Box Score

Ewing, NJ – The College of New Jersey men's basketball team opened the new season on Saturday night in Packer Hall hosting Lehman College. The contest marked the debut of 1993 TCNJ alumni, Kelly Williams as the Lions' head men's basketball coach. TCNJ would come away with a 65-59 win over Lehman and is now 1-0, while Lehman drops to 0-1.

TCNJ held a 24-23 edge at the half as junior guard William Jett (Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton Township) led the way with eight points. The Lightning opened the contest on a 7-0 run before the Lions answered right back with an 8-0 run if their own and posted their first lead of the half, 8-7.

Both teams were perfect from the line hitting all four free throw attempts in the first stanza. Jett was 4-4 from the line and 2-2 from the floor in his first 13 minutes of work as a starter. TCNJ held a 21-14 edge on the boards, while Lehman's senior guard Duane Rhoden (Bronx, NY/DeWitt Clinton) had nine first half points for his squad.

The Lions would build a 17 point lead as they led 60-43 with 7:40 left before the Lightning would claw back and pull within three points, down 60-57 with 1:00 left to play after riding a 14-point run.

Senior Eric Blackmon-Hayes (Plainfield, NJ/Westfield) would hit two free throws to give the Lions a 62-57 lead with 34 seconds left to play. Rhoden hit two of his free throws with 27.1 left to play and helped his team to pull back to three points. Blackmon-Hayes returned to the line with 27.1 seconds and missed. After a missed shot by Lehman, Blackmon-Hayes collected a steal and a lay-up before being fouled and converting the three-point play.

Junior forward Aaron Syvertsen (Midland Park, NJ/Midland Park) would finish with 12 points, while Blackmon-Hayes poured in a career-high 13 points with seven rebounds. Junior guard Jay Frank (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) added nine points off the bench for the Lions as they finished the night shooting 50.0% from the floor (25-58) and holding a 41-33 edge on the boards.

Lehman's Rhoden led all scorers with 24 points after hitting 8-of-17 shots from the floor and 7-9 from the line. Sophomore Xavier Garvin (Bronx, NY/Mt. St. Michael) added 11 points before fouling out.

TCNJ returns to action on November 18 when they travel to Brooklyn College for a 5 p.m. con-conference match-up, while Lehman College will host Mt. St. Vincent that same night in a 7:30 p.m. contest.