BOX SCORE

CALDWELL, N.J. - For the third time in four seasons, the Bloomfield College men's basketball team has earned a trip to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament Final.  Storming back from the brink of elimination with a 46-point second half Friday afternoon, the Deacons topped the Philadelphia University Rams in come-from-behind fashion 72-63 in the tournament's semifinals at Caldwell College.

The contest began inauspiciously for top-seeded Bloomfield, as Philadelphia came out firing on all cylinders at the offensive end of the floor.  The Rams would shoot a scorching 58% from the field and a tremendous 60% from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes of play, setting the pace and putting the Deacons on their heels from the outset of the contest.  The North Division's top squad was unable to match Philadelphia's blistering start, with the second-seeded Rams taking a commanding 38-26 lead into the intermission.

Philadelphia would move the lead to 15 at 45-30 with 16:36 to play, putting the Deacons in danger of seeing their season come to an end.  But three consecutive buckets by the Deacons cut the lead to nine, swinging the momentum and setting the stage for one the finest offensive performances of Bloomfield's banner season.  A 9-0 run quickly followed, erasing the Rams' lead and knotting the score at 56 with just under seven minutes to play.  Bloomfield would outscore a powerless Rams squad 16-7 over the remainder of the contest, capping their remarkable comeback with an emphatic run to earn a trip to the CACC Final for the second consecutive season.

Senior forward Matt Wafula (Harlem, N.Y.) continued his brilliant senior campaign with a game-high 26 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, while fellow senior Ahmad Harris (Linden, N.J.) notched a double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a game-high five steals. 

Bloomfield will take on CACC South Division rival Goldey Beacom College in a rematch of the 2010-2011 Tournament Final in Saturday's finale.  Tip-off for the contest is scheduled for 4:00 PM.