The Saint Elizabeth Men's Basketball team traveled to Chambersburg, PA for the United East Skye Division Championship game. This would mark the first championship game appearance of any kind for the Men's Basketball program that played its first season in 2016-17. The Eagles would take full advantage of the opportunity knocking off top-seeded Wilson College in a 65-56 victory. With the win, Saint Elizabeth has doubled its win total from the previous season and now sits at 18-10 overall. Wilson College ends its season with a 16-11 record.


The Phoenix of Wilson College had previously won the past two CSAC championship games before the conference merged with the United East. However, the Eagles were not intimidated by the championship experience of the Phoenix. It was a back and forth affair for the first ten minutes of the first half as neither team was able to build more than a 4-point lead. The Phoenix led by 4 points with 10:51 remaining in the half but the Eagles would respond with a major run. Over the next minute and a half the Eagles would put together a 10-0 run sparked by a stiffing full court press. Saint Elizabeth would go into halftime boasting a 6-point lead. The second half was just as exciting as the first with both team trading runs and putting the sold-out crowd into a frenzy. At the 5:28 mark the Eagles led by 7 points but the Phoenix would make a final comeback attempt. Three back-to-back layups by Wilson would cut the Saint Elizabeth lead to 1 point with 2:42 remaining. However, the Eagles responded by turning up their defensive effort. Saint Elizabeth would shut out Wilson over the final 2:42 recording six consecutive defensive stops to seal the win.


"I couldn't be any prouder of this group for the way they stuck together and believed throughout the season," said men's basketball head coach James Adams. "We knew we had a lot of talent but we struggled early in the year to find our identity. Those lessons we learned at the beginning of the season have really paid off and helped mold us into a championship team. There are a lot of things that go into winning a championship and we have the entire Saint Elizabeth University community to thank for our success!"


Junior guard Tye-Rell Monroe led all scorers with 23 points and 6 rebounds on 8 of 14 shooting. Sophomore forward Nate Thompson was active driving the ball and drew several fouls on the way to 12 points including 8 for 10 from the free throw line. Senior center D'Angelo Blackmond, who played in the 2020 CSAC Championship game with Centenary University, recorded the double-double with 10 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Junior guard Jonathan Ramos chipped in with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. Senior guard Tyrese Conover added 6 points including a step-back three pointer to seal the game with 29 seconds left.


The Eagles will move on to face United East Volt Division champion Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday February 24. Tip-off is scheduled for 2pm in Middletown, PA.