DIX HILLS, N.Y. -- Both No. 1 seed Berkeley College and No. 2 seed Word of Life overcame slight halftime deficits and used big second halves for double-digit victories in their semifinal games on Saturday in the 2022 HVIAC Men's Basketball Championship, hosted by Five Towns College.

Berkeley (13-4) and Word of Life (16-8) will meet on Sunday for the HVIAC title and the league's automatic bid to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II National Championship. Tip-off is at 3:30 pm.

In the first semifinal, the Knights trailed 49-48 at the half to No. 4 King's College (7-10), who was making their first appearance in the tournament. Jimmy Nguyen rained eight three-pointers for 25 points to lead four different Lions that scored 19 each, but it wasn't enough to hold off the six-time defending champions who received 59 points off the bench and advanced in a high-scoring 107-92 affair. Reserves Tristan Poinitz and Kenny Pitt both scored 26 points to share game-high honors with Poinitz also grabbing a game-high 12 boards for a double-double.

Also making their first appearance in the tournament, Word of Life overcame a 30-28 halftime deficit to tournament host Five Towns (10-7). Cyrus Sprague posted game-highs of 20 points and 14 rebounds on 8-of-13 shooting with four three-pointers to lead the Huskies to the title game in a 71-59 triumph. Noah Amet also turned in a double-double with 17 points and 11 boards and Ethan Crawford had a near double-double with 16 and 9.  Five Towns was led by Jan Filip Jagielski's 17-point, 14-rebound double-double with two blocks.

Both Knights and Huskies carry eight-game win streaks into Sunday's showdown. Berkeley took the regular-season meeting between the two squads back in December in Pottersville, 80-71.