DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Ryan Jensen came off the bench to score 31 points as The College of New Jersey posted a 73-64, non-conference victory over host Delaware Valley University on Monday.
The Lions improved to 3-1 with the victory while the Aggies fell to 1-5.
Jensen was 11-for-14 from the field, including a 5-for-6 effort from 3-point land. He also added a game-high 12 rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
TCNJ, which never trailed in the contest, led 18-9 before DelVal went on a 9-0 run, including four by Alex Matsinye, to tie the game with 7:04 left in the opening half. However, Jensen hit two from the line and followed with a trey to start a 9-0 run for the Lions and they eventually took a 36-26 lead into the intermission.
TCNJ opened the second half with a 12-2 run for its largest lead of the game at 20. It was still 20 with 12:47 remaining when the Aggies used an 11-4 spurt to cut their deficit to 59-46 with 8:35 on the clock. Damian Washington and Brandon Curry had five and four points respectively to lead the charge.
The Lions bumped their advantage back up to 15 before DelVal made one last run and a Matsinye 3-pointer with 56 seconds to go made it an eight-point game at 69-61. TCNJ's Randy Walko made four straight free throws to seal the game before an Andre Butler trey for DelVal provided the last points in the 73-64 final.
The Lions held a 48-36 advantage on the boards, including 17 on the offensive end which led to 21, second-chance points. In addition to Jensen, Jordan Glover hit double digits with 11 points and he also added nine rebounds. Walko finished with eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
For DelVal, Butler came off the bench to hit a trio of 3-pointers and he finished with 14 points and four assists. Matsinye had 13 points, five boards and four assists while Washington and Joe Russell had 10 points apiece. Washington completed a double-double with 10 rebounds. Brandon Curry, who missed the first five games with an injury, had eight points and four assists in 23 minutes.
DelVal will host Moravian College for a non-conference game on Wednesday, November 29 (8 p.m.).