CAMDEN, NJ (Feb. 12, 2022) – The home-and-home series between the Rutgers University-Camden and Kean University men's basketball teams produced a pair of tight, thrilling games this season. Much like the first meeting, however, the second matchup here Saturday produced another tough loss for the Scarlet Raptors.
 
Kean rallied from an 11-point deficit with eight minutes left in the game and went on to edge Rutgers-Camden, 78-75, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game. Earlier in the season, the Cougars nipped the Scarlet Raptors, 65-63, in Union on a layup with one second remaining.
 
The victory lifts Kean to 14-8 overall and 9-8 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden falls to 1-19 overall and 1-16 in conference play heading into its final regular-season game Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Ramapo College. The Scarlet Raptors will play a first-round NJAC playoff game Saturday, February 19, with a site and opponent to be determined.
 
Kean leads the all-time series, 61-27.
 
Rutgers-Camden held a slim 30-28 halftime lead and the teams took turns swapping leads early in the second half. Sophomore forward Tristan Cornish put the Raptors ahead, 48-46, with a layup with 10:36 remaining in the game and, after seeing the lead cut to one point at 53-52, Rutgers-Camden went on a 10-point run. That spurt put the Scarlet Raptors ahead, 63-52, with 8:02 remaining in the game.
 
Rutgers-Camden still led by eight points, 65-57, in slightly over six minutes remaining, when senior guard Jailen Jamison put the Cougars on his back. Jamison scored four straight points and his steal set up a layup by senior guard Alkeim Raines Jr., cutting the gap to 65-63.
 
After a layup by freshman forward Brandyn Stafford made it a 67-63 Raptor lead, Kean went on a 6-1 run, taking a 69-68 lead on a jumper by junior guard/forward Letrell West with 2:50 remaining.
 
The teams swapped leads once again and were tied at 73-73 before a layup by West gave the Cougars the lead for good, 75-73, with 54 seconds left. After a foul shot by junior guard JD Daniels made it a three-point game, the Raptors cut it to one point on a pair of free throws by freshman guard Andrew Walker with 18 seconds remaining. West sank two foul shots with 11 seconds left for the final margin and the Scarlet Raptors missed their last attempt at a game-tying three-pointer.
 
Jamison, who was named the NJAC Player of the Week on Monday, finished with 27 points, six rebounds, four assists and six steals. He shot 11-for-15 from the foul line. West notched 23 points and Daniels added 16 for Kean, which shot 27-for-56 from the floor (48.2 percent). The Cougars also finished 21-for-34 (61.8) from the foul line after a woeful 3-for-11 (27.3) performance in the first half.
 
Sophomore forward Jordan Carter led the Scarlet Raptors with 17 points, while Cornish netted 16 and Walker added 15. Cornish added a game-high seven rebounds.
 
Junior guard Jaymes Savage collected 11 points and a game-high nine assists for the Scarlet Raptors.
 
Kean held a 35-29 edge off the boards, with Jamison, West and Daniels netting six rebounds apiece.