The victory not only snapped the Scarlet Raptors’ seven-game losing streak, but it also knocked Kean out of a berth in the upcoming NJAC playoffs. The Cougars, who lost their last four games, closed the season at 13-12 overall and 4-9 in the NJAC South Division, one game behind The College of New Jersey. Kean held the tie-breaker over TCNJ by virtue of a head-to-head sweep in two games.
Rutgers-Camden closes its first season under Head Coach Brian Wischusen with a 6-19 record overall and a 2-11 mark in the NJAC. The six victories doubled the Scarlet Raptors’ total output of the last two years, when they went a combined 3-46.
The win also allowed the Raptors to snap a five-game losing streak against Kean, which owns a 39-20 lead in the all-time series.
Rutgers-Camden scored the first 10 points of the game and 15 of the first 16. The Raptors raced to a 25-7 lead, including 11 points by Francis, before settling with a 49-37 halftime lead. Francis had 16 points at the half, while Kean senior guard Lamar Wright (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) had 17 on his way to a team-high 28-point performance.
The Cougars rallied in the second half with an 18-6 run to tie the game at 55-55, then took their first lead of the night, up to 59-55, on back-to-back layups by senior guard Bryan Miller (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central).
With Kean holding a 65-62 lead, the Raptors’ two seniors, Francis and guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) scored back-to-back field goals, putting Rutgers-Camden up for good, 66-65 with 7:30 remaining.
Francis shot 10-for-18 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from three-point range, on his way to 31 points. He passed his old high of 23 points against TCNJ Jan. 17, 2007. He also added a game-high 12 rebounds as he finished the season with his eighth double-double.
Nicholson scored 16 points as he moved into 10th place on the Raptors’ career scoring list with 1,144 points. He passed James Washington, who had 1,141 from 1995-98, and finished two points shy of Jim Keifer (1,146 from 1986-90). Nicholson also added one steal to close his career with a program-record 163 steals in 97 games, tied for the third-most games in program history with Brian O’Donnell (1986-90).
The Raptors also received 11 points from sophomore forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), while freshmen guards Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) and Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union) each added 10 points. Askew also had a career-high six assists, passing the five he notched at Lincoln University Jan. 8.
In addition to Wright’s 28 points, the Cougars received 12 points from senior guard Brett Wyatt (Elizabeth, NJ/St. Mary’s), while senior forward Bryan Keller (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) added 11. A pair of Cougars, Miller and senior forward Steve Koenigstein (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) each added 10 points. Miller added a game-high seven steals.
Wyatt and Koenigstein each added seven rebounds for Kean, which was out-rebounded, 42-37.
The Scarlet Raptors shot 29-for-55 (52.7 percent) from the floor, including 7-for-10 (70.0) from three-point range. Kean shot 27-for-71 (38.0), including 6-for-23 (26.1) from three-point range.