Kean Defeats Rutgers-Camden in Men's Hoops, 65-41

UNION, N.J. (02/06/08) - Senior guard Lamar Wright (Galloway, N.J.) led three players in double-figures, scoring a game-high 15 points to lead the Kean University men's basketball team to a 65-41 victory over visiting Rutgers University-Camden in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Wednesday evening.

The Cougars (7-14, 2-7 NJAC) snapped a four-game losing skid, while the Scarlet Raptors (4-17, 1-8 NJAC) were led by freshman guard Brandon Canty (Riverside, N.J.) with nine points.

Kean took control midway through the opening half, using a 15-2 run to erase a one-point deficit and take a 24-12 lead with 3:27 left in the first half.  The Scarlet Raptors cut the deficit back to six points on a pair of occasions before the Cougars took a nine-point lead into halftime with the 29-20 advantage. 

Wright (pictured right) tallied 11 points and three rebounds, hitting 4-of-5 from the floor and three of his free throws to lead the way for the Cougars.  Sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, Pa.) paced Rutgers-Camden with six points and three steals.

After a Scarlet Raptor layup by junior Phil Thompson (Wildwood, N.J.) trimmed the deficit to seven with the first basket of the second half, the Cougars scored 15 unanswered points to build a 22-point advantage (44-22) less than five minutes into the second half. 

The Cougars extended the lead to as many as 26 points on three occasions in the final nine minutes en-route to the 24-point victory.

As a team, the Cougars shot 54.8 percent from the floor (23-of-42), recording 18 assists on the teams 23 field-goals. 

Freshman forward Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) hit 5-of-6 from the floor and finished with 12 points, a game-high six rebounds and three steals.  Rookie Keith Williams (Jersey City, N.J.) added 12 points and two assists, while senior guard William Floyd (Eustis, Fla.) (pictured left) added nine points and two steals in 11 minutes off the bench.

Canty came off the bench to score his nine points and finish with four steals, while freshman Jared Meredith (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) had a team-best four rebounds. 

Kean returns to action on Saturday, February 9, when the Cougars host Rutgers-Newark in a key NJAC cross-over game at 3 p.m..  All fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game in support of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association "Think Pink" initiative.  All ticket sales and proceeds from the sale of "Kean Blue Thinks Pink" t-shirts and bracelets will be donated to the American Cancer Society.