PURCHASE, N.Y. (11/20/21) – Letrell West posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Kean University men's basketball team captured the A.J. Buchanan Classic Championship with a 61-58 victory over Brooklyn College at Manhattanville College on Saturday evening.

Patrick Strzala totaled 22 points and was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player for the Cougars who improve to 5-0 overall for the first time since 2006-07. Serge Thraysbule finished with 14 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs who fall to 1-5 overall.  

The Cougars trailed for the first 10 minutes of the contest, but Kean battled back to close out the opening stanza with a 19-12 run that included 13 points from West and six from Strzala. The Cougars maintained a 34-28 lead at halftime.

Kean opened the second half by extending their halftime lead to the largest of the game at 45-36 with 11:42 remaining. Brooklyn answered with an 11-3 run to even the contest at 47-47 with 8:02 remaining.

The rest of the game was a back and forth affair with neither side taking more than a two-point lead. Kendall Blount knocked down a key triple and Jared Meyer made a key layup on back-to-back trips down the floor as Kean held a 61-56 lead with 90 seconds to play.

Brooklyn recorded a layup with two seconds remaining, but it was not enough as the Cougars held on for the Championship.

Jailen Jamison totaled seven rebounds, four points and three assists, while Blount finished with eight points and two rebounds.  

West joined Strzala on the All-Tournament Team.

Head Coach David Turco and the Cougars will return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 23^rd, hosting the Red Hawks of Montclair State University in their NJAC opener at 8:00 p.m.