Men's Hoops Rolls Past RPI, 72-54

WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. (1/2/09) - Junior Vinnie Darpino (Colonia, N.J.) scored 21 points Friday night as he led the Cougars to a 72-54 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the first game of the Williams College Purple & Gold Invitational.

Kean (6-6) will face host Williams College in the championship game Saturday at 3 p.m. RPI (4-5) plays City College of New York on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Darpino was one of four Cougars in double-figures in the win over RPI. He was joined by Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) and Brian Lytle (Union, N.J.) who had 12 points apiece and Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, N.J.) (pictured right) who had 10. Sam Simmons of RPI led all scorers with 22 points.

In a dominant first half, Kean's man-to-man defense suffocated the Red Hawks for the first 13 minutes, allowing just six points. The Cougars drew a couple of charges, outrebounded RPI 18-12, forced 13 turnovers and held the Red Hawks to just 38 percent shooting from the floor.

Darpino was a force offensively for Kean, connecting on 5 of his 9 shots from the floor, the majority off drives to the hoop against taller defenders. But the 5-9 guard was effective, scoring a team-high 13 points.

The Cougars led 13-6 before putting together a 12-0 run over 4:56 that extended their lead to 19. Oshodi started the run with a beautiful left-handed lay-up off the block that resulted in an old-fashioned three-point play when he hit the ensuing free throw.

Darpino (pictured left) kept things rolling when he finished off an easy lay-up courtesy of a no-look pass from teammate Michael Oglesby (Neptune, N.J.). He then nailed a 14-foot baseline jumper for a 20-6 lead. Eugene Tolliver (East Orange, N.J.) capped the run with a trey off the left elbow for a 25-6 lead with eight minutes left in the half.

Twice in the second half, RPI cut Kean's lead to just seven points. Tim Rupp's three-pointer from the right wing with 15:04 to go in the game made it a 43-33 contest and moments later, a trey by Mike Brion made it 43-36.

But Kean answered with seven straight points to bump its lead back to 14. Lytle had a key putback that he turned into a three-point play, and Darpino capped the mini-run with a 12-foot jumper that made it 50-36.

Kean shot 41.3 percent (26 of 63) from the floor for the game and outrebounded the Red Hawks, 40-29. Kean was 14 of 16 (87.5 percent) from the foul line.