UNION, N.J. (1/9/12) – The Kean University men's basketball team dropped a 66-57 decision to visiting Moravian College in non-conference action on Monday evening.
Sophomore forward Kyle Latorre had a double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds for the Cougars (2-13), while junior guard Garrett Johnson led the Greyhounds (7-7) with 16 points and five rebounds.
The Cougars scored the first nine points of the game, as sophomore guard Michael Burton had a lay-up and three-pointer and junior Anthony Gibson added four points just 4:30 into the game. Kean led 13-4 with 12:34 remaining, when the Greyhounds answered with an 11-2 run to tie the game at 15-15 following a three-point play by Jeff Cullinan. Moravian continued the run with a three-pointer by freshman guard Izel Dickerson for its first lead of the game, before the game went into the half tied 23-23.
Latorre had 10 points and 12 rebounds in the first half, including eight points in the final 2:41 of the half, for the Cougars, while Johnson led Moravian with seven points in the opening half.
Moravian took the lead for good with the first six points of the second half, and extended the lead to 13 points at 38-25, as sophomore guard Kenny Gula capped a 9-0 run with five straight points. A three-pointer by Burton pulled Kean back to within single digits and the Cougars would get as close as seven points at 45-38 following a pair of free throws and a lay-up by Latorre with just over eight minutes left. However, a three-pointer by Johnson extended the lead to 14 points at 54-40 with 5:03 remaining as Moravian maintained the double-digit lead until the final minute en-route to the nine-point victory.
Burton added 16 points and four rebounds before fouling out in the final minute, while Gibson and sophomore Ryan Duffy each added seven points.
In the victory, junior guard Marcus Hardy finished with 10 points, three steals, three assists and three rebounds, while Gula had seven points and a team-high six rebounds.
The Cougars return to New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Wednesday, January 11, when they host The College of New Jersey at 8 p.m.