Jones' 20-20 Not Enough to Lift
Kean Past Moravian, 65-54
UNION, N.J. (1/26/10) - Junior Jonathan
Jones (Linden, N.J.) had 21 points and a career-high 22
rebounds, however the Kean University men's basketball team fell to
Moravian College, 65-54, in non-conference action on Tuesday
evening.
Jones (pictured right), who posted his sixth straight
double-double, had 19 points and 15 rebounds in the second half as
the Cougars (7-12) nearly erased a double-digit deficit.
For Moravian (5-13), senior forward Eric Weaver (Succasunna,
N.J.) led three players in double-digits with 17 points to end
the Greyhounds four-game losing skid.
With the Cougars leading 4-2 early in the game, Moravian used a
12-2 run to build the eight point lead following a three-point play
by freshman center Blake English (Sussex, N.J.) with 11:04
to go in the half. Kean battled back to within five points
multiple times, however the Greyhounds extended the lead to as many
as 11 points on several occasions before taking a 33-24 lead in
halftime.
Kean senior guard Vinnie Darpino (Colonia,
N.J.) led all scorers with 12 points in the opening half,
including a three-pointer to cut the lead back to single digits
late in the half. Weaver and junior Chris Cullen (East
Islip, N.Y.) each had eight points, while Culled grabbed six
boards in the first half.
After the Cougars cut the lead to seven points on a lay-up by
Jones to open the second half, a 9-2 Moravian run built the
Greyhounds their largest lead of the game at 42-28 with 15:15
remaining in the game.
Darpino (pictured left) halted the run with a three-pointer and
a lay-up by Jones midway through the half pulled Kean back to
within six points with just over 10 minutes to go. A
three-pointer by Cullen pushed the lead back out to double-digits
with 7:06 to go, before Jones scored four of the game's next six
points to trim the Greyhound lead to 55-51 with 3:18 remaining.
Jones would again pull to within four points with a lay-up after
a pair of Moravian free throws, however that would be as close the
Kean would get, as the Greyhounds scored the final seven points of
the game on free throws to end the Cougars' two-game winning
streak.
Moravian, whose last field goal was the three-pointer by Cullen
with just over seven minutes left in the game, hit 10-of-12 free
throws in the final 2:25 of the game.
Darpino finished with 17 points for the Cougars. Jones,
who has eclipsed his career-high in rebounds in each of the last
two games, matches the eight highest total for rebounds in an NCAA
Division III game this season with his 22 boards.
In the victory, Cullen chipped in with 15 points, including a
perfect 8-of-8 from the foul line, while freshman guard Nnamdi
Njoku (Westampton, N.J.) had 11 points and three assists.
Kean resumes New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday,
January 30, when the Cougars host New Jersey City University at 3
p.m.
