Box Score

UNION, NJ – The Kean University men’s basketball team edged Rowan University, 50-48 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Wednesday night.

The Cougars improve to 4-18 overall and 3-7 in the conference.  The Profs have a 9-12 record with a 3-7 NJAC mark.  Kean was led by forward Kyle Latorre (so. Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights) with 11 points and five rebounds.  Guard Andrew Kirey (sr. Millville, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) posted 10 points and four boards.  Forward Leigh Keenan (sr. Bethlehem, PA/Northampton) chipped in with eight points and guard Mike Shaughnessy (jr. Linwood, NJ/Mainland Reg.) dished eight assists.

For Rowan, guard Kendall White (jr. Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Reg.) scored a game-high 15 points.  Guards Phil Jackson (so. Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) and Rich McNamara (so. Southampton, NJ/Seneca) contributed with 11 and 10 points respectively.  Guard Jason Rosenberg (so. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) produced six points, seven rebounds and seven assists.  Center Dee Benson (so. Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) grabbed six boards.

The Cougars were ahead 48-44 after a layup by Latorre with 1:46 left in the second half.  White sunk two foul shots at 1:29  and the Profs trailed by two (48-46).  McNamara’s basket with 21 seconds remaining tied the game at 48.  Latorre recorded a layup with nine seconds on the clock to put Kean up, 50-48.  The Profs’ three-point attempt as time expired was no good.  Latorre registered eight points in the second half.

Kean had a 32-24 halftime lead.  Latorre’s layup at 16:27 in the second period made the score, 36-24.  Jackson hit a three-pointer (15:17) and McNamara had a basket (14:20) to cut the deficit to seven (36-29).  Keenan’s layup at 11:15 increased the advantage to eight (43-35).  Rowan came with three (43-40) following a three point play by Jackson (10:27) and a layup by Rosenberg (9:26). 

Jackson’s three-pointer at 16:39 in the first stanza put Rowan on top, 7-3.  Kean scored the next eight points to go ahead, 11-7 at 13:31.  Guard Ryan Duffy (so. Phillipsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg) and Latorre both scored three points and Shaughnessy had two.  Keenan had a basket at 11:14 for a four point lead (16-12).  Jackson followed with a layup (10:47) and White nailed a three-pointer (9:25) to give the Profs a one point advantage (17-16).

Kean answered with baskets by center Xavier Fuller (so. Carteret, NJ/Carteret) and Keenan at 9:07 and 8:32 respectively.  Kirey’s dunk at 8:05 made the score, 22-19.  White sunk a three-pointer at 7:17 to tie the game (22-22).  The Cougars closed out the period with a 10-2 run.  Kirey hit two three-pointers (2:51, :07) and a layup (3:25), while Kennan had a jumper (:59).  Kirey finished the half with 10 points.  White had nine points for Rowan.

Rowan hosts The College of New Jersey in a NJAC game on Saturday, February 4 at 3 p.m.