Sophomore guards Randy Arnold and Ryan Kirk led the Royals, who lost their second straight game to fall to 14-6 overall and 6-3 in the Freedom Conference, with 18 points apiece and junior guard Darren Cannon came off the bench to contribute 11 points. Sophomore center Tom Bicknell (Melbourne, Australia/St. Bede’s College) had 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists for Scranton, which dropped into second-place in the Freedom Conference one-game behind King’s and Wilkes, which lost at home to Lycoming, with five games remaining in the regular-season.
Jamie Cousart led three players in double-figures with a game-high 23 points for King’s, now 13-7 overall and 7-2 in league play, and Vince Scalzo and Kofi Dwebeng added 18 and 13 points, respectively.
Scranton played without freshman forward Paul Hawk (Audubon, Pa./Methacton), who suffered a knee injury in last Saturday’s 53-51 loss at Drew. Hawk started the last 10 games at forward due to the loss two three starters and a key reserve in late December and early January. The Royals suited up just 10 players against King’s.
Kirk’s 18-point effort was a career-high, eclipsing his previous high of 15 points on three different occasions this season.
The Royals will open a two-game Freedom Conference home stand this Saturday, February 4, against FDU-Florham beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the John J. Long, S.J., Center. Prior to the game, the 1976 University of Scranton men’s basketball team that won the NCAA Division III championship will be honored.