Tournament MVP Jason Kenny scored 11 of his game-high 25 points from the free throw as the Misericordia University men's basketball team claimed the MAC Freedom title with a hard-fought 78-75 win over DeSales, Saturday afternoon in the Anderson Center.

Kenny made four free throws in the final five seconds to secure the win as the Cougars improved to 20-7 overall to claim their third MAC Freedom crown and NCAA Tournament berth.

Tre Fields added 18 points for the Cougars while Griffin Sponaugle added 16, including four second-half three-pointers.

Tony Harding had a team-high seven rebounds for MU.

Ryan Callahan led three DeSales players in double figures with 18 points.  Joseph Lococo added 16 and Connor Jones had 10.  Callahan led DeSales with six rebounds.

The Cougars took a 41-37 halftime lead after a back-and-forth first half, but DeSales quickly pulled even as MU missed their first six shots of the second half.

Kenny made the second of two free throws to put Misericordia ahead for good, 44-43, with 15:54 to play.

Kenny slashed down the right side of the lane and Sponaugle buried a three-pointer from the right wing for a 49-43 lead.

Tracy Simsick hit a three-pointer for the Bulldogs, but Sponaugle canned back-to-back threes for a 55-46 advantage with 10:35 remaining.

DeSales scored four straight points on two free throws from Luke Connaghan and a layup from Connor Jones to cut MU's lead to 55-51.

Kenny sandwiched a put back and a spinning layup around a DeSales three-pointer to give MU a 59-54 lead with 7:56 to go.

Callahan's layup got DeSales within 60-57, but Kenny answered with a layup and Harding followed with a driving left-handed layup for a 64-57 MU lead.

After a Callahan free throw, Sponaugle came off a screen to bury a three-pointer from the right wing to put MU back up by nine, 67-58, with 4:41 to play.

Back-to-back layups by Callahan and Lococo pulled the Bulldogs to within 74-73 with 18 seconds to go.

Kenny sank two free throws with :05 left and Brandon Bridy made two foul shots for the Bulldogs with :03 remaining.

Kenny made two free throws and appeared to ice the game when he intercepted the Bulldogs' length of the court inbounds pass, but he was called for a travel and the Bulldogs had another chance.

DeSales' desperation shot at the buzzer was off the mark.

Fields had the hot hand as he carried the Cougars with 17 first-half points.

His baseline drive and deep right-wing three-pointer gave MU its first lead, 7-5.

Simsick gave DeSales a 27-23 lead with 8:20 left in the first half, but Fields answered with a step back three-pointer from the right wing.  Kenny drove and found Fields in the right corner for a three-pointer and the Cougars never trailed again.

The Cougars will learn their NCAA Tournament opponent, Monday.