Cougars Capture Second Freedom Conference Championship

Dallas, Pa -- Almost a year ago to the day, Misericordia University's men's basketball team stood inside Billera Hall with the culmination of a journey ending just short to DeSales University in the Freedom Conference championship game.

This time, however, the Cougars had no intention of coming up short for a second time. No ECAC tournament bid. No other option except to win. They did just that, defeating Delaware Valley College in the 2015 edition of the championship game 77-66 on Saturday.

Tournament MVP, Freedom first-teamer, player-of-the-year and two-time champion Joe Busacca led the way for the Cougars with 29 points in the win. At every turn, he outdueled opposing point guard Francis Arnold, and led his team, who never trailed, to a championship victory.

"I think we were just ready to go," Busacca said. "We had [the game] here on our home court, so we were just ready to go."

For the Cougars, it was their second Freedom championship victory since joining the MAC, and their fourth foray in a championship game in total. Yet, between the two championship victories, there is seemingly no comparison at all—at least, according to Misericordia head coach Trevor Woodruff.

"It's like picking between your children," he said. "I wouldn't say it's better or worse."

Woodruff only had one child to choose from to help him cut the net during the postgame fracas. His three-year-old son Bryce climbed the ladder among friends and family, completing the hallowed tradition to raucous applause.

“He asked me last night before bed. I told him 'we're going to cut the nets down tomorrow,' and he said 'dad, I want to help,'” an emotional Woodruff said. "So how could I say no?"

The ever-dangerous Arnold scored 15 of his team-leading 30 points in the contest in the second half, with 6 of them coming in the final minute of play. Yet, with each bucket he splashed, sophomore guard Jesse Urich responded at the free throw line after each foul, going a perfect 8 for 8.

A 14-4 run to start the game set the tone for Misericordia, led by Busacca’s 7 points in that span. His downtown three-pointer four minutes into the first half extended the Cougars’ lead to 10. While the Aggies sliced that lead to as few as four with 11:49 remaining in the first, the Cougars scored 22 of the final 37 points of the stanza to take an 11-point lead to the room.

“We were aggressive the entire day,” Woodruff said of his team's effort. "I thought starting with Joe, he just went, and the other guys followed him."

A journeyman of life, senior Steve Ware, added a double-double in the victory with 14 points and 11 rebounds—his sixth double-double in his last seven games, and fourth in a row. Ware, just a few years removed from an embattled existence in Atlanta, found himself celebrating with his teammates on this day.

He did not get to contribute to the first Freedom championship in 2012. He proved to be a significant reason why they won this season’s championship, scoring 31 points and grabbing 29 boards in the tournament.

"We said when we were freshman we were going to do this again," Ware said of his senior teammates. "To have it happen in our senior year, it's just a great feeling."

Delaware Valley fought its way to the championship game for the second time in three years. This time, however, they did not get the scoring depth they had all season. Freedom first-team forward Chris Moran, who averaged over 14 points per game, added 8 points. Third-leading scorer Nick Sullivan scored a lone three-pointer in the contest.

“We were kind of like a deer in headlights a little bit to start the game off,” Aggies head coach Casey Stitzel said postgame. “We did not have the same approach to the first half that we did [Wednesday].”

A confident Delaware Valley team dismantled DeSales in the Freedom semifinal game Wednesday, but the Cougars’ 19^th-best shooting defense held the Aggies to just 27.5% shooting from the field in the first half.

Woodruff outlined from the outset that he wanted his team to defend Anderson Center floor all season long. They ended the year with 13 wins and two losses at home.

“We thought we would be very difficult to beat [on home court],” Woodruff said. "I think you could argue we played our best game in the championship game. I think that says a lot about our team."