STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – The fifth-seeded Arcadia University men's basketball team advanced to its first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III South Championship Final after recording a 77-68 semifinal victory over eighth-seeded and host Bethany College Saturday. The Knights will face second-seeded Stevenson University in Sunday's final at 2 p.m. after the Mustangs dispatched sixth-seeded Hood College, 97-91 in Saturday's other semifinal.
 
Senior Joe Brown led the way with a game-high 24 points on 10 of 15 shooting from the field and a 4 for 6 showing at the line to go with six rebounds and four assists to lead the Knights (16-12). He now holds the program record for career rebounds with 685. Classmate Torrell Candelaria added 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting from the field with three threes, while fellow senior Travis Saltus and junior John Landro added 12 points each.
 
Senior Delonte Joyce matched Brown's game-high 24 points for the Bison (18-11) and fell just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds. Senior Jeff Joynes added 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the field to go with four rebounds and four assists, while junior Alan Harper chipped in with 13 points and a game-high three blocked shots.
 
Arcadia opened the game with an 11-3 run that was capped off by a tip-in by Candealria and led by as many as 15 in the opening frame after Brown converted a layup as he was fouled and hit the free throw that followed to put the Knights ahead 25-10 midway through the frame.
 
Bethany battled back, making it a one points game after Joyce drained a pair of threes as part of a 9-0 run that cut the Arcadia lead to a single point, 34-33 with 2:54 on the clock. The two teams traded baskets the rest of the period until Brown tipped the ball in off a miss from sophomore Ryan Kelley just before time the buzzer sounded to end the first half, putting the Knights up 39-36 at the break.
 
The Bison were able to briefly regain the lead in the second half after a pair of Joyce free throws before Candelaria drained a three to start an 8-0 burst that put Arcadia out front for good. Bethany was within one on multiple occasions but was unable to regain the lead. It was a three-point game with just under three minutes to go before Saltus' trifecta started a seven-point run that put the game away. Brown followed with a layup and Candelaria put an exclamation point on it with a slam that gave the Knights a 75-65 lead with 15 seconds to go.
 
Arcadia shot an efficient 50 percent (30-60) from the field while holding Bethany to 44 percent (24-54) shooting from the floor. The Knights dominated the game inside, outscoring the Bison 40-18 in the paint.
 
Stevenson swept the regular season series between the two teams, winning an 86-80 decision in Glenside and a 74-58 in Owings Mills.