Tournament MVP Robbie Johnson scored 20 points to help lead the Misericordia University men's basketball team to a 75-68 victory over Marywood in the 2010 McCarthy Tire Laurel Line championship game, Saturday in the Anderson Center.

Johnson shot 5-for-7 from the field and added a team-high four assists. Junior Jeff Slanovec had 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while classmate Ethan Eichhorst added 11 points and nine boards. Sophomore Sean Bieski had 15 points and went 7-for-9 from the field.

It was the third straight year that these two squads had met in the Laurel Line final and once again the title was hotly contested until the dying minutes.

The teams wrestled the lead back and forth in the second half, with Chris Undersinger and Matt Greene hitting big three-pointers late to keep the Cougars on top.

Marywood led as late as the final 4:40 of the contest, when Slanovec hit a pair of free throws for the 16th and final lead change of the game.

After missed layups on both ends, Eichhorst posted up for two and then hit a pair from the free throw line to put Misericordia up 62-57. After the Pacers missed four straight freebies, Slanovec hit a jumper to put the Cougars up nine with 1:10 to play.

The Cougars had shot 61.1% in the first half, led by Slanovec going 4-of-5 for 11 points. Down 9-5 early, Johnson pulled the Cougars into the lead with six straight points including a tough bank shot that put Misericordia up 11-9.

Slanovec then took over, swishing two jumpers to put Misericordia ahead by four and later finding nothing but net on two more shots, one from behind the arc, as the Cougars opened up a 12-point gap.

Marywood rallied with a 9-0 run late in the opening period however, keyed by a pair of three-pointers from James Lavan. Misericordia entered the break with a 30-26 lead.

Tyrek Coleman (15 points) and Lavan (14) each shot 50% and led the Pacers in scoring. Senior Lenny Martin filled the box score with eight points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Misericordia (3-0) wins its second straight McCarthy Laurel Line title, and seventh overall. In the consolation game, PSU-Hazleton fell to Baptist Bible by the same 72-56 score they had lost to Marywood by a day earlier.

The Cougars host Scranton on Tuesday at 7 PM.