HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – Behind a massive performance from
Lucas Dipasupil, the TCNJ men's basketball team fended off a fierce challenge from host Centenary to secure an 89-82 victory in the season opener on Friday night.
Dipasupil poured in a career-high 35 points in the second start of his career, a virtuoso effort that ensured the new-look Lions a winning start to the campaign. The sophomore was a sizzling 14-of-21 from the field and dished out three assists while committing just a single turnover for TCNJ, which will take on Drew – a 78-76 winner over FDU-Florham – in the championship game Saturday at 3 p.m.
The lead changed hands six times in the first 10 minutes, TCNJ going up as much as five on two occasions following 3-pointers from
Daniel Yarus (15-10) and
Jamari Smith (18-13).
The Cyclones nosed ahead, 22-21, just past the midway point of the half, but first-time starters
Nick Seeloch and
Jordan Robinson drilled 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give the Blue & Gold the lead for good. Another triple from Robinson stretched the margin out to eight (37-29), and rookie
Aiden Griffiths kept it there with his second bucket of the frame before the Pride settled on a 41-35 halftime edge.
Consecutive baskets from Dipasupil conferred a double-digit spread for the first time at 57-47 with 14:03 to play, and Dipasupil and Seeloch each connected from long range after Centenary had trimmed the lead down to seven. Another 3-ball, this one off the hand of
Mason Mangione, gave the Lions their largest lead of the night at 67-54 with 10:27 remaining.
The Cyclones pulled to within 75-69 with just under four minutes left, only for Dipasupil to bury a dagger 3 on the other end. He added another for good measure to cap his 35-point explosion with 1:59 left, icing the ball game and restoring a double-digit margin at 81-71.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- TCNJ shot 45.2 percent from the field (28-of-62), including a red-hot 13-of-29 (44.8 percent) from 3-point range
- Centenary was just 40.3 percent overall (29-of-72) and made only 5-of-18 3-point tries
- Both teams had more assists than turnovers, with TCNJ dishing out 14 dimes to 13 turnovers and the Cyclones posting 11 assists to just 10 miscues
- The Lions' 3-point barrage helped offset a 44-30 deficit in the paint
FOR THE FOES
- Kenneth Rankin had a team-high 22 points and seven rebounds
- Noah Hutchinson scored 20 points, Darnelle Forrest added 18 points, and Jasir Lane notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards
STANDOUT LIONS
- Dipasupil finished 4-of-8 from 3-point range and 3-of-4 from the line, ultimately more than tripling his previous career high of 11 points
- Mangione netted a career-high 17 points and made a trio of triples in his first career start
- Jamari Smith (9 points, 8 rebounds) and Griffiths (8P/7R) each narrowly missed a double-double in their TCNJ debuts; Smith opened in the starting five and added a pair of steals and a block to his stat line
- Robinson added eight points and Seeloch had seven, a new career best
NOTES
- TCNJ evened the all-time series at 4-4 with its third straight win over the Cyclones
- The Lions have won four consecutive season openers
- Dipasupil and Mangione each played 37 minutes
UP NEXT
- The Lions take on Drew in the championship game, with tip-off set for Saturday at 3 p.m.
