Glassboro, NJ … Rowan University rolled to its fourth straight victory as they defeated The College of New Jersey men's basketball team 76-59 at Esbjornson Gym on Wednesday night.
 
The Profs improved to 7-1 on the season and 4-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, while the Lions dropped to 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the NJAC.
 
The top-scoring team in the conference never trailed in the contest as three players reached double figures in the win. Senior forward Mike Simpson (Sicklerville, NJ/Washington Twp.) led Rowan with 20 points, including 17 in the first half. Junior guard Kris O'Connor (Mount Laurel, NJ/Paul VI) hit 6-of-9 shots to finish with 18 points and classmate Ike Robinson (Trenton, NJ/Conwell-Egan Catholic) added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Junior Bobby Brackett (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) led the Lions with 20 points and eight boards. Senior Skyelar Ettin (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) had a solid performance with 14 points, while Jayson Johnson (Bordentown, NJ/Life Center Academy) added 12 points on the night.
 
Rowan simply seemed to be in command throughout the contest, playing with a lead nearly the entire game. They out-rebounded TCNJ 40-30 with 15 coming of those boards grabbed on the offensive end of the floor.
 
The Profs were able to fire up 40 shots in the first half, in part due to 11 offensive rebounds and 12 TCNJ turnovers. They held the lead through the opening eight minutes of the game until Lions' sophomore Eric Klacik (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) connected on a three-point shot to tie the game at 15. After the teams traded baskets, Rowan scored seven straight points and held the Lions scoreless for the next seven minutes.
 
With 4:11 remaining in the half, Ettin drove the lane from the right side and dropped in a bucket to make it a 26-21 contest. But the Profs took flight from there and finished the half on a 13-3 run, punctuated by a three-pointer and dunk by Simpson.
 
Following the break, Ettin hit a jumper to cut the deficit to 43-32 for TCNJ. But Rowan stormed to a 66-38 advantage, outscoring the Lions 23-6 over just under eight minutes. From there, the Profs coasted to their seventh win in eight match-ups this season.
 
TCNJ junior Nick Brackett (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) knocked down all three shots he took for a season-high six points in 10 quality minutes of play. Freshman Steven Kelly (Newton, NJ/Newton) grabbed three rebounds in seven minutes off the bench.
 
The Lions take an extended break from competition to focus on practice as well as enjoying the holidays. TCNJ returns to the hardwood on New Year's Eve when they battle Penn State-Harrisburg at noon on Wednesday, December 31. Their next home date is Monday, January 5 when they host FDU-Florham at 7 p.m. in Packer Hall.