Box Score UNION, N.J. – Senior guard
Wyatt Polk (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) scored 23 points and the Rutgers University-Camden men's basketball overcame an early 11-2 deficit and went on to defeat Kean University, 80-67, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.
The Scarlet Raptors improve to 11-9 overall and 5-8 in the NJAC, keeping the Scarlet Raptors in the hunt for one of the six post-season conference playoff spots.
Kean falls to 5-15 overall and 3-10 after getting swept in the two-game season series by Rutgers-Camden for the first time since the 1985-86 season. The Cougars lead the all-time series, 54-22.
After the teams swapped field goals to open the game for the first of five tie scores in the contest, the Cougars ran off nine straight points to take an 11-2 lead. Rutgers-Camden forged back to tie the game at 13-13 and took the lead before the teams settled for a 31-31 draw at the half.
They were tied once more, 44-44, in the second half before the Raptors went ahead on a three-pointer by Polk, sparking a seven-point run that gave Rutgers-Camden the lead for good. The Scarlet Raptors led by as many as 16 points, 69-53 and 78-62, down the stretch.
In addition to Polk, senior guard/forward
Teon Russell (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) notched 15 points for the Scarlet Raptors and completed the 22nd double-double of his career with a game-high 11 rebounds. He also added three blocked shots to tie his career high.
Senior guard/forward
Alex Smart (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) canned 13 points for Rutgers-Camden, while junior guard
Julian Martin (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) had 11 points, five assists and three steals.
Rutgers-Camden shot 28-for-51 (54.9 percent) from the floor, including 8-for-21 (38.1) from three-point range. Polk had half of those treys, going 4-for-9 from long range.
Junior guard
Tommy Soulias (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood) scored a game-high 25 points for the Cougars, including six during Kean's quick 11-2 start. Senior guard
Emmanuel Omowole (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) notched 15 points and game-high totals of seven rebounds and four steals, while senior guard
J.J. Hladik (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) canned 12 points.
The Cougars shot 23-for-51 (45.1) from the floor overall, but were a torrid 12-for-25 (48.0) from three-point range.
Rutgers-Camden won the battle of the boards, 33-23.
The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Wednesday night with a 6 p.m. game at Richard Stockton College.
