Walton-Moss Leads Battle-Tested Cabrini Into D3 'Sweet 16'
By Matt Leon
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The run continues for the Cabrini Cavaliers. They have advanced into the 'Sweet 16' of the Division III NCAA Tournament for a third straight season.
After beating Ohio Wesleyan last weekend 84-81, the Cavaliers are headed back to Ohio to battle the College of Wooster on Saturday night. This will be their third straight road game in the tournament.
The 24-5 Cavaliers are being led by one of the best all-around players in the country in sophomore guard Aaron Walton-Moss. A 6'1", Camden High product, Walton-Moss averages 14.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, while shooting 52% from the field. He had a signature game in last weekend's second round win, playing all forty minutes while scoring 23 points, pulling down 13 rebounds and dishing out nine assists.
"He's tough to guard," Cabrini head coach Marcus Kahn tells KYW Newsradio. "They try big men, they've tried guards on him. I'm sure Wooster will throw both at him this weekend, they'll double and triple-team him like every other team has. He finds a way to get it done. He's leaving the time-out on Saturday night (against Ohio Wesleyan), towards the end, and said, 'I'm not letting us lose.' And he didn't. He's that type of player that can give us that."
Marcus Kahn Interview
Walton-Moss says he relishes big spots like the second-half against Ohio Wesleyan, when he scored 16 of his points, pulled down eight of his rebounds and dished out five of his assists.
"I felt as though with me, with the ball in my hands, the way that I was getting everyone involved, I thought a lot of good things would go," Walton-Moss tells KYW Newsradio. "That's what I tried to tell my teammates to get me the ball, and I'll make sure I get everybody set up . . and we'll be alright."
Walton-Moss was a key piece of the Cabrini team that went to the National Championship game a season ago, and he is enjoying this ride.
"Of course it's very exciting," Walton-Moss tells KYW Newsradio. "But we're trying to do bigger and better. Got to keep practicing hard. 'Sweet 16' is a beautiful spot, the top 16 teams in the country, but we've got higher hopes than that. We went somewhere last year, where the school had never been, and we're trying to get them back there."
Aaron Walton-Moss Interview
While Walton-Moss is making his name on the basketball court, his coach says he is much more than just a standout athlete.
"What makes me more proud is the person that he is," Kahn says. "I think he's not getting a fair shake with that, I don't think people have gotten to know him. People just look at him and say he's just a basketball player that goes there and that's all he is. You've got to spend five minutes with that guy to understand that he is a great human being and he is doing a great job bettering himself, getting an education, doing what you want a student athlete to do."
Cabrini and Wooster will tip-off at 7:00pm on Saturday night.
You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.
