ROSEMONT - In a nip-and-tuck game when neither team could gain a solid advantage, the Ravens (3-1, 1-0 CSAC) finally grabbed the lead with 6:12 left in the game and eventually held on tight down the stretch to defeat the visiting Neumann Knights (2-3, 0-1 CSAC) by a final score of 96-92, in what was the opening conference game for both teams.
It was game in which the Knights seemed to have enough answers for most of the game to keep the Ravens away from taking the lead, but not enough of a lead to put the home side away. Consider the first half. The Ravens did not get any lead until 7:32 left in the half, when a three-ball from Kyle Lafferty gave the Ravens a 24-23 lead. The Knights would gain a small advantage and would lead Rosemont 42-39 at the half.
In the half, Neumann shot 70.4% from the field, as they were able to move the ball inside for relatively easy shots. The Ravens shot well, at 50% for the half.
In the second half, it was pretty much the same as both teams battled in an extremely close contest. Two free throws from Marcus Thomas gave Rosemont their first edge of the half, leading 52-51 with 13:42 left after a technical foul was whistled on Neumann's DeShawn Lowman. On Neumann's next possession, James Butler dunked a message-sending basket to put Neumann back in front.
The Knights built on that lead, working to a 59-54 advantage with 11:41 left, but the Ravens had no quit in them this evening. Neumann would ratchet up their lead to five points several times, but Rosemont would not go away, continually working back to within one possession of the lead. A Khai Roberts trey with 6:12 the game knotted the score at 68-68, and Roberts would make good on a three-point play the next time down the court to give the Ravens a 71-68 lead with 5:39 left. The Ravens would not trail for the rest of the game from that point.
Now it was Rosemont's turn to push back Neumann's comeback attempts, but the Ravens kept their slim lead until 3:20 was left in the game when two Knights free throws tied the game at 76-76.Jamier Hughes would put the Ravens back in front by three with a big shot from downtown with 2:41 left. Another Hughes basket would give Rosemont a five-point cushion, 81-76 with 2:22 left.
Up by three, a Clayton Wolfe three-ball gave the Ravens their largest lead at the time, 84-78 with 1:57 left. After a defensive stop, a Kyle Lafferty layup would give Rosemont an eight point lead, 86-78 with 1:37 left, and things started to seem more comfortable for the home side. Still ahead 89-81, Neumann attempted to fashion a comeback by shooting threes and fouling the Ravens. The scheme worked somewhat, as the Knights halved the Rosemont lead to four points, 91-87, with 26 seconds remaining after a DeShawn Lowman three pointer.
Free throws from Jamier Hughes kept Rosemont ahead by six with 24 seconds left, but a Neumann three-point play from Terrell Blackwell would narrow the margin to 93-30 with 17 seconds left. AClayton Wolfe free throw was countered by a Neumann bucket to knock Rosemont's lead down to two points, 94-92 with seven seconds left on the clock, when Wolfe was again fouled with five seconds remaining. This time, Wolfe sank both shots from the charity stripe to make the game a two-possession affair and Neumann didn't have the time to come back from that point.
The Ravens placed five players in double figures led by 20 points from Khai Roberts. The other Ravens in double-digits were Jamier Hughes (19), Marcus Thomas (18), Kyle Lafferty (16), andClayton Wolfe (10). Hughes had seven boards to lead the Ravens.
For the Knights, DeShawn Lowman had a big night, scoring 26 points on 15-for-21 shooting from the field. James Butler (19), Tyaire Hudson (13), and Denzel Yard (10) hit double-digits for Neumann.
The Ravens are scheduled next for a non-conference game against William Paterson University on Saturday, 11/28. The Coaches vs. Cancer game will be played at Cabrini College starting at 2:00pm.