Men's Hoops Fall at Montclair State, 75-61

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (01/26/08) - The Kean University men's basketball team placed four players in double-figures, however host Montclair State University defeated the Cougars, 75-61, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon.

For Kean (6-12, 1-5 NJAC), rookie Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) was one of four players with 10 points, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the floor while also adding five rebounds and three assists.  The Red Hawks (10-8, 3-3 NJAC) were led by junior forward Carlos Pena (Clifton, N.J.), who finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists. 

MSU built a 45-30 advantage at halftime, as freshman guard James Williams (Englewood, N.J.) had 11 points, three assists and two steals to lead the way.  For Kean, freshman Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, N.J.) scored all 10 of his points in the opening half, hitting 3-of-5 shots from the floor and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe.

In the second half, the Red Hawks extended the lead to 26 points (58-32) on a three-pointer by Williams with 12:32 remaining before the Cougars put together a 27-13 run over the next 10 minutes to cut the deficit 12 points at 71-59.  However, Kean could not get any closer the rest of the way as MSU hit 4-of-6 foul shots down the stretch to seal the victory.

For Kean, senior guard Lamar Wright (Galloway, N.J.) and Oshodi each finished with 10 points and five rebounds, while sophomore guard Levar Tilly (Jersey City, N.J.) had 10 points and four assists off the bench. 

Williams also had 14 points and a game-high six assists for Montclair State, while sophomore guard Ken Dudley (Willingboro, N.J.) had 13 points on the strength of 9-of-12 shooting from the foul line.  Freshman center Jon Georges (West Orange, N.J.) came off the bench to score 10 points in just 18 minutes of action.

Kean returns home after three straight road games to face Rowan University in NJAC action on Wednesday, January 30.  Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.