Brookville, NY-Junior Jermaine
Washington (Philadelphia, PA) scored 24 points off the
University of Bridgeport bench and senior Steve
Martin (Philadelphia, PA) the tournament's Most
Outstanding Player, added 14 points, 10 of which came in the second
half, as the top-seeded Purple Knights captured the 2010 East Coast
Conference Men's Basketball Championship with a 70-61 win over the
host and second seeded, C.W. Post University Pioneers. The win
by Bridgeport snaps a 43-game home winning streak for the Pioneers,
who are now 23-6. The win gives Bridgeport the East Coast
Conference's automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Division II
Championship Tournament that begins on Saturday. The win also
raises UB's overall record to 23-8.
The win also gives Bridgeport, the teams first-ever East Coast
Conference men's basketball title, and the Purple Knights will be
making back-to-back appearance in the NCAA Division II
Championship.
C.W. Post was led by senior Nemanja Jokic
with 19 points. Jokic was joined in double figures by freshman
Jonathan Kohler and junior Aaron
Hall, who each netted 15 points.
"Our depth and experience proved to be the difference today, said
Bridgeport head coach Mike Ruane. We were able to
run guys in and out of the game which wore them down a bit at the
end. C.W. Post is an excellent team, and our experience with
guys like Steve Martin and Jermaine Washington just worked to our
advantage."
Bridgeport will find out Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. who they will
face in the NCAA Tournament.
