UNION, N.J. (January 24, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Newark men's basketball team earned a 62-51 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) win at Kean University Wednesday night in Harwood Arena.
 
Rutgers-Newark improves to 7-11 overall and 3-9 in the NJAC, while Kean drops to 5-14 and 3-9 in league play. The Scarlet Raiders will look to make it two-straight conference triumphs when they visit Rutgers University-Camden Saturday night.
 
Trailing 39-36 with 9:23 left, the Scarlet Raiders went on a 9-0 run to change the game. Junior guard Tyler Ofray hit back-to-back three-pointers to put Rutgers-Newark on top, and a sophomore guard Chase Barneys steal led to a Chase Barneys triple to make it 45-39 in favor of the guests.
 
After Kean trimmed the newly gained Newark lead to four (45-41), the Raiders scored eight-straight points to take a 53-41 advantage. Barneys and Ofray each connected from distance again and senior guard Erick Loften-Harris converted for a pair.
 
From that point, Kean could get no closer than nine and the Scarlet Raiders cruised to the much-needed road win.
 
Rutgers-Newark shot 46.3 percent from the field and 9-for-21 from three-point land (42.9 percent). The Scarlet Raiders assisted on 14-of-25 made field goals, grabbing 30 rebounds and committing just 13 turnovers.
 
Ofray had 18 points, four rebounds and two assists, and Thomas posted 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Barneys had 15 points, five rebounds and three helpers as Barneys and Ofray combined to go 9-for-17 from beyond the arc. Loften-Harris had a solid all-around performance as well, notching six points, six assists, four steals and two rebounds.

Sophomore Stephen Strom led Kean with 14 points and two rebounds, and the Cougars shot 41.3 percent from the field, 4-for-15 from distance and 9-for-16 at the line.
 
The Cougars took the upper hand early in the action, opening a 14-5 advantage five minutes in. Ofray nailed a three-pointer to slow the Kean momentum, and Barneys cleaned the offensive glass ahead of a layup to tie the game at 14 with 8:29 left in the first half.
 
The two teams went shot-for-shot, but Barneys closed the opening period scoring with a three-pointer to give the Scarlet Raiders their first lead since 5-3.
 
Thomas gave Rutgers its largest lead to that point at 27-23 early in the second, but the hosts came right back with six-straight scores to regain the edge at 29-27.
 
The two teams would be neck-and-neck for the next few minutes, and a three-pointer from Ofray would swing the see-saw back in the favor of the Scarlet Raiders with 12:09 on the clock (36-35).
 
Tip-off Saturday against Rutgers-Camden is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Notes:
-Rutgers-Newark went 6-for-10 from three in the second half. Ofray hit four and Barneys hit two.
-The nine three-pointers are the second-most for the Scarlet Raiders this year (10 vs Drew).
-The 14 assists are the most for Rutgers-Newark since December 16 when the team combined for 18 vs Drew.