EWING, N.J. – Anthony DiCaro treated the home crowd to a spectacular shooting display in Sunday's TCNJ Tip-Off Tournament championship, scorching the nets to the tune of a career-high 34 points as the Lions claimed the crown with a 79-62 victory over Drew inside Packer Hall.

DiCaro carried the day for long stretches for TCNJ (2-1), posting 11 points in the first half and scoring 14 consecutive points during a blistering sequence early in the second stanza that helped the home side put the game away. The junior was named tournament MVP and joined Justin Carbone on the All-Tournament Team.

TCNJ dominated inside and out against a talented Rangers squad that was coming off a hard-fought victory over York (Pa.) on Friday night. Thanks to DiCaro's 7-of-11 explosion, the Lions were a robust 12-of-26 (46.2 percent) from beyond the arc, including a 7-of-13 mark after halftime. TCNJ made a remarkable 61.5 percent of its shots in the second half and wound up at 54.5 percent for the night.

The Lions also piled up a 38-25 edge on the glass, with Jim Clemente snagging seven to edge Danny Bodine and Jason Larranaga (six each) for the team lead.

DiCaro's night got off to a quick start with a pair of long-range heaves in the first four minutes. Jason Larranaga sank a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play in a span of three possessions to stretch an early TCNJ advantage to 18-9 just past the 12-minute mark, and Carbone banked in a triple as the shot-clock buzzer expired to make it 23-13 with 7:39 left in the opening half.

DiCaro buried another NBA-range bomb for a 34-23 advantage before the Rangers (1-2) came back with four straight points to get within seven at the break.

After intermission, it was the DiCaro Show. After Lybrant Robinson scored inside to slice the margin to 36-31, DiCaro embarked on a stirring stretch that left Drew grasping for answers. He splashed a step-back from well beyond the arc, then scored on a beautiful back-door pass from Clemente. The junior went coast to coast for a fast-break layup after clearing a defensive rebound, swished a catch-and-shoot 3 from the left wing off a screen, and put the cherry on top with a four-point play as he knocked down a corner trey off an inbounds pass as the shot clock expired. DiCaro's dizzying offensive spell left the Lions with a 50-35 lead, and they never put it into danger.

Trevor Covey's 3-pointer on a drive and dish from DiCaro made it 57-43 before Jacob Hopping caught fire just shy of the midway point of the second halt, draining a jumper and a no-hesitation 3-pointer from long range on the left side. After Bodine flew in for a tip-in, it was 64-46 TCNJ with 8:52 to play. The lead grew as large as 19 before settling in at a 17-point final spread.

Hopping proved a potent partner for DiCaro, scoring 12 points on 5-of-6 from the field and collecting four rebounds. Bodine and Larranaga notched matching lines of six points and six boards, while Clemente produced seven points, seven rebounds, and six assists in a strong all-around effort.

Carbone, who netted a game-high 17 points in Friday night's win over Saint Elizabeth, finished with seven points and five rebounds.

The Lions are back inside Packer Hall to take on Ursinus next Wednesday night. Tip is set for 8 p.m.