GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After taking down Siena Heights on Thursday in the WHAC Quarterfinals, the Davenport men's basketball team battled crosstown rival Aquinas for the right to go to the WHAC Championship. Nick Gamble had 14 points and six assists for the Panthers, as Davenport advanced to their fourth consecutive WHAC Championship game with a 72-63 win over Aquinas. Davenport will welcome crosstown rival Cornerstone to the DU Student Center on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. for the WHAC Finals.
 
Dominez Burnett led all scorers in the game with 22 points, and led the Panthers with eight rebounds in the game, while Gamble chipped in with 14 points and six assists. Bishop Robinson rounded out the Panther players in double figures with ten points along with four rebounds.
 
After Aquinas took a 6-4 lead, Davenport went on a 10-2 run to take a 14-8 lead with 13:07 left in the first half. After the Panthers regained the lead, they never looked back as they kept the lead for the rest of the game. Davenport went on a 10-0 run a span of 3:03 to take their largest of the game as they took a 33-16 lead with 2:23 left in the first half. However, the Saints scored the last five points of the first half to cut the Davenport lead to 33-21 heading into halftime.
 
In the second half, the Panthers were able to stretch their lead back to 17 points on three different occasions in the first 6:54 of the second half. Davenport tried to pull away in the last ten minutes of regulation, but Aquinas kept the game in reach throughout the remainder of the game as they cut the lead to nine points twice in the final minute of the game, but they could not get any closer as Davenport went on to win the game, 72-63.
 
The Panthers are now 27-5 on the season as the move onto their fourth straight WHAC Championship game. Davenport will host Cornerstone in the WHAC Finals on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the DU Student Center.
 
Post-Game Notes
Davenport shot 53.1 percent from the field, which is the second time in the last four games the Panthers shot over 50 percent from the field… This is the first time in the last six games that the Panthers were outrebounded as Aquinas grabbed 34 rebounds opposed to just 32 from Davenport… For the second straight season, Davenport and Cornerstone will face off in the WHAC Championship game, except this season Davenport will have home court advantage.
 
Men's Basketball Contact: David Gerhart | 616-554-5045 | dgerhart@davenport.edu
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