Men's Hoops Fall Short in Home Opener

UNION, N.J. (11/26/07) - Senior guard Lamar Wright (Galloway, N.J.) scored a game-high 29 points, however the Kean University men's basketball team fell to visiting Moravian College, 77-70, on Monday evening in non-conference action.

Wright hit 12-of-17 shots from the floor and scored 22 points in the second-half, despite being sidelined with four fouls with 15 minutes left in the game.

For Moravian (2-2), senior guard Ryan Miller (Easton, Pa.) led four Greyhounds in double-figures, scoring 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-9 from long range.

The Greyhounds built a double-digit lead midway through the opening half, as senior forward Mark Franzyshen (Somerset, N.J.) hit a pair of free throws for the 19-8 lead with 11:43 left in the first half.  Kean scored five straight points and would eventually cut the deficit to five points (28-23), before trailing by six points at halftime at 31-25. 

In the opening half, senior guard Wright and freshman guard Keith Williams (Jersey City, N.J.) each had seven points for Kean (1-2), while senior forward Eric Whitman (Blairstown, N.J.) led the Greyhounds with 10 points and four rebounds. 

Kean scored the first nine points of the second half, taking a 34-31 lead, as freshman Farod Robinson (Jersey City, N.J.) had five points and Wright added four points in the run.  The Greyhounds answered with a three-pointer by Whitman to tie the game and would score 12 unanswered points to extend the lead back out to nine points on a three-pointer by Miller with 14:50 left in the game. 

During the run, Moravian senior forward Chris Earley (Brielle, N.J.) had a four point play that gave the Greyhounds a six point lead and put Kean's Wright on the bench with more than 15 minute remaining in the contest with his fourth foul.

Kean trimmed the lead back to six points (43-37) on a three-pointer by junior Shavon Hogges (Paterson, N.J.) with 12:53 remaining, before the Greyhounds pushed their lead out to as many as 18 points with 5:17 left. 

Wright scored 16 points in the final 4:34 of the game and the Cougars cut the lead back to six points at 72-66 with 1:33 left on a three-point play by Wright, however the Greyhounds hit 3-of-4 free throws over the next minute to push the lead back to double-digits to seal the victory.

For Kean, freshman forward Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, N.J.) had 11 points and four rebounds, while Williams finished with seven points and five assists. 

In the victory, Miller scored his 21 points on the strength of five three-pointers, while Whitman and senior forward Mark Franzyshen (Somerset, N.J.) each added 15 points.  Earley rounded out the Greyhounds in double-figures with 14 poitns and here assists. 

Kean returns to action on Wednesday, November 28, when they host King's College in non-conference action.  Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.