NOVEMBER 19, 2004
BOB ZIADIE
KING'S MEN POST 79-77 WIN OVER STATEN ISLAND IN
SUSQUEHANNA TOURNEY OPENER
SELINSGROVE -- The King's College men's basketball
team overcame an eight-point first-half deficit and assumed control early
in the second half as the Monarchs opened the season with a 79-77 victory
over Staten Island College in the first round of the Pepsi/Weis Markets
Tip-Off Tournament at Susquehanna University Friday in Selinsgrove.
King's trailed by eight points in the early going, and by as many as seven
after a three-pointer by Staten Island's Terry Downing with 2:49 left in
the half. But King's answered with a basket and foul shot from
Marty O'Hora, a bucket by Brian Horgan, and a three-pointer from Jim Welsh
to cut the lead to 42-38 with 0:22 left in the half. King's got a
break when freshman Jamie Cousart was fouled with 0.03 remaining and
drained both shots to bring the Monarchs to within 42-40 at the half.
In the second half, the teams would trade leads several times before
a three-pointer by Mike Jones brought Staten Island to a 61-61 tie, the
sixth tie of the half, with 10:00 remaining.
Thomas Moore would then hit a jumper and Cousart hit back-to-back shots to
ignite a 6-0 Monarch run and give King's a 67-61 advantage with 7:45
remaining. After Staten Island converted one-of-two foul shots, Cousart
again scored to give King's its biggest lead of the game at 69-62 with
7:17 on the clock.
Staten Island would attempt to rally and drew to within 71-70 on a bucket
by Smith. King's would extend the lead to 77-72 with 1:30 remaining on a
pair of foul shots by Horgan and consecutive baskets by Moore and O'Hora.
Staten Island would close to within 78-77 on a three-pointer from Terry
Downing with 0:04 left and would foul Moore with 0:01 left. The Monarch
junior would make one-of-two charity tosses to seal the victory.
O'Hora led King's with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting with five
rebounds. Horgan added 17 points, five rebounds and six
steals. Cousart netted 11 points with six assists while Welsh
finished with 10 points and three assists.
Smith and Mike Stewart netted 18 points apiece for Staten Island.
King's will play the winner of the Susquehanna-Elmira pairing in the
championship game Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
.
