Behind stingy defensive effort, Mount wins Coaches vs. Cancer title

Mount St. Michael ended the 2011 portion of its season on a high note – with stingy defense and a holiday tournament title.

The Mountaineers toppled Bishop Timon (Buffalo, N.Y.), 55-37, to win the Josh Palmer Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament in Elmira, N.Y. Thursday night.

Ed Correa earned tournament MVP honors after scoring 20 points and shutting down Long Island Lutheran big man Kentan Facey in the semifinals. Following up on his brilliant performance again LuHi, Malik Gil scored 13 points and was an all-tournament selection, Anthony Masestre had nine points and Omari Manhertz finished with six points and 13 rebounds.

As was the case in the win over LuHi, Mount led by just a point at halftime, only to pull away in the third quarter.

“We really came out with a lot of energy in the second half,” Mount coach Tom Fraher said. “We held them to 11 points. It was a good tournament, very well run, and it was nice to win.”

Mount defense was exceptional throughout. In three wins in successive days, the Mountaineers (9-1) held its opponents to an average of 48 points per game. There were different stars each night, from Gil to Maestre to Correa.

“These games will definitely help us prepare and get ready for the league,” Fraher said of Mount, which returns to league play on Tuesday against rival Cardinal Hayes. “Any time you’re on the road and win a tournament when the level of play is good, it helps you. We’re defending well. Manhertz is rebounding the hell out of it. I gotta be pleased. The kids are playing hard.”

zbraziller@nypost.com