Ramapo Defeats Men's Hoops, 69-63

UNION, N.J. (1/10/09) - For the second straight game, freshman guard Michael Oglesby (Neptune, N.J.) (pictured right) notched a career-high, scoring 16 points, however the Kean University men's basketball team was defeated by Ramapo College, 69-63, in New Jersey Athletic Conference men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore guard Ahmad Hassan (Edgewater, N.J.) led the Roadrunners (9-6, 2-2 NJAC) with 16 points, including 7-of-9 shooting from the charity stripe, while sophomore forward Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, N.J.) finished with 15 points and five rebounds for the Cougars (7-8, 1-3 NJAC).

In the first half, the Roadrunners led by as many as nine points with 6:11 remaining in the half, before Kean scored eight unanswered points to pull within 26-25 with 3:37 left.  Ramapo netted the final six points of the half to extend the lead back out to seven points at 34-27 heading into the lockerroom. 

Freshman forward Davian Plunkett (Paterson, N.J.) led the Roadrunners with eight points on 4-of-4 shooting, while Oshodi had nine points and four rebounds for Kean in the opening half. 

Ramapo extended the lead out to double-figures on its first possession of the second half on a three-pointer by Hassan and the Roadrunners would eventually lead by as many as 14 points (51-37) on a pair of free throws by junior forward Isaiah Lynch (Linden, N.J.) with 11:18 remaining in the game. 

Kean sophomore forward Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) capped a 16-3 run with a pair of free throws to pull the Cougars to within one point at 54-53 with 4:34 remaining, however the Roadrunners answered with eight unanswered points to lead 62-53 with just 1:43 left in the game.

The Cougars pulled to within four points with 70 seconds left on a three-point play by Oglesby, but the Roadrunners connected on 7-of-8 from the foul line in the final 35 seconds to seal the victory.

In the victory, seniors Tim Wesley (Jersey City, N.J.) and Kevin Findlay (Roselle, N.J.) each finished with 13 points, while Findlay also added a game-high nine rebounds.  Also in double-figures for the Roadrunners, junior Andre Kenny (Jersey City, N.J.) had 11 point and Plunkett added 10 points. 

For the Cougars, junior forward Brian Lytle (Union, N.J.) (pictured left) and Jones each scored 10 points, while Lytle had a team-high six rebounds and Jones added three blocks.

The Cougars return to action on Wednesday, January 14, when they take on Rutgers-Camden in NJAC action at 8 p.m.