaker with Saint Elizabeth (12-4) who was able to lock the 3rd seed. The No. 4 seed belongs to Keystone College (10-6) who will play against No. 5 Cairn's Men's Basketball (8-8) this Saturday on Keystone's home court. And the final seed, No. 6, belongs to Valley Forge (5-11) who made it in after beating a tie breaker with Rosemont. No. 3 Saint Elizabeth seed will host a Divisional First Round game against No. 6 Valley Forge on Saturday, February 17. The top two seeds will get a bye during the first round. The lowest remaining seed will advance to the Divisional Semifinals on Monday, February 19 at No. 1 Wilson, while the highest advancing seed will play at No. 2 Bryn Athyn. Skye Division Finals will be held at the highest remaining seed on Wednesday, February 21. From there, the Skye and Volt Division champions meet at the Volt Division's home court to battle it out for their spot at the NCAA National Tournament. 

OUR TEAM:

Cairn Men's Basketball finished the regular season with a 14-11 record overall and 8-8 in United East Skye Division play. Senior guards Aytor Alberto (Willemstad, Curaçao / Clarks Summit University) and Derian Bradford (Lansdale, PA / University of Valley Forge) led the way for the offense. Alberto led the conference in scoring this season with 21.9 points per game (526 points), while Bradford was fourth in scoring in the conference with 20.8 per game (2nd in overall points - 519). Junior guard Christian Rivera (Cayey, Puerto Rico / Central Bucks East) helps facilitate the offense while averaging 5.5 assists per game which is the best in the Skye Division. While Rivera is running the offense, he kicks it out to sophomore guard Moses Ilodigwe (Wilmington, DE / Lycoming College) and junior guard Jonathan Desir (Feasterville, PA / Neshaminy) who are shooting from three at a high rate in conference play. (Ilodigwe 46.8% / Desir 36.1% on the season) 

THE MATCHUP:

Cairn will match up with No. 4 Keystone at La Plume, Pa on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the third time this season. In their last meeting, Keystone held the 109-102 advantage in a high scoring affair at home on February 7. Alberto and Bradford combined for 61 points, with Ilodigwe coming off the bench shooting 7-11 from three. On the road, January 3, Keystone held off the late Cairn comeback, 90-84, where Bradford scored 25 of his 41 points in the second half alone. In previous meetings over the last five seasons, Cairn is 5-4 against the Giants, 2-2 on the road. The rivals have met in the playoffs now two years in a row. 
 

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