Montclair, N.J. (1/12/13) – Junior
Kyle Latorre registered a double-double, but a
strong second half surge sent host Montclair State University past
the Kean University men's basketball team by the final of
76-64.
Senior Ken Rubenstein had a game-high 20
points while junior Ordel Goldson added 16 for the Red
Hawks. Latorre (pictured left) finished with 17 points and 11
rebounds for Kean (5-10, 4-5 NJAC).
Trailing by three with seven and a half minutes to go in the first
stanza, Kean used a 12-2 run to take the largest lead of the first
half, 25-18. Rookie Tommy Soulias started
the run with a trey to tie things up at 16-all. The Cougars
headed into the break with the same seven point cushion, 32-25.
MSU then rallied and shot 63 percent in the final 20 minutes to
overcome the deficit. Trailing 49-42 with 10:45 to play, the
Red Hawks went on to score 13 of the next 17 points to take the
lead. Sophomore Chris Torres had the final five points as
MSU went up 55-53 with 6:05 to go. Kean answered back as senior
Anthony Gibson drained a three making it 56-55,
but Rubenstein countered with a three putting Montclair back in
front.
Another three by Gibson nudged Kean back into the lead at 59-58,
but that would be the last lead for the Cougars as Montclair State
reeled off 12 consecutive points to put the game away. Michael
Spence converted a three-point play to spark the run while
Torres added five.
Gibson recorded 13 points while Soulias added 10 in the
loss.
Kean returns home to host Richard Stockton College on Wednesday,
January 16th at 8 p.m.
