Box Score
Doylestown, PA … A pair of late baskets lifted The College of New Jersey men's basketball team to a 70-67 victory at Delaware Valley College on Saturday afternoon.
 
Trailing 65-66 with 1:46 to play, sophomore Matthew Rista (Point Pleasant, NJ/St. Anthony's) took a terrific feed from freshman Kyle Cancillieri (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) and gave the Lions a one-point lead. Senior Kyle Rawson (Wayne, NJ/Watchung Hills) then converted a layup on the ensuing possession as TCNJ (4-3) held on for its fourth victory of the season.
 
Rista led the Lions with 14 points on six-of-ten shooting. Cancillieri posted his third double-double of the week, scoring 13 points and collecting 10 rebounds. Rawson also had a solid all-around game with 10 points, eight rebounds, and two assists.
 
TCNJ held a 39-34 lead at the break, shooting better than 50 percent from the field. Junior Brandon Johnson (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) gave the Lions a shot in the arm six points and a steal in 10 minutes of play.
 
Delaware Valley battled back to tie the game 45-45 with 13:45 remaining. The Aggies would tie the score four times in the second half, but could never gain an advantage until Jay Donovan dropped in a layup with 2:02 remaining in the game.
 
TCNJ maintained its composure and regained the lead when Rista scored and extended the lead to three on the basket by Rawson. Sophomore Jason Chalmers (Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills) also hit a free-throw with 11 seconds remaining. DelVal had one last shot, but an off-balance attempt at a three-pointer clinched the road victory for the Lions.
 
Despite their struggles from long distance (one-for-nine), TCNJ racked up 42 points in the paint and outscored the Aggies 14-2 off fast breaks.
 
Chalmers finished with seven points and sophomore Daniel Balevski (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-South) added six points and a pair of rebounds.
 
With 18 regular season games remaining on the Lions' schedule, they have already matched the number of wins from the 2010-2011 season.
 
TCNJ is back on the court on Saturday, December 17 when they host Immaculata University in Packer Hall at 1 p.m.