Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Mike Spadafora (Richboro, PA/Archbishop Wood) scored a game-high 17 points and Julius Redd (Gaithersburg, MD/Magruder) posted a double-double in his first collegiate start to lead Gettysburg over Moravian 64-58 in the first round of the Gettysburg Tip-Off Tournament on Friday.
With the win, the Bullets (1-0) will face RPI in the tournament's championship game on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Red Hawks defeated Neumann 61-52 in Friday's first semifinal.
Despite a slow start and a 4-for-22 performance from 3-point range, Gettysburg came up with enough big possessions down the stretch to reach the tournament final for the seventh consecutive season.
Redd scored 12 points and added 12 rebounds, both career highs. Todd Brady (Hancock, NH/ConVal) also reached double digits with 11 points and pulled down eight rebounds, including five of his team's 21 offensive boards.
Ryan Miller paced the Greyhounds (0-1) with 13 points while Ed Reid chipped in with 12 off the bench.
After falling behind 30-25 at halftime, the Bullets opened the second half with a burst and stayed ahead the rest of the way.
Redd started the comeback with a layup on his team's first possession of the half, then assisted on a Spadafora jumper to cut the deficit to one. Following empty possessions at both ends, Spadafora drilled a 3-pointer to put Gettysburg ahead for good at 32-30.
Brady scored on a third-chance put-back and Spadafora converted a steal-and-layup combination to cap the 11-0 burst.
Five quick points from Reid pulled Moravian within 38-35, but the Bullets stretched their advantage to 44-37 on Redd's put-back dunk with 10:01 remaining.
The Greyhounds got within two points on four occasions down the stretch, but Gettysburg had the answer each time.
Reid's 3-pointer made it 49-47, but Spadafora answered with an old-fashioned 3-point play to restore the Bullets' five-point edge. Miller responded with a trey, but Brady converted two free throws and Matt Whelan (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield/Worcester Acad. [MA]) hit a layup after his own steal for a 56-50 lead with 2:00 left.
Miller's jumper with 47 ticks left helped Moravian hang around at 58-56, but Spadafora and Redd each went 1-of-2 from the foul line to widen the gap. Spadafora then rebounded a missed three on the Greyhounds' next trip and Whelan went 4-for-4 from the line in the final 11 seconds to ice the win.
After falling behind 17-15 with eight minutes left in the first half, Moravian put together a 12-1 run to build a 27-18 lead, its largest of the night. Gettysburg rattled off seven straight points before Miller closed the half with a 3-pointer in the final 32 seconds.
Redd went 4-of-7 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, and also made his only 3-point attempt. Sateja added eight rebounds, helping the Bullets enjoy a 44-33 edge on the glass.
Michael Clemente chipped in with eight points and a team-best six rebounds in the Greyhounds' first meeting with Gettysburg since the 1999-2000 season.
The Bullets are seeking their eighth championship in the 15-year history of the Gettysburg Tip-Off Tournament.
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