GLASSBORO, NJ - Taz Cantey scored a career-high 31 points, Khalif Meares scored 22 and Brycen Williams tallied a career-high 20 as Rowan defeated #25 Stockton (11-4; 6-2) in a fast-paced NJAC men's basketball contest. Rowan snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 8-7 (5-3 NJAC) with the win.
Cantey shot 11-for-16 fromt he field and made 9-of-12 free throws while Meares connected on 7-of-10 field goals and added six assists and seven stealas. Williams was 4-of-7 from three-point range to achieve his personal best.
Rowan, which never trailed in the game, came out firing and made 13-of-20 from the field to take a 31-17 lead. The Profs broke open an 11-9 game with a 20-10 run over five minutes, which featured six straight points from Brycen Williams. Rowan shot 55.3 percent (21-for-39) from the field in the half and held its biggest lead at halftime, 50-32.
The teams heated up even more in the second half, with both shooting over 60 percent from the field in the first 10 minutes. Rowan was 10-of-16 and Stockton hit 13-for-20 while the Profs held at 78-63 lead at the midway point.
Rowan eventually cooled off from the field and Stockton put together a 12-0 run to close to 86-78 with six minutes to play. Stockton came within 88-80 but Cantey scored four straight to increase Rowan's lead to 92-80.
After Stockton cut it to 92-86 on a three-pointer with four minutes to go, Rowan scored five straight, with four from Cantey, to go up 97-86. Dan Mason connected on a three-pointer from the corner to push the Profs' lead up to 100-89 at 2:22.
Stockton threatened in the final minute, pulling within 102-96 at :51, and although Rowan struggled from the foul line, going just 4-for-12 in the final 50 seconds, the Profs were able to seal the win.
Rowan heads on the road on Saturday to visit Rutgers-Newark at 6 p.m.