The men's basketball team captured its second straight Atlantic East championship on Saturday afternoon, defeating Gwynedd Mercy, 66-65. 

In a tightly contested battle that featured tons of lead changes, a Griffins layup gave them a 65-63 edge with 2:03 left in regulation. Neither team would find the basket again until Donte Dupriest connected on a layup with seven seconds remaining and was fouled. The senior sank the free throw to put the Knights in the lead for good, 66-65. Gwynedd Mercy could not get a last-second layup to fall, and the Knights celebrated the win.

Bryan Etienne scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Neumann, earning tournament MVP honors. Dupriest finished with 21 points, seven boards, and six assists.

The Knights entered post-season play as the #4 seed in the conference but outplayed #1-seed Marymount, 75-68, and #2-seed Gwynedd Mercy to win the crown. The title propels the team to its fifth NCAA tournament, all under Coach Jim Rullo.

Neumann (19-9) now waits for the NCAA bracket announcement on Monday to see where it heads next.