Cougars Hold Off Moravian,
60-58
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (12/13/08) -
Junior Vinnie Darpino (Colonia, N.J.) and
sophomore Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) came off
the bench and scored nearly half of the team's points, as the Kean
University men's basketball team held off Moravian College, 60-58,
in non-conference action on Saturday afternoon.
Darpino scored a game-high 15 points and Jones (pictured left)
added 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting as the Cougars (4-5)
snapped a three-game losing skid. The Greyhounds (3-5) used a
near flawless performance from the charity stripe (23-of-25) as a
team to overcome just 25.0 percent (15-of-60) shooting from the
floor to stay in the game throughout.
The Greyhounds took an early six point lead (10-4) less than six
minutes into the game, before the Cougars went on a 20-4 run to
build a 24-14 lead with 4:32 remaining in the half, as six
different players contributed in the run that was led by Darpino's
five points.
Moravian knocked down four free throws in the final 75 second of
the half to pull within three points at 28-25 at the break.
For the Cougars, Jones finished with six points and Darpino had
five points in the first half, while freshman Sergio Camacho
(Bethlehem, Pa.) and sophomore Maurice Young
(Philadelphia, Pa.) each had six points for Moravian.
In the second half, Moravian regained the lead on a
three-pointer by Camacho with 15:29 remaining in the game and the
Greyhounds extended the lead out to double-digits at 45-24 on an
offensive rebound and put-back by sophomore Alvin Adams
(Newark, N.J.) with 11:16 left in the game.
The Cougars responded with 12 unanswered points to take a 47-45
lead on a three-point play by Darpino (pictured right) with 7:35
remaining. Moravian would only tie the game the rest of the
way, the last time at 58-58 with 2:05 remaining on a pair of free
throws by junior Eric Weaver (Succusunna, N.J.).
Darpino broke the tie with the final basket of the game, a
lay-up with 1:32 left for the 60-58 victory.
The Cougars connected on 45.8 percent of their shots (27-of-59)
but only went to the foul line five times (3-of-5), as the
Greyhounds committed just 12 fouls to the Cougars' 21 fouls.
Senior guard Yasien Beatty (Jersey City, N.J.)
had seven rebounds and five assists to lead the Cougars, while
junior Brian Lytle (Union, N.J.) added eight
points and six rebounds.
Camacho and Weaver each finished with 14 points for the
Greyhounds, as Weaver was 10-of-10 from the foul line and added a
game-high 11 rebounds for the double-double.
The Cougars have a 16-day layoff before traveling to the "Mose"
Hole/Wooster Kiwanis Classic in Wooster, Ohio, on Monday, December
29. The Cougars take on Mount Union College at 5:30 p.m., in
the opening round.
