Men's Basketball

Men's Hoops Fall Short in Season Opener in Overtime, 87-80

SELINSGROVE, Pa. (11/16/07) - The Kean University men's basketball team fell short in the season opener at the Pepsi/Weis Markets Tip Off Tournament, falling 87-80 in overtime to host Susquehanna University on Friday evening. 

Freshman Keith Williams (Jersey City, N.J.) and senior Lamar Wright (Galloway, N.J.) combined for 53 points as the Cougars rallied from a 41-32 halftime deficit to force overtime against a squad that returned all five starters from last year's 16-10 Crusader team.

The Cougars took a 28-25 lead on a three-pointer by Williams with 6:15 left in the opening half, however the Crusaders closed the half on a 16-4 run to take the nine-point edge into intermission.  Williams had 14 points in the opening half and Wright added 10 points, while Susquehanna senior Josh Robinson (Mahwah, N.J.) was one of three players with seven points.

Kean quickly erased the halftime deficit scoring the first nine points of the half, including seven straight by Williams to tie the game at 41-41 less than two minutes into the half.  The Cougars extended their lead to as many as six points on a pair of occasions in the second half, the final time with less than three minutes to go, before Susquehanna tied the game on a three-pointer by senior forward Kevin Cuff (Pottsville, N.J.) to tie the game at 75-75 with 1:06 left in regulation to force the extra session.

In overtime, Robinson scored on the Crusaders' first possession and Susquehanna never trailed in the extra session.  After the Crusaders scored the first six points of overtime, Kean pulled back within two points on a layup by Wright with 1:22 left in the game before the Crusaders scored the final five points of the game for the seven-point margin of victory.

Williams finished with 27 points and seven rebounds in his first intercollegiate game, as he hit 11-of-17 shots from the floor, including 5-of-6 from downtown.  Wright had 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting and three three-pointers, while freshman guard Farod Robinson (Jersey City, N.J.) had 10 points and three steals in just 13 minutes of action.

Robinson paced four Crusaders in double-figures, finishing with 20 points and seven assists, as he hit 13-of-14 from the charity stripe.  Cuff added 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor.

Kean faces Penn College in the consolation game tomorrow afternoon, November 17, at 1 p.m.