CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Senior Joe Brown (Glenside, Pa.) registered a double-double with game-high totals of 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the fifth-seeded Arcadia men's basketball team to an 89-71 victory at fourth-seeded DeSales University Wednesday night in the quarterfinal round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III South Championship. Brown is now tied for the program record in rebounds with Orick Smith, who totaled 679 career boards from 1993-97.
 
The Knights, who are making their first-ever ECAC tournament appearance, will face eighth-seeded Bethany College in the semifinals Saturday at 4 p.m. The Bison advanced to the next round with a 53-51 upset victory at top-seeded Penn State Behrend, and will host both the semifinal and championship rounds this weekend at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio.
 
The other semifinal will feature second-seeded Stevenson University against sixth-seeded Hood College Saturday at 7 p.m. Stevenson advanced with a 72-66 win at seventh-seeded McDaniel College, while Hood upset third-seeded Waynesburg University 59-55. The championship game will be contested Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
The lead traded hands several times in the first half before the Knights used an 11-4 run to open a 49-40 lead following a three-ball from junior John Landro in the closing minute of the first half before sophomore Brian Laird dropped in a three of his own for the Bulldogs (17-10) with nine seconds remaining in the period, cutting Arcadia's lead to 49-43 at the break.
 
DeSales was back within three after a bucket from sophomore Kuity Slanger made it 55-52 five minutes into the second half, but that was as close as the Bulldogs would get the Knights the rest of the way. Arcadia immediately went on an 8-0 run that started with a basket by sophomore Alex Cohen and was capped by a free throw from senior Khalil Curtis with 12:31 left in the game.
 
The Knights maintained a double-digit lead for most of the remaining portion of the contest, gradually expanding their lead to as many as 19 after freshman Keith Bacote threw down a dunk with 33 seconds left. Sophomore Tom Feraco sprung Bacote after stealing the ball from freshman Aaron Burton.
 
Senior Travis Saltus netted 14 points with five assists for the Arcadia, while classmate Jose Figueroa added 13 points with four rebounds. Landro finished with 12 points, while senior Torrell Candelaria added 11.
 
Laird led DeSales with 20 points on 7 of 14 shooting from the field, while included a 6 for 10 performance from three. Burton and sophomore Ryan Callahan added 12 points each, while junior Cody Deal was close behind with 11.
 
The Knights shot 58 percent (34-59) from the field and 60 percent (12-20) from three, while the Bulldogs shot 51 percent (27-53) from the floor and 42 percent (8-19) from three.