Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-Junior guard Trey Casey (Cincinnati, Ohio, La Salle HS) scored 18 of his career-high 27 points in the second half, including seven during a decisive 21-2 run, as the Christian Brothers University Bucs advanced to the Gulf South Conference finals for the second consecutive year with a 66-58 win over West Florida Saturday night at the Pete Hanna Center.

The Bucs (20-8) used an 8-3 burst to take an 11-6 lead on a Michael Drake (Little Rock, Ark./Catholic HS) layup with 10:33 remaining in the half, but the Argos (13-15) answered with a 13-0 run, taking a 19-11 lead on a Peter Connole trey.  The Argos held the lead into the second half, building it back to a 45-39 edge on an Ellis Young bucket with 9:15 remaining when the Bucs' defense clamped down.

After Young's basket, the Bucs held UWF without a basket from the field until a Connole putback layup with 33 seconds to play.  The Bucs exploded for the decisive 21-2 run during that stretch. A Sidy Sall (Dakar, Senegal/Seeds Academy) putback layup sparked the run. Three straight backdoor layups put CBU back on top for good, and a deep Casey triple extended the lead to 50-45. By the time Drew Hildreth (Memphis, Tenn./Bolton HS) capped the run with back-to-back threes, the Bucs led 60-47 with just 1:22 remaining.

Casey set a career-high with six three-pointers in eight tries, shooting 10-of-18 overall. Drake scored 14 points with six rebounds, and Hildreth added nine points and six rebounds.

Connole led the Argos with 20 points, and Young scored 16 with a game-best 12 rebounds. Terrence Beasley and Jason Laatsch scored 10 each.

The Bucs shot a sizzling 57.7 percent (15-of-26) in the second half to lift their overall percentage to 49 percent (24-of-49). The Bucs were 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from three-point range.  UWF shot 35.1 percent (20-of-57) overall but just 28.6 percent (8-of-28) in the second half.  UWF out-rebounded the Bucs 34-32, including a 14-9 edge in offensive boards, and each team committed six turnovers.

The Bucs advance to the championship game Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. against Valdosta State, who upset No. 6 Alabama-Huntsville 76-68 in the first semifinal Saturday night. The Bucs will also learn their NCAA Tournament fate tomorrow night as the NCAA announces the field for the South Regional at 9:30 p.m. at NCAA.com.