Staten Island, N.Y. (1/21/08) - Senior Lamar Wright (Galloway, N.J) poured in a game-high 28 points as the Cougars held on to defeat the College of Staten Island, 81-72, Monday afternoon at the Sports and Recreation Center in Willowbrook. Click here to view this slideshow

Freshman Keith Williams (Jersey City, N.J.) (pictured left) had 16 points and six rebounds as Kean improved to 6-10 overall. Senior Gari Blackett (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led the Dolphins (9-8) as one of four players in double figures in the loss.

Kean opened the game on a 10-3 run as four different Cougars nailed shots in the opening five plus minutes of action. CSI then tied things up at on a three-point play by Blackett with 11:25 remaining in the first half. The Dolphins got their only lead of the game 17 seconds later as Abrahim Eleham (Brooklyn, N.Y.) hit a jumper for a 16-14 advantage. KU regained the lead for good on a jumper by freshman Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) with 8:53 to go in the first half. The Cougars headed into the break with a slim 34-31 lead as sophomore Kyle Yocum (Washingtonville, N.Y.) hit a long trey with time expiring to pull within three.

Jones led the Cougars with nine first half points while Wright added seven points and four rebounds. Blackett had seven points and six rebounds to lead CSI.

The second half proved to be a tough battle as well as KU could only widen the gap to ten points on two occasions, all within the final two minutes of play with 11 combined points from the charity stripe.

Wright finished with 28 points on perfect shooting from the floor (9-9), missing just one free throw on the afternoon (8-9). He also collected a season-high eight rebounds. Jones (pictured right) had nine points while junior Karreshe Dailey (Easton, Pa.) picked up six points off the bench. Ryan Hennessey (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Brian Amenerios (Staten Island, N.Y.) each had 13 points in the loss.

The Cougars return to NJAC action on Wednesday, January 23rd as they head to Richard Stockton College to take on the Ospreys at 8 p.m.