GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University men's basketball team defeated Montclair State University, 71-61 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Saturday.
Both teams are 10-4 overall. The Profs improve to 4-3 in the conference while the Red Hawks have a 5-2 NJAC mark. Montclair State was in first place in the conference prior to the game.
Rowan had four players in double figures. Guard
DaRon Curry (sr. Deptford, NJ/Phelps School (PA)) scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. Guard
Nick DePersia (sr. Cherry Hill, NJ/Haddonfield Mem.) contributed with 12 points while guard
Ryan Legler (so. Stone Harbor, NJ/Wildwood Catholic) and guard/forward
Ramon Wright (sr. Newark, NJ/Irvington) each chipped in with 10. Wright also had eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Guard
Rob DePersia (sr. Cherry Hill, NJ/Haddonfield Mem.) and forward
Austin Kearney (jr. Monroeville, NJ/Gloucester County Christian) added eight points apiece. Center
Diante Bah (jr. Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley Reg.) blocked three shots.
Guard Myles Mitchell-White (so. Trenton, NJ/Lawrence) produced a game-high 23 points. Forward/center Eddie Emedoh (jr. Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Guard/forward Justin Porter (jr. Ewing, NJ/Ewing) and forward/center Jordan Roberson (sr. Union, NJ/Union) pulled down 12 and 10 boards respectively.
Rowan led the entire second half and there was only one tie. Roberson's layup knotted the score at 31 (19:13). The Profs then scored seven straight points for a 38-31 advantage with 16:06 remaining. The Red Hawks pulled within one (40-39) after Emedoh had a basket and a free throw (13:21). Bah's two points at the line made the score 43-39 with 12:09 on the clock.
Porter pulled Montclair State within two (49-47) after two free throws at 8:16. Rowan had an 8-2 run to lead 57-49 with 6:54 remaining. Kearney and
Nick DePersia drilled three-pointers and Wright scored with a layup to go ahead by 14 (65-51) at 4:42. The closest the Red Hawks came was six points (65-59) after Mitchell-Whites' foul shot with 1:51 left. The Profs ended the contest with a 6-2 run.
Rob DePersia totaled three fouls shots while Curry had one and Kearney scored a basket.
The Profs took the lead 23-22 after Wright's layup at 6:15 in the first half. Bah followed with a dunk (5:43) and Legler (5:16) had a foul shot, which made the score 26-22. Mitchell-White hit a jumper at 3:28 and the Red Hawks trailed 28-27. Wright answered with a dunk and
Nick DePersia made a free throw for a four-point advantage (31-27) with 1:59 remaining. Hoffman had two points at the line (0:58) and Rowan was ahead 31-29 at the intermission.
Next week, Rowan hosts Kean University on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m.
