NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Bolstered by 66 percent shooting and led by David Louison's (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 25-point, 17-rebound double-double, St. Joseph's College defeated Vaughn College, 92-76, to capture the 2014 Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball championship on Sunday afternoon at The College of New Rochelle Wellness Center.
St. Joseph's (18-9, 7-0 HVIAC) capped off an unblemished season in conference play to win their third league championship. Louison led four Bears in double digit scoring, posting game highs in points and rebounds and was named tournament MVP, averaging 20.5 points and 15.0 boards for the tournament. Michael Megafu (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 22 points and Vernon Maddox (Staten Island, N.Y.) chipped in 19 points.
Vaughn (14-11, 5-2) shocked three-time defending champions Berkeley (14-9, 5-2) erasing a 16-point second-half deficit in their semifinal matchup to advance to the second championship game in school history and setting a up a rematch of the 2010 title game, which St. Joseph's won for their last championship.
The Bears used a 14-0 run just five minutes into the game to build a double digit advantage that ballooned into a 49-27 lead at halftime with four starters scoring in double figures and the team shooting a blistering 74 percent (20-27) from the field, while Vaughn managed to connect on only 29 percent (10-35).
The Warriors improved their shooting in the second half to nearly 50 percent (21-43) and chipped away at the deficit down to as little as 13 points, but the Bears continued to connect at a high rate, shooting 57 percent and holding the lead steady until the final buzzer.
Vaughn also finished in four players in double figures, led by Jared Ndiba (Roxbury, N.J.) who netted 22 points.
In ceremonies concluding the championship, St. Joseph’s College head coach Joseph Cocozello was named 2013-14 Coach of the Year – his third straight year receiving the honor.
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2014 HVIAC Men's Basketball Championships
Semifinals
Saturday, February 15, 2014
at The College of New Rochelle
#1 St. Joseph's def. #4 Albany Pharmacy, 73-56
#3 Vaughn def. #2 Berkeley, 73-70
Championship
Sunday, February 16, 2013
at The College of New Rochelle
#1 St. Joseph's def. #3 Vaughn, 92-76
Tournament & Regular Season Champions
St. Joseph's College
Tournament MVP
David Louison, St. Joseph's - Jr. - Forward
2013-14 Coach of the Year
Joseph Cocozello, St. Joseph's
2013-14 All-Conference Team
| Jovan Bovell * | Berkeley | Sr. | G | Jamaica, NY |
| Avery Britton | Culinary | Fr. | F | Kirkland, WA |
| Elijah Craig % | Berkeley | Sr. | C | Brooklyn, NY |
| Jeremiah Gill | King's | Jr. | F | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Keenan Langston | Berkeley | So. | G/F | Brooklyn, NY |
| David Louison ** | St. Joseph's | Jr. | F | Brooklyn, NY |
| Rashad Luckett | Vaughn | So. | G | Chicago, IL |
| Vernon Maddox | St. Joseph's | Jr. | G | Staten Island, NY |
| Ryan McVaigh | Albany Pharmacy | So. | G | Ballston Spa, NY |
| Michael Megafu * | St. Joseph's | So. | F | Brooklyn, NY |
| Michael Pena | Vaughn | Fr. | G | Dumont, NJ |
| Sam Peterson | Pratt | Sr. | G | New Rochelle, NY |
| Stevan Radosavljevic | Sarah Lawrence | Fr. | F | Lazarevac, Serbia |
| Casey Redfern *** | Albany Pharmacy | Sr. | F | Binghamton, NY |
* Denotes 2012-13 All-Conference Team Selection
% Denotes 2010-11 and 2011-12 All-Conference Team
Selection
** Denotes 2011-12 and 2012-13 All-Conference Team
Selection
*** Denotes 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 All-Conference Team
Selection
Past Champions
- 2013: Berkeley
- 2012: Berkeley
- 2011: Berkeley
- 2010: St. Joseph's
- 2009: Berkeley
- 2008: St. Joseph's
- 2007: Berkeley
- 2006: Berkeley
- 2005: Bard
