Box Score

GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University men’s basketball team defeated visiting The College of New Jersey, 73-58 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Monday night.

The Profs had three players in double figures. Guard Roger Loatman (jr. Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton) scored a game-high 22 points and pull down six rebounds. Guard Sean Hughes (sr. Pt. Pleasant, NJ/Pt. Pleasant Boro) followed with 20 points. Guard Kendall White (so. Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Reg.) totaled 14 points and seven boards. Forward Tom Paterno (jr. Brick, NJ/Brick Twp.) tied his career best with nine rebounds.

Rowan has a 10-11 record and a 4-6 conference mark. TCNJ drops to 3-19 overall and 0-11 in the NJAC. Lions’ guard Donovan Smalls (so. Union, NJ/Union) collected 17 points. Guard Kyle Rawson (jr. Warren, NJ/Watchung Hills) registered 13 points and three steals. Forward Steve Siracusa (sr. New Providence, NJ/New Providence) contributed with 11 points and four assists. Forward Dan Bucher (jr. New Providence, NJ/New Providence) grabbed seven rebounds.

Rowan was ahead, 31-27 at halftime. In the second period, a jumper by Hughes (19:40) and a layup by White (18:47) extended the lead to eight (35-27). TCNJ trailed, 37-29 at 17:48. The Lions scored the next five points to pull within three (37-34) at 15:57. Bucher and Siracusa each had a basket and Smalls made a free throw. Loatman’s foul shot at 15:06 gave the Profs a six point advantage (40-34). TCNJ cut the deficit to two (40-38) following two free throws by Rawson (14:54) and a basket by forward Peter Kelly (jr. Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton N.) at 13:58.

Siracusa’s jumper at 9:42 tied the game at 46. Loatman (8:52) and Hughes (8:35) each sunk two foul shots to go up by four (50-46). The Lions were down by four (52-48) after a layup by White at 7:53. Siracusa (7:37) and Bucher (5:14) had back-to-back jumpers to tie the score at 52. Rowan went on a 13-3 run for a 10 point lead (65-55) at 1:39. Hughes had seven points, Loatman added four and White had a basket. Loatman’s layup with 27 seconds left pushed the advantage to 15 (71-56). Small had two free throws at the 17 second mark. Guard Husain Shakir’s (sr. Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) layup as time expired ended the scoring. Hughes had 13 points in the period. White and Loatman contributed with 12 and 11 points respectively.

In the first stanza, TCNJ was up by three (13-10) following a layup by Rawson at 14:46. Rowan had a 10-0 surge to go ahead by seven (20-13) at 10:31. Loatman led the way with four points. Smalls’ basket at 8:16 pulled the Lions within three (20-17). Hughes had a jumper at 6:31 to make the score, 26-19. Forward Tim Matchett (sr. Pitman, NJ/Pitman) hit a jump shot at 3:50 to give the Profs an eight point lead (29-21). Bucher (3:35) and Rawson (2:37) each had a layup to trail by four (29-25). Matchett answered with a jumper at 1:12. Smalls’ basket with 32 seconds remaining made the score, 31-27 at the intermission. Loatman scored 11 points in the first half.

Rowan hosts Rutgers-Camden in a NJAC contest on Wednesday, February 9 at 6 p.m.