HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (December 27, 2011) – The Centenary College men's basketball team (5-5, 2-3 CSAC) topped The College of New Jersey Lions 86-77 in a holiday showdown on Tuesday afternoon.

Following an opening layup by junior Warren Murphy (Ridgefield Park, N.J./Ridgefield Park), the Lions took control of the early portions of the first half, not allowing a Cyclone lead until about 15 minutes into the game.

With the Cyclones down 36-33 and just over four minutes to go in the half, sophomore Andy Charles (West Orange, N.J./Montclair) built up the momentum for the Cyclones with one of his seven blocks on the day, firing up both the crowd and the Cyclone bench.

Following a quick Lion basket, the Cyclones used that momentum as they sparked up a 12-0 run, including yet another Charles block, to give Centenary a 45-38 lead, only their second of the half. Following two free throws by the Lions, the Cyclones entered halftime with a 45-40 lead.

About four minutes into the second half, the Cyclones continued to fire up the crowd as Charles and sophomore Gabe Cheavers (Howell, N.J./Howell) teamed up for two blocks in less than a minute to keep the Cyclone defense going.

Up 60-55 with just over ten minutes to go, the Cyclone defense showed some signs of struggle as they allowed the Lions on a 10-2 run to give TCNJ a three point lead on a Kyle Cancillieri dunk. Coach Mastroianni and the Cyclones would not allow the momentum to fade however as they bounced back with a 15-4 run of their own to take back a 77-69 lead.

The Cyclones would continue to hold on and finish the game with an 86-77 victory over the Lions to bring their record back up to the .500 mark.

Junior Max Hughes (Nazareth, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) finished the game with a team-high 18 points on the day as well as two assists and a rebound while hitting a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. Along with his seven blocks, Charles finished the game with nine points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists in the Cyclones win.

The Cyclones look to continue their winning ways on Thursday when they host the first-annual Comfort Inn Holiday Classic with the first game between Lehman College and Montclair State set to tip-off at 5:30pm. The Cyclones take on St. Joseph's – Brooklyn at 7:30pm as part of the two-day tournament.