CAMDEN, N.J. (Dec. 13, 2023) – The Rutgers University-Camden men's basketball team rallied from an early 12-0 deficit and went on to defeat Kean University, 71-60, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night.
 
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Scarlet Raptors, lifting their record to 5-6 overall and 2-4 in the NJAC.
 
Kean, which had won four straight games and entered the contest in a four-way share of the NJAC lead, falls to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the conference.
 
The win was the Raptors' first over the Cougars since Feb. 1, 2020, in Union, when Rutgers-Camden won by a 79-75 score. Kean had won its last four games against Rutgers-Camden.
 
Behind four points apiece from fifth-year center Mario Gunn and freshman forward Tyler Spencer, the Cougars raced to a quick 12-0 lead. They held the Raptors scoreless for the opening 5:11 of the game before sophomore forward Cameron Downs drained a three-pointer to break the scoring ice. Kean, however, scored the next five points to open up a 17-3 lead. By halftime, the Cougars still had a healthy lead of 33-24.
 
Rutgers-Camden didn't waste any time slicing that gap to open the second half. The Scarlet Raptors scored the opening nine points of the half, tying the game at 33-33 on a layup by junior guard Eric Benjamin. After Kean regained the lead on a pair of foul shots, Raptor junior forward Jordany Pierre tied the game at 35-35 with a layup.
 
The Cougars followed with a 10-2 run  and eventually led, 53-43, with nine minutes remaining before a six-point Raptor run cut the gap to four points. A 5-2 Scarlet Raptor run, capped by a layup from grad student guard Javon Gordon, sliced the Rutgers-Camden deficit to 55-54, The home team took the lead for good moments later on a big trey from freshman guard/forward Keion Elliott. Kean never regained the lead the rest of the way as Rutgers-Camden increased its advantage up to the final 11-point bulge.
 
Elliott and Downs led the Scarlet Raptors with 13 points apiece, while Benjamin netted 12 and sophomore forward Cherif Kanoute notched a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Kean's Spencer finished with 13 points, while fifth-year guard JD Daniels netted 12 and junior guard Brandon Upshaw added 10.
 
Rutgers-Camden shot 24-for-55 (43.6 percent) from the floor and Ken went 25-for-52 (48.1), but the Cougars also were only 8-for-20 (40.0) from the foul line, while the Raptors were 16-for-21 (76.2).
 
Rutgers-Camden held a 35-33 edge off the boards.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action on Dec. 30 when it plays a 1 p.m. non-conference game at Delaware Valley University.