LA PLUME – The Rosemont Ravens Men's Basketball team got back to its winning ways on Saturday as they hung on to defeat the Keystone College Giants 75-73 in La Plume. The win improves the Ravens' record to a game over .500 at 4-3 (2-1 CSAC) and keeps the Giants winless at 0-5 overall and 0-2 in CSAC action.
The scoring started out just 27 seconds in as Keystone took a 2-0 lead. That lead would be the largest lead that the Giants would enjoy on the day as the Ravens would get the next four points to take an early 4-2 lead on baskets by Khai Roberts and Marcus Thomas. The rest of the first half would go back and forth for the most part with neither team taking a sizable lead. The largest lead of the half would come courtesy of a 3-pointer by Charles Presley which put Rosemont up 34-26 with 1:17 to play in the opening 20 minutes. Keystone would pick up the final basket of the half 12 seconds later to go to halftime with the Ravens leading 34-28.
Coming out of the locker room the two teams would trade baskets, then the Ravens would go to work using a 13-4 run over the next four minutes to take a 16 point lead at 47-31. Pacing the run was Roberts who scored six during that span including 2-2 from the foul line. Keystone would not go quietly though, using a run of 9-3 to trim the Rosemont lead to seven with 10:42 to go. With 4:53 to go, a free throw by Marcus Thomas put the Ravens ahead 69-62, however the Giants would not quit as they would go on an 11-4 run capped off by a Deion Monroe layup to tie the game at 73 with 18 ticks left on the clock. With the game appearing to be heading for overtime the Ravens would get bailed out as the Giants' Devin Williams would foul Jamier Hughes with 2.6 seconds left. With the game on the line, Hughes would calmly sink both clutch free throws and a final heave from Keystone missed the mark, making the Ravens victorious, 75-73.
Rosemont was paced offensively on the afternoon by Marcus Thomas who led the team with 24 points, shooting 8-15 from the floor and contributing at the line as well, going 7-10. Also in double figures was Jamier Hughes with 16 while Khai Roberts added an additional 13 for the Ravens.
Keystone was led by four different players in double figures. Deion Monroe led the team with 14 while Tyreek Peeples added 13. ShaShawn Drayton scored 11 and Tyree Jones was the last double figure scorer, chipping in 10 on the afternoon.
The Ravens will be back in action on Wednesday continuing CSAC play with a trip to Clarks Summit and a match-up with the Summit University Defenders at 7pm.