Box Score

UNION, NJ – Freshman forward David Azoroh went on a one-man 9-2 run to lift Rutgers-Newark to a 62-59 New Jersey Athletic Conference win over Kean in the Harwood Arena.

Azoroh, who netted all 15 of his points in the second half, started the spree with 3:58 remaining with a conventional 3-point play on a layup and a free throw to give the Scarlet Raiders (11-3, NJAC 6-2) a short-lived 56-55 lead.  After a layup by junior forward Kyle Latorre put Cougars (5-9, NJAC 4-4) ahead for the final time, Azoroh worked inside for back-to-back buckets before hitting a pair of free throws with 1:54 left to stake the Raiders to a 62-57 lead.

Senior guard Mike Shaughnessy trimmed the Kean deficit to three with a pair of free throws with 54 ticks remaining, but each team missed a 3-point jumper before Raider sophomore guard John Snow snared a defensive rebound and was fouled with four seconds left.  He missed the free throw and Shaughnessy snared the rebound, but Kean could not get off a final shot.

Sophomore swingman Christian Garcia had a game-high 16 points while adding five assists for the Raiders who pushed their winning streak to a season-high five games.  Rutgers-Newark has now won nine of its last 10 contests.

Sophomore guard Doze Ikwuegbu knocked down four of seven 3-point jumpers on his way to 13 points while senior center Fateen Belfield collected a game-high seven rebounds plus five points in just 17 minutes of play.  Azoroh added five rebounds.

Junior center Xavier Fuller came off the bench to hit seven of nine field goal attempts to pace Kean with 14 points while Latorre finished with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists.  Junior guard Michael Burton hit three of six 3-point jumpers on his way to 11 points.

In a game which featured 17 lead changes and eight ties, it was the Raiders' 14 for 18 performance at the free throw line that spelled the difference.  Senior center Hussein Abdelmaksoud made all four of his free throws while Azoroh cashed in on all three of his attempts in the final minutes.

The Raiders maintained their third-place slot in the NJAC race with the win, just a game behind league co-leaders Ramapo (12-2, NJAC 7-1) and Richard Stockton (11-2, NJAC 7-1).

Rutgers-Newark hosts Rowan in an NJAC doubleheader in The Golden Dome Arena on Saturday.  The women's game tips off at 6 p.m. with the men to follow at 8.