Union, N.J. (1/17/11) – Senior Jonathan Jones scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Kean University men's basketball team in non-conference action past visiting the College of Staten Island, 95-85, Monday afternoon at Harwood Arena.
In their highest single-game point total of the season, the Cougars (12-5) used all 17 players in today's action. The Dolphins (10-4) were led by junior Thomas Tibbs with 27 points, including five treys.
After trading the lead in the first seven minutes of action, Kean used a 17-6 run over the next eight minutes to build a 12 point advantage, 35-23 with just over five minutes remaining. Seven different Cougars scored in the spurt. The Dolphins quickly responded and went on a 15-2 run and took the lead on a three-pointer from Dale Taranto with 1:26 to go in the half to put the score at 39-38. Sophomore Diego Gutierrez tied things (41-41) up just before the break as both teams headed into the lockerroom.
Tibbs led all players with 19 first-half points using four treys while Jones added 15 points for the Cougars.
After see-sawing in the first ten minutes of the second half, Kean slowly started to chip away and regained the lead for good off a layup by Jones with 6:41 remaining. The Cougars would lead by as many as 12 very late in the game as CSI was forced to foul in the final minute of action. Sophomore Mike Shaughnessy gave Kean that 12 point advantage with two points from the charity stripe with 13 seconds to go.
Jones added 10 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season. Freshman Michael Burton recorded 15 points and Gutierrez tallied a career-high 14.
For the Dolphins, junior Jordan Young had 20 points and six assists while Taranto finished with 12 points and five assists.
Kean returns to NJAC action on Wednesday when they host Rutgers-Camden at 8 p.m. CSI travels to City College of New York for CUNY action at 7 p.m.