Union, N.J. (1/14/17) – The Kean University men's basketball team came within inches of their first win of the season but fell a point short against Stockton University on Saturday, 70-69.
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After taking a quick 2-0 lead, the Cougars were forced to play catch up as the Ospreys took the lead back and pushed that advantage out to as much as eight on a jumper from Kashaun Barnes with 14:10 to go in the first half.
The Cougars chipped away and regained the lead on a trey from Keenan Williams Jr. (16-15). After trading baskets, Kean got the lead back on a three pointer again by Williams. The Cougars led by as many as nine on three occasions including the halftime score of 36-27.
Kean shot 60% in the first 20 minutes behind 12 points from Justin Watson. The Cougars also outrebounded Stockton 17-12 as Kevin Grek brought down six of them. For the Ospreys Zavon Johnson led his squad with eight points.
Watson increased Kean's lead to 16 points early in the second half but the Ospreys slowly started to attack the deficit in a wild and crazy second half. Tom Catanoso ended a 13-0 run for Stockton and gave the Ospreys the lead back with 6:27 to go (57-56). The teams then see-sawed in a back and forth affair with Kean taking their final lead of the day at 69-68 with 18 seconds remaining on a bucket from Watson. Marcus Harmon netted the game-winner with a tip-in off a trey miss from Catanoso with just three seconds to go. The Cougars were unable to get a shot off in the waning seconds for the crushing 70-69 defeat.
The Cougars led for over 25 minutes in a game that saw 13 lead changes and four ties.
Watson finished with a team-high 19 points as well as five rebounds and five assists. Grek (pictured left) fell a touch shy of a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds while Williams recorded 13 points.
Johnson led all players with 21 points while Brandon Hamilton registered 11.
Kean returns to action on Monday with their last non-conference game of the year against The College of Staten Island at noon.
