NEWARK, N.J. (1/14/26) – Kareem Irby finished with 24 second half points as the Kean University men's basketball team rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to defeat the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders, 72-68 in overtime on Wednesday evening.  

HOW IT HAPPENED!!!

• The Cougars struggled to shoot the ball in the first half, going 8-for-31 from the field and 0-for-10 from downtown.
• Malachi Jeffers-Viera was the one bright spot for the Cougars, notching 12 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
• After a back and forth opening 10 minutes, Newark closed the first half on a 22-8 run.
• The Cougars rallied in the second half to even the game at 50-50 with 4:46 remaining.  
• Kean put together a 34-16 run behind a combined 30 points from Irby, Jeffers-Viera and Daniel Dextraze.
• The Scarlet Raiders answered with seven straight points which pushed their lead to 57-50 inside a minute left in regulation.
• Irby tallied all eight Cougar points inside the final minute to force overtime.
• Kean opened overtime with eight straight points, including back-to-back triples by Irby and a Jeffers-Viera dunk.
• Newark notched five straight which cut the lead to 66-63 inside 90 seconds.
• The lead would remain at three after a Dextraze jumper and a Will Nido layup with just 30 seconds to play.
• The Scarlet Raiders would pull to within one after an Eli'sha Brown triple with 13 seconds remaining.
• The Cougars would ice the game from the line, going 3-for-4 in the final 12 seconds.

INSIDE THE BOX

• Irby knocked down seven triples and grabbed three rebounds.
• Jeffers-Viera totaled 25 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.
• Dextraze finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
• Christian Garcia notched 14 rebounds and five points.

UP NEXT

• Kean hosts nationally-ranked Montclair State on Saturday.