Darpino, Tolliver Rally Kean Past Rutgers-Camden in OT, 81-74

UNION, N.J. (2/14/09) - Junior guard Vinnie Darpino (Colonia, N.J.) tied the game with a three-pointer with eight seconds left in regulation and junior guard Eugene Tolliver (East Orange, N.J.) scored seven of his career-high 17 points in overtime to lift the Kean University men's basketball team to a dramatic come-from-behind 81-74 victory over Rutgers-Camden in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon. 

Darpino (pictured right) finished with 16 points for the Cougars (12-12, 5-7 NJAC), while senior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, N.J.) had a game-high 25 points for Rutgers-Camden (6-17, 1-10 NJAC). 

Trailing 68-63 with 30 seconds remaining, the Cougars were forced to foul the Scarlet Raptors and caught a break with a pair of missed free throws.  On the ensuing possession, Kean trimmed the deficit to three points following a lay-up by sophomore forward Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, N.J.) with 17 seconds left. 

Darpino made a steal on the in-bounds pass and connected on a deep three-pointer from the left wing with eight seconds remaining to tie the game and force overtime for the second time in the Cougars' last three games.  Against NJAC-leader Richard Stockton College 10 days ago, Darpino forced overtime with six seconds remaining in regulation with a three-pointer from the right wing.

In overtime, Tolliver (pictured left) knocked down back-to-back three pointers to erase a two-point deficit and give the Cougars the lead for good at 76-72 with 1:40 remaining in overtime.  Down the stretch, the Cougars hit 3-of-5 free throws to seal the victory and snap a three-game losing streak. 

The Scarlet Raptors used an 8-0 run in the first half to build a double-digit lead at 24-13 with 6:39 left in the opening half.  They would extend the lead to as many as 14 points after another 8-0 run, before Darpino scored five points in the final 66 seconds to pull the Cougars to within 37-26 at halftime.

Sophomore forward Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) had 10 points and five rebounds in the first half for the Cougars, while junior guard Richard Jean-Jacques (Elizabeth, N.J.) and junior guard Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, N.J.) each had eight points for the Scarlet Raptors.

The Cougars scored the first seven points of the second half to pull within four points and would eventually cut the deficit to one point at 45-44, before a 10-1 run by Rutgers-Camden pushed the lead back out to double-digits at 55-45 with just under nine minutes remaining in regulation.

Kean would eventually pull within two-points with 2:13 to go in the second half on a lay-up by Oshodi, before freshman guard Joe Bush (New Brunswick, N.J.) had a lay-up and would make 1-of-2 free throws in the final 74 seconds to give the Scarlet Raptors the 68-63 edge with 44 seconds remaining.

Tolliver also finished with four steals and three assists, while Darpino had 16 points and six rebounds.  Also in double figures for the Cougars, Jones (pictured right) nearly had a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, as he hit 5-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the foul line.  Oshodi chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds. 

For the Scarlet Raptors, Bush finished with 13 points and five rebounds, while Thornton had 12 points and Jean-Jacques added 10 points.

The Cougars are still in the hunt for the NJAC playoffs and travel to The College of New Jersey in the regular season finale on Wednesday, February 18, at 8 p.m.