Box Score
Link to Senior Night Insert
Ewing, NJ –The College of New Jersey men's basketball team hosted Kean University on Wednesday night in Packer Hall in a with a home playoff game on the line. TCNJ would post a 71-54 victory and earn a home NJAC playoff game for rookie head coach Kelly Williams. TCNJ improves to 10-14 overall and 6-7 in the NJAC, while Kean drops to 12-13 overall and 5-8 in the league.
TCNJ earned the No. 2 seed in the South Division and will host No. 3 seeded Rutgers University-Newark from the North Division as they posted a 59-55 win over NJCU to earn the third seed. NJAC playoff action commences on Saturday, February 21 with the league's tournament champion earning an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Division III Tournament.
TCNJ led 31-16 at the break and the Cougars were unable to close the gap. The Lions led by as many as 21 in the second half, but Kean pulled within 10 points, down 45-35 with 10:35 left in the game.
For the Lions, junior Jay Frank (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) would score a game-high 16 points, while adding five rebounds with three assists and two steals. TCNJ would have four players finish in double-digit scoring on the night as his first career double-double as he added 10 rebounds.
Senior Jeff Molinelli (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) added 13 points, while junior Aaron Syvertsen (Midland Park, NJ/Midland Park) added 12 points. Junior Steve Feinberg (Middletown, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) added 10 points, while sophomore Steven Siracusa (New Providence, NJ/New Providence) added 10 rebounds to tie his career-high.
By game's end, Kean's junior guard Dean Hughes (Pemberton Township, NJ/Pemberton Township) finished with a team-high 13 points, while sophomore forward Akinwanda Oshodi (Florence, NJ/Florence) added 10 points. Junior guard Vinnie Darpino (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) added a team-high six rebounds for Kean with seven points.
TCNJ returns to action on February 21 hosting in the first round of the NJAC Playoff in a 1:00 p.m. start, while Kean University travels to William Paterson University, also on Saturday for a 4:00 p.m. playoff tilt.
