The Kean University men's basketball team used an 8-0 run in the final four minutes to turn a four-point deficit into a 62-58 win over host Moravian College Tuesday evening in Johnston Hall behind 27 points and 15 rebounds form senior forward Jonathan Jones.
The game, which was played an hour and a half early due to the weather, featured eight ties and ten lead changes. At the start of the contest, the teams played a scoreless 2:30 before freshman guard Michael Burton opened the scoring with a three-pointer for the Cougars. Senior forward Chris Cullen hit a three-pointer 26 seconds later to tie the score for the Greyhounds.
Senior guard Ryan O'Donnell game Moravian an 8-5 lead with a three-pointer, and the Greyhounds pushed the lead to eight points, 14-6, on a three-pointer from freshman guard Kenny Gula with 10:48 left in the first half. O'Donnell would give Moravian a ten-point lead, 18-8, with a lay-up at 9:10.
Kean would then go on a 12-2 run to tie the contest at 20-20 on a three-pointer from Burton with 4:40 before the intermission, and a jumper by Jones with 13 seconds before halftime would send the squads to the locker room tied at 26.
The teams were nearly identical in the first half with Moravian making ten-of-30 field goal attempts (33.3 percent), five-of-15 three-pointers and one-of-one free throws while Kean was nine-for-31 from the floor (29 percent), three-for-seven behind the three-point line and five-for-six at the foul line in the opening 20 minutes. The Cougars had a 21-20 edge in rebounds, and Kean had ten turnovers while Moravian had 11 turnovers.
Jones opened the scoring in the second half for Kean, but a three-point play by Moravian sophomore center Blake English put the Greyhounds ahead 29-28. Moravian would push its lead to six points, 36-30, on a pair of free throws from Chris Cullen with 15:24 remaining. Kean would go on a 10-2 run to take a 40-38 lead on a three-pointer by freshman guard Andrew Kirey at 10:05.
The squads traded the lead five times over the next five minutes with Moravian taking a 47-46 lead on a three-pointer by freshman forward Cameron Cullen with 7:17 to play. Gula hit a three-pointer 25 seconds later to put the Greyhounds up 50-46, but Moravian would not score for the next 5:42 as Kean ran off eight straight points. Jones tied the game at 50 with a lay-up while Burton put Kean ahead for good, 52-50, with 3:08 to go.
Cameron Cullen pulled Moravian within two points, 54-52, on a pair of free throws at 1:10. Jones finished off a 5-0 Kean run with a dunk with 36 seconds remaining. Chris Cullen hit a pair of three pointers to get Moravian to three points away, 61-58, before a free throw from Burton with four seconds to play sealed the win for Kean.
The Cougars were 14-for-25 from the field (56 percent), one-for-six on three-pointers and seven-for-eight at the foul line in the final 20 minutes, and Kean had a 38-35 edge in rebounds for the contest as both teams committed 23 turnovers. Moravian went ten-for-31 from the floor (32.3 percent), six-for-13 on three-pointers and six-for-six at the foul line in the second half.
Jones had two steals to go with his double-double for Kean while Burton finished with nine points, three steals a two assists. Kirey and sophomore guard Anthony Gibson each had eight points for the Cougars with Kirey adding four steals and two rebounds and Gibson contributing four boards and four assists. Sophomore guard Mike Shaughnessy had five points and five assists for Kean in the game.
Moravian played three players in double figures with sophomore guard Garrett Johnson scoring a team high 16 points to go with five rebounds and three assists. Chris Cullen had his fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and ten boards while Gula tossed in ten points with three rebounds. Cameron Cullen tossed in a career high eight points and grabbed four rebounds for the Greyhounds while O'Donnell had five points. Sophomore guard D.J. Strayhorn had eight assists, five steals and three rebounds, but did not score in the contest. Junior forward Jeff Cullinan had three points, three boards and two steals for Moravian.