DELHI, N.Y. (March 1, 2020) – The SUNY Delhi men's basketball team are ACAA champions for the second straight season! The tournament-host Broncos welcomed their home fans Sunday as they played Pine Manor for the league crown, defeating the Gators, 94-42, to hoist their second consecutive ACAA banner. The win also marked Delhi's third win of the season over Pine Manor, having beaten them twice in the regular season. It also gave the Broncos their first 20-win season under fifth-year head coach Zack Thomsen with a 20-7 record, and first overall since 2013-14. Delhi now awaits its fate for a potential spot in the USCAA Division I National Tournament, with selections being announced on Tuesday, Mar. 3.

The Broncos also became the first back-to-back men's basketball champions in the history of the ACAA. Coach Thomsen's men advanced to Sunday's championship after putting on a record-scoring performance to defeat Valley Forge, 118-70, in Saturday's conference semifinals. Pine Manor made it to the title match after beating UC Santa Cruz, 60-58, Saturday night.

Senior guard Justin Daoud was named the ACAA Tournament MVP after posting a combined 37 points, 17 rebounds, 13-for-16 on field goals, and 7-for-8 from 3-point range over the two games. Senior point guard Jordan Fragale earned ACAA All-Tournament honors, charting a combined 24 points, 13 assists, and 2-for-2 from long range on the weekend.

"We played as well as we have all season this weekend," related Coach Thomsen. "We were able to put two complete games together and produce on both sides of the ball. I look forward to what the next few days possibly have in store for us."

Despite two wins over the Gators this season and a high-scoring win Saturday, the Broncos took nothing for granted entering Sunday's game. While the Broncos produced a comfortable 87-58 victory in their first meeting at home on Jan. 11, Delhi had to use some late comeback heroics to pull out an 83-82 win at Pine Manor on Feb. 15 for the regular-season sweep. They overcame a nine-point deficit in the last eight minutes, capped off by Fragale hitting the game-winner with 2.3 seconds remaining. In addition, both teams met in last year's ACAA Semifinals at Alfred State, in which the Broncos erased a 12-point deficit in the last six-and-a-half minutes en route to the ACAA title.

Pine Manor scored the first basket of the contest, which served as its only lead of the game. It lasted just four possessions, as Daoud, who finished 5-of-5 from 3-point range Saturday, picked up where he left off with a triple to kickstart the Broncos' scoring that led to 12 straight Delhi points. What was even more noteworthy was Delhi's sound work on both sides of the ball, holding the Gators to just 16 first-half points as the Broncos led, 50-16, at intermission. The green and gold shot 58.1 percent in the first 20 minutes (18-of-31), including 9-of-15 on threes, while the Gators were at 20.7 percent (6-of-29) and made 3-of-11 triples.

The second half produced somewhat similar results, as Delhi maintained its grip on the game with six straight points to start the latter period. The Broncos got up to a 50-point margin with just over five minutes remaining. Just like in Saturday's semifinals game, all 16 Broncos got on the court, with 13 finishing with points. Delhi's defense prevented any Gators from getting into double figures in points.

Fragale led the Broncos with 14 points and six assists. Therneus was next with 12 points and six rebounds, including ten points in the first half. William Knight drilled a game-high three 3-pointers on his way to 11 points, as Payton Dean posted ten points with a game-best eight rebounds.

With another conference title under their belt, the Broncos will wait to hear Tuesday about a potential berth in the USCAA National Tournament. Delhi was ranked fourth in the latest USCAA Division I Coaches Poll, with the tournament consisting of eight at-large bids. The USCAA Tournament will be held at Penn State Fayette in Uniontown, Pa. and run from Thursday, Mar. 12 to Saturday, Mar. 14 in a double-elimination format.