WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. --- The Moravian College men's basketball team saw its record-breaking 2017-18 season come to an end as the Greyhounds fell to Ramapo College of New Jersey, 86-61, in the opening round of the 2018 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament in a pod being hosted by Williams (Mass.) College.
The Hounds won a school-record 20 games this winter to finish 20-8 on the year, and the squad captured the program's first-ever Landmark Conference Championship. Moravian also set school records with 2,385 points, 825 field goals made, 455 assists, 322 three-pointers, 317 steals and 111 blocked shots on the season.
Junior guard Jimmy Murray led the Greyhounds with 16 points Friday evening to go with two assists and a pair of steals as Murray heads into his season senior next year already 16th in school history with 1,134 points. Sophomore forward C.J. Barnes added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds off of the bench.
Junior guard Nicholas Casazza tossed in a pair of three-pointers for six points, and the two treys gave Casazza a school-record 72 three-pointers made on the season. He also had two rebounds and two assists against Ramapo. Junior forward Oneil Holder and sophomore guard Elijah Davis each had five points with Davis adding four rebounds while Holder heads to senior campaign 17th in school history with 1,123 points.
Freshman guard Matt O'Connor and sophomore forward Addis Ralph each netted four points for the Blue and Grey with Ralph adding four rebounds while senior guard Matt Cardonne had three points on a trey as he finishes his career ninth in school history with 123 three-pointers, and Cardonne is tied for seventh in games played at 101. Senior forward Khalil Rhett had six rebounds and three points in his final career game while sophomore guard Mike Martino had two assists and junior guard Will Brazukas added two rebounds, two steals and an assist.
Moravian struggled shooting the ball as the Hounds made just 21-of-73 field goal attempts, 13-of-44 three-pointers and 6-of-9 free throws. The Greyhounds' pressure defense did for the Road Runners into 21 turnovers.
Holder opened the scoring with a three-pointer, and a jumper from Barnes and a lay-up by Holder had the Greyhounds leading 7-3 just over three minutes into the contest. The Road Runners answered with 11 straight points to take a 14-7 lead before Davis connected on a three-pointer. Murray pulled the Hounds within three-points, 16-13, at 11:26, and the score was 18-15 Ramapo after two free throws by Ralph with 9:59 before the intermission. The Road Runners would go on a 27-13 run to finish the half and head to the locker room with a 45-28 advantage.
Ramapo would hold onto the lead for the entire second half as the Road Runners advanced to the second round on Saturday.
