For the third consecutive season and the sixth time in eleven years, the Bloomfield College Deacons are the champions of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.
 
Behind 17 points from rookie guard Erik Sanders (New York, N.Y.) and 16 points off the bench from fellow freshman Clarence White (Bronx, N.Y.), Bloomfield outscored the Philadelphia University Rams 40-20 over the final 15 minutes of the CACC Tournament Final Saturday night, staging a dramatic second-half comeback to top the Rams 68-64 and capture the program's third-straight conference crown.  The come-from-behind victory punches the program's ticket to the NCAA East Regional Tournament for third consecutive season, and the fifth berth in the brilliant 11-year coaching tenure of head coach Gerald Holmes.
 
The rematch of the 2008-2009 CACC Final saw the Rams deliver the first blow of the night, engineering an 11-0 run midway through the opening half to take a 22-11 lead with just over 11 minutes to play.  The Bloomfield attack sputtered in the first period, with the two-time defending champions shooting just 24% from the field and 1-of-10 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.   Philadelphia rode the streak and Bloomfield's offensive struggles to a double-digit lead at the break, holding the advantage over the Deacons 34-25 heading into the intermission.  
 
But slow starts have been the hallmark of the 2012-2013 Deacons, and the club once again responded with a signature run to capture the dramatic comeback win on the CACC's biggest stage.  Trailing 44-28 with 15:51 to play, the club staged a classic comeback to capture its third consecutive league crown, led by the coming-of-age of the rookie floor general White in the biggest game of his brief Bloomfield career.
 
Trailing 55-42 with 7:21 to play, Sanders connected on four consecutive free-throws to bring the Deacons within nine.  A pair of layups from sophomore guards Matt Hall (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Marvin Williams (Jersey City, N.J.) followed, slashing the lead to a pair of buckets at 58-54 with 3:48 left.  Enter White, who began his epic flurry with four free-throws to tie the score at 58 with 3:20 to play.
 
White connected on his next jumper two minutes later, giving the Deacons a 61-60 lead with 1:52 remaining.  Philadelphia's Peter Alexis gave the Rams the lead on Philadelphia's next possession with a made jumper, but White quickly answered with his second consecutive bucket, slashing into the lane for a layup to put Bloomfield back on top 65-64 with just 1:23 left.  
 
Andre Gibbs countered with another haymaker on the Rams' next possession, draining a jumper to turn the tide back in favor of Philadelphia and give the club a one-point lead with 57 ticks remaining.  But White would provide the final dagger for the Deacons, grabbing a huge offensive rebound off a Williams miss and laying it in with 31 seconds remaining, capping his 14-point second half with the signature play of the Tournament and giving the Deacons the lead for good at 65-64.
 
 
Philadelphia would turn the ball over on their next possession, forcing the Rams to foul and send White to the free-throw line to cap his brilliant performance and ice the dramatic comeback victory.  The rookie connected on one of his two attempts, putting the game out of reach and ensuring a four-point victory to cap his extraordinary night. The brilliant second half earned White CACC Tournament MVP honors, and ensured the Deacons will take part in the NCAA East Regional for the fifth time during Holmes' tenure.
 
“This is truly a special win for our program, and I could not be more proud of our players,” Holmes said following the championship victory that secured the second three-peat in his coaching tenure.  “The way they fought back, the way that Clarence played down the stretch, was absolutely phenomenal.  I have been telling this team all season long that they had the talent to win the conference tournament, but I don't think they ever quite believed me.  Now they know what they are capable of, and I could not be more proud of what they have done here tonight.”
 
Sanders finished the night 4-of-12 from the field for Bloomfield to lead the club with 17 points, while White added five rebounds and two assists in his MVP performance.  Williams notched a double-double for the Deacons with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while junior forward Kevin Udo (West Orange, N.J.) totaled eight points, and game-highs in rebounds (14) and blocks (6).  For Philadelphia, Jim Connolly led the Rams with 19 points, while Derek Johnson added 13 in the loss.