UNION, N.J. (Jan. 4, 2023) – The Kean University men's basketball team scored the first 10 points of its New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night and went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 87-60.
 
The victory kept the Cougars undefeated at 13-0 overall and 6-0 in NJAC play, tied for first place with Rowan University. Kean received eight votes this week toward the D3hoops.com Top 25 national poll.
 
Rutgers-Camden fell to 2-11 overall and 0-6 in the NJAC with its seventh straight loss.
 
Kean leads the all-time series, 62-27.
 
Senior forward Letrell West scored six of the Cougars' first 10 points before the Scarlet Raptors started chipping away at their deficit. They fought back to within 23-17 midway through the opening half, cutting the margin to six points on a layup by sophomore guard Kobe Devine. Kean, however, scored the next seven points on its way to a 43-28 halftime lead.
 
West led the Cougars with 13 points at halftime, while senior guard Jailen Jamison and senior center Griffin Barker both had 10. For the Scarlet Raptors, freshman forward Cameron Downs scored 11 first-half points.
 
West finished with 24 points to pace the Cougars, while Jamison scored 17 and Barker netted 16. The Cougars also had two other players in double figures as senior forward Corey Thelisme and junior guard D.J. Alicea both scored 10 points.
 
Barker completed his double-double with 14 rebounds, while adding three assists and three steals. Teammate Heem Burno, a junior guard, had a game-high seven assists.
 
Downs notched a game- and career-high 29 points to pace the Scarlet Raptors, shooting 11-for-16 from the floor, including 3-for-4 from three-point range. He shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line.
 
Devine added six points for Rutgers-Camden and tied sophomore forward Jordany Pierre for team-high honors with five rebounds. Devine also added a team-high three steals, while junior forward Rich Santos had a team-high five assists.
 
Kean shot 33-for-57 overall (57.9 percent), including 8-for-19 (42.1) from three-point range. Rutgers-Camden shot 24-for-61 (39.3) and was only 6-for-31 (19.4) from three-point range. The Cougars also won the battle of the boards, 37-29.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Saturday with a 3 p.m. NJAC game at Ramapo College.