SCRANTON, Pa. – If New Year's Eve truly is for reminiscing on the year that's ending, sophomore forward Brendan Boken (South Pasadena, Calif./Loyola) made sure 2013 ended in a memorable way for The University of Scranton men's basketball team.
Boken scored a career-high 37 points while pulling down 14 rebounds and blocking six shots to lead the Royals to a 94-77 victory over Keystone College on Tuesday evening in the Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser at the Lackawanna College Student Union.
Boken's 37 points were the most by a Royal this season and ties him for 14th for most points in a single game in Scranton history. It was the most points scored by a Royal since Jason Fisher scored 37 against King's on Feb. 13, 1999. The school record is 58 points, set by Ed Kazakavich on Jan. 18, 1958, at King's.
Sophomore guard Ross Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights/Blair Academy, N.J.) added 25 points and senior guard Tommy Morgan (Greenlawn, N.Y./Chaminade) and junior guard Justin Klingman (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) had 13 each for Scranton (8-2), which won its third straight.
But it was Boken who dominated, finishing 15-for-17 from the field, with almost every bucket coming within a few feet of the basket thanks to his significant height advantage. The 6-foot-6 forward made 10 of 11 first-half shots en route to 23 points as the Royals led at the half, 48-38.
Morgan added 11 first-half points as the Royals sizzled from the field, making 22 of 33 shots (66.7 percent), including 21 of 28 (75 percent) inside the 3-point arc.
Scranton pushed the lead to 18 early in the second half on an 8-2 run, fueled by six straight points by junior forward Jason Pierce (Scranton, Pa./Conestoga/Lackawanna College).
Keystone (5-3) used a trio of 3-pointers to cut the lead to 10 at 71-61 with just less than 11 minutes to play, but Scranton put the game away by responding with a 9-2 run that included six points from Danzig.
Scranton's 94 points were one short of their season high of 95, set in a season-opening 95-79 win over Immaculata in the opening round of the Radisson Invitational on Nov. 15, in the Long Center.
The Royals finished the game shooting 60.7 percent (37-for-61) from the field, and went 18-for-24 (75 percent) from the free throw line, including 7-for-9 by Boken.
Scranton also won the battle of the boards, 43-31, as Danzig added eight rebounds and Morgan had seven. Danzig also had three blocks and joined Boken, Morgan, Klingman and freshman guard Sean Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J./St. Peter's Preparatory) with three assists each.
The Royals overcame 18 turnovers by outscoring the Giants in the paint, 64-32. They also had 21 second-chance points off of 13 offensive rebounds.
Keystone received a team-high 32 points from junior forward Duncan Lunsford (Marietta, Ga./Sprayberry). The Giants shot 39.4 percent (26-for-66) from the field, including 6-for-24 (25 percent) from 3-point range, while committing 13 turnovers.
The game was part of a tripleheader that featured a pair of high school games in the afternoon. All proceeds from the event were donated to help cancer patients.
The Royals are back in action on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 3 and 4, in the Cross-County Challenge in the Long Center. Scranton hosts King's on Friday at 7 p.m. in a game that follows Marywood against Wilkes at 5 p.m. On Saturday, King's faces Marywood at 2 p.m., followed by Scranton against Wilkes at 4.
--ROYALS--