Senior forward, Steve Ware, poured in another double-double to help the Misericordia University men's basketball team cruise to a 76-48 victory over Manhattanville on Senior Appreciation Day in the Anderson Center.
 
With the win, MU secured the top seed in the Freedom Conference Championships and will host King's College at 7:00 in the Anderson Center on Wednesday night.
 
Ware finished the game with 16 points and 14 rebounds while adding four assists and two steals. Senior guard, Joe Busacca, added 18 points while Griffin Sponaugle finished with eight points and James Hawk had seven points. A total of 11 Cougars scored in the victory.
 
The MU offense proved to be too much for the Valiants to handle from the early part of the game.
 
The Cougars dominated the first 12 minutes, including a 16-0 run to take a 25-7 lead. Sponaugle, Ware, Busacca, Hawk and Jesse Urich all had buckets on the big run.
 
The Valiants tried to claw their way back into the game, but could never gain the momentum as MU took a 36-23 lead into the half.
 
Ware ensured the Cougar dominance would continue in the second half as he opened the half with a rim-shattering dunk. The dunk sparked a 9-0 run and gave the Cougars a 24-point lead with 13 minutes left.
 
Busacca added three straight buckets to give MU its largest lead of the game at 56-29 with 10 minutes left.
 
The Cougars' offense continued to dominate in the final 10 minutes, leading to a 76-48 victory.
 
Prior to the game, MU honored seniors Anthony Sergio, Patrick Widdoss, Ware and Busacca. Sergio drilled two three-point buckets while Widdoss finished with five rebounds and three assists.
 
The Cougars shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and 35-percent from beyond the arc while cashing in on 11 of their 13 free throws. MU also held a 39-36 advantage on the glass.
 
MU finishes its regular season with a record of 19-6, including an 11-3 mark in the Freedom. Manhattanville finishes its season 8-17 and 4-10 in the Freedom.