SCRANTON, Pa. – Sophomore guard Kevin Doolan (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) scored 19 of his career-high 24 points in the second half as The University of Scranton men's basketball team knocked off King's, 70-58, in the Cross-County Challenge at Marywood University on Saturday afternoon.

Doolan scored 11 points in a seven minute span that saw the Royals turn a one-point lead into a 48-38 advantage with 7:29 to play. He then had eight points in the final 4:40 as Scranton (4-1) held off the Monarchs (4-2) to improve to 9-0 all-time in the Cross-County Challenge.

Doolan finished the day going 9-for-14 from the field, including 7-for-9 in the second half. He made two of four from 3-point range and added three steals, two assists and a rebound.

Scranton also received 16 points, five rebounds, three blocks and three assists from senior forward Brendan Boken (South Pasadena, Calif./Loyola), and 14 points and a career-high eight rebounds from sophomore guard Ethan Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights).

The Royals led 24-21 after a sloppy first half that saw the teams combine to shoot just 30.2 percent (16-for-53). Danzig had six points on a pair of 3-pointers at the break, but Scranton committed 11 turnovers to help King's stay in the game.

But Scranton found its shooting touch in the locker room, and proved it by hitting on 16 of 25 (64 percent) from the field in the second half. The Royals finished the game at 53.3 percent (24-for-45) from the field, including 7-for-13 (53.8 percent) from 3-point range. They won the rebounding battle, 36-27, as junior forward John Vitkus (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) had a team-high nine boards to go along with six points, two blocks and a steal.

Sophomore forward Drew Schankweiler (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) had a solid game off the bench, contributing six points, five rebounds and two assists, and sophomore guard Chris McCullough (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields) gave the Royals three assists, two rebounds, a steal and a block in 19 minutes off the bench.

Scranton will take on Wilkes on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the final day of action in the Cross-County Challenge at Marywood.

--ROYALS--