Box Score

UNION, NJ – The Rowan University men’s basketball team defeated Kean University, 78-70 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Saturday afternoon.

Rowan improves to 9-11 overall and 3-6 in the conference. Kean has a 15-7 record with a 7-3 NJAC mark. The Profs were led by guard Sean Hughes (sr. Pt. Pleasant, NJ/Pt. Pleasant Boro) with career-highs of 27 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Roger Loatman (jr. Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton) posted 22 points and four steals. Guard Kendall White (so. Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Reg.) followed with 19 points and seven boards. Guard Jason Rosenberg (fr. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) dished nine assists, which tied his season best.

For the Cougars, forward Jonathan Jones (sr. Linden, NJ/Linden) totaled 26 points and 15 rebounds. Guard J.J. Hladik (fr. Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) chipped in with 15 points and guard Michael Burton (fr. Irvington, NJ/South Plainfield) had 12. Guard Anthony Gibson (so. Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Reg.) tallied four assists.

The Profs were ahead, 34-29 at halftime. In the second stanza, guard Robert Lewis (jr. Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) made a layup (19:48) and Burton nailed a three-pointer (19:00) to tie the game at 34. The game was tied seven more times with the last one (68-68) coming at 2:13 after a layup by Jones.

Rowan scored six straight point to take a 74-68 lead with 26 seconds left. Loatman sunk two free throws (2:02), White made a jumper (1:14) while Rosenberg (:37) and Hughes (:26) each had a foul shot. Hladik converted two free throws (:20). Hughes made four consecutive foul shots, two at :19 and two at :09 to end the scoring. He scored 20 points in the second half.

In the first period, Kean jumped out to a 7-0 advantage over the first 5:29. Jones registered five of the seven points. Hughes hit a three-pointer (13:59) and Loatman had a layup (13:39) to cut the deficit to two (7-5). White’s basket at 11:27 tied the game at 10. The score was 17-17 after Hladik’s three-pointer at 8:50. The Profs had a 7-0 surge to go up, 24-17 at the eight minute mark. Loatman recorded four points and White had three. Guard Akeem Johnson’s (jr. Gouldtown, NJ/Bridgeton) jumper with five minutes left extended the lead to nine (28-19).

Jones had two baskets at 4:37 and 3:57 to come within five (28-23). Loatman’s basket at 1:55 made the score, 32-25. Forward Kyle Latorre (fr. Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights) had a layup (1:28) and Jones added a jumper (:54) to cut the deficit to three (32-29). White’s jump shot with 31 seconds left gave Rowan a 34-29 halftime advantage. Jones compiled 15 points in the period. White scored 14 points and Loatman had 11.

Rowan hosts The College of New Jersey in a NJAC game on Monday, February 7 at 8 p.m.