Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. - (2/10/2015) – Sophomore guard Billy Cassidy (Primos, Pa.) appeared to have put a dagger in the hearts of crosstown rival Philadelphia University, draining the last of his four 3-pointers to give Chestnut Hill College a 63-58 lead with 1:23 remaining. Unfortunately, the Rams shocked the home crowd with the final seven points and escaped Sorgenti Arena with a 65-63 decision in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) classic. Junior guard Andre Gibbs (Smyrna, Del.) delivered the fatal blow with a go-ahead three-point play with just 12.9 seconds remaining and the Griffins saw a potential tying layup go begging as the horn sounded on another razor-thin setback.
 
Chestnut Hill College (4-18, 3-12) led by as many as five, 23-18, in the first half (4:39) on a bucket by freshman forward Edward McWade (Wildwood, N.J.). Neither team could gain much traction, however, until midway through the second half, when Philadelphia University (16-6, 10-3) – three days removed from giving legendary head coach Herb Magee his 1,000^th career win – assumed a 43-34 edge after a Gibbs 3-pointer capped a 9-2 spurt at the 12:33 mark.
 
The Griffins gradually gained control thanks to the fearless long-range bombing of Cassidy, who knocked down a 30-footer from straight on to bring the teams into a 45-45 deadlock (9:29). McWade canned a corner triple on the next possession, 48-45, before Cassidy brought the home crowd to its feet with another deep trey, 52-47 (7:04). Chestnut Hill College led 56-50 after junior forward Noel Hightower (Easton, Pa.) finished inside with 5:08 to play, and Cassidy's fourth and final deep ball delivered another five-point margin, 63-58 (1:23).
 
But the Rams took the air out of the building with a final push, with senior guard Nick Schlizter (Pottsville, Pa.) scoring four straight points and Gibbs giving the visitors the winning points with his conventional three-point play. The Griffins drew up one last play, with senior guard Christian Walck (Lancaster, Pa.) passing out of a double team and finding McWade on the baseline. The freshman's attempt at a game-tying basket was too strong, however, and the Rams again prevailed in the latest installment of a series marked by close calls; four of the last five meetings have been decided by four points or less, all Philadelphia University wins.
 
Junior forwards Peter Alexis (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) and Derek Johnson (Conshohocken, Pa.) produced indentical 18-point, nine-rebound stat lines for the Rams, while Gibbs (11 points) and Schlitzer (10) joined them in double figures.

Cassidy produced a game-high-tying 18 points on 6-of-12 (50%) shooting, including 4-of-8 (50%) from three-point distance. McWade was active all night on the way to his first career double-double, 11 points and 10 rebounds, while frontcourt mate Hightower helped the Griffins post a 39-31 advantage on the glass with a game-high 14 boards. Senior center Seamus Radtke (Philadelphia, Pa.) finished with 10 points, and Walck added eight to go with three assists and three steals.
 
The Griffins look to get back into the win column with a CACC showdown against Post University at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 14.