Men's Hoops Falls to DI Brown, 75-63

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (12/28/09) - Junior forward Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) recorded a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, however the Kean University men's basketball team fell to Division I Brown University, 74-63, in non-conference men's basketball action on Monday evening.

The Bears (5-7) were led by senior Matt Mullery (Millstone, N.J.), who finished with a game-high 17 points and 11 rebounds. 

Brown opened the game with an 18-4 run, as junior Adrian Williams (Atlanta, Ga.) knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the spurt.  The Bears would lead by as many as 17 points on a pair of occasions in the first half, before the Cougars (3-5) closed out the half with a 6-1 run to pull within 39-27 at the break. 

Jones (pictured right) finished with nine points in the first half for the Cougars, while senior guard Vinnie Darpino (Colonia, N.J.) scored seven first-half points.

Kean pulled to within one point at 42-41 on a lay-up by Jones with 15:15 remaining, capping a 14-3 run to open the second half.  After the Bears extended the lead back out to eight points at 57-49 with just under 10 minutes remaining, the Cougars hung around and trailed by just three points, 61-58, with four minutes left in the game. 

However, the Bears answered with back-to-back lay-ups and Brown knocked down 9-of-12 free throws in the final 2:33 to seal the victory.

Darpino added 15 points and three assists for the Cougars, who only committed a season-low 10 turnovers in the game.  

Kean returns to New Jersey, where the Cougars face host Stevens Institute of Technology in a non-conference game on Wednesday, December 30, in the team's final game of 2009.