JANUARY 18, 2006
KING’S MEN FALL TO SCRANTON, 69-64
SCRANTON – Randy
Arnold scored a game-high 21 points and the University of Scranton men's
basketball team made up for a near six minute span without a field goal
late in the game by making frequent visits to the foul line to post a
69-64 victory over King’s College in a Freedom Conference matchup
Wednesday in the John Long Center.
With the win, Scranton improved to 12-4 and 4-1 in conference play.
King’s, meanwhile saw its seven-game win streak come to an end as the
Monarchs slipped to 9-7 and 3-2.
In the first half,
Scranton took a 10-4 lead after Randy Arnold hit a three-pointer with
15:48 remaining. After consecutive baskets by Vince Scalzo cut the lead
to 12-8, Scranton extended the advantage to 16-8 on back-to-back buckets
by Paul Hawk and Paul Biagioli. King’s would counter with a 5-0 spurt
and drew to within 16-13 on a bucket from Bob Nenstiel and a basket and
foul shot from John Soboleski with 9:01 on the clock.
A Thomas Moore three-pointer would bring the Monarchs to within 18-16
but Arnold scored for Scranton to up the lead to 20-16 with 6:16 left.
After a Kofi Dwebeng basket, Bicknell made one of two foul shots,
followed by a basket by Hawk to increase the Scranton lead to 23-18. The
teams would trade buckets down the stretch as Scranton took a 25-22 lead
into the break.
In the second
stanza, would slow extend the lead and took a 50-40 advantage after a
traditional three-point play by Biagioli and a three-point bucket from
Arnold with 9:52 left on a ball that bounced high off the rim and back
into the basket. The Monarchs closed to within 55-47 on a Jamie Cousart
basket with 7:23 left.
But from there Scranton would win the game at the foul line. After
Brendan Fuller’s bucket, which gave the Royals a 57-49 lead with 6:01
left, Scranton went without field goal for the next 5:40. The
Royals, though, were the beneficiaries of numerous fouls called on the
Monarchs which put Scranton into the double-bonus. The Royals went
9-of-12 from the foul line, taking a 66-60 lead with 0:36 remaining when
Kirk hit one of two charity tosses.
After Cousart basket
with 0:29 left, Scranton made its first field goal in nearly six minutes
when Darren Cannon scored with 0:21 left to give the Royals a 68-62
lead.
Cousart led King’s with 19 points six rebounds, and four steals.
Soboleski followed with a double-double, netting 15 points with 10
rebounds. Kofi Dwebeng chipped in with 10 points on the night. King’s
second and third leading scorers Vince Scalzo and Bob Nenstiel were in
foul trouble the entire game with Scalzo netting nine points before
fouling out with just over three minutes left. Nenstiel had six points
after picking up four fouls.
King’s returns to
action Saturday at 3:00 p.m. when the Monarchs host FDU-Florham in
Scandlon Gymnasium.
