Men's Hoops Defeats TCNJ,
59-54
UNION, N.J. (1/29/09) - Junior Dean
Hughes (Pemberton Twp., N.J.) scored 14 points, including
six points in the final 23 seconds, to lead the Kean University
men's basketball team to a tight 59-54 victory over The College of
New Jersey in a key New Jersey Athletic Conference South Division
game on Thursday evening. 
After leading throughout much of the contest, the Cougars (11-9,
4-4 NJAC) regained the lead for good on a jumper by junior
Vinnie Darpino (Colonia, N.J.) (pictured right)
with just over three minutes remaining.
For TCNJ (8-10, 4-4 NJAC), junior guard Jay Frank (Brick,
N.J.) scored a game-high 21 points , including 16 in the
second half.
After TCNJ took an early 8-2 lead, the Cougars battled back and
closed the half on a 13-1 run to take a 32-22 lead at halftime,
holding the Lions to just 21.6 percent shooting (8-of-37) in the
opening half.
For the Cougars, junior Brian Lytle (Union,
N.J.) had 10 first-half points, while junior forward
Aaron Syvertsen (Midland Park, N.J.) led the Lions with
eight points and five rebounds.
The Cougars extended the lead to 12 points on their first
possession of the second half, however TCNJ used a 12-1 run to
regain their first lead of the second half at 42-41 with 11:04 to
go in the game on a lay-up by Frank.
Over the next seven minutes, there were three more lead changes
and three ties, before the Cougars took the lead for good on a
jumper by Darpino with 3:02 remaining.
Kean pushed the lead back out to four points at 53-49 and the
Lions pulled back within one point on two occasions in the final
minute, before Hughes knocked down all four of his free throw
attempts in the final 14 seconds of the contest to seal the
five-point victory.
Lytle finished with 12 points and five rebounds, while Darpino
added eight points for the Cougars and Hughes (pictured left)
grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
For TSNJ, sophomore forward Steven Siracusa (New Providence,
N.J.) had 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Cougars return to action on Saturday, January 31, when they
take on NJAC-rival William Paterson University at 3 p.m.
