Former Linden Standout Jonathan Jones Has Monster Double-Double To Lead Cougars Past Lions, 88-78
UNION, NJ–On Wednesday night, GMC Hoops resumed its college hoops coverage with a trip out to Harwood Arena on the main campus of Kean University to see the Cougars take on The College of New Jersey in a New Jersey Athletic Conference matchup. Kean is looking to get back on the winning track after losing two straight including an 80-77 defeat to Stevens Tech in its home opener on Monday night. Meanwhile, TCNJ, which the site saw earlier in the season against Centenary (lost 76-71), is coming off a 92-70 victory at home over Berkeley College.
Both teams have plenty of representatives from the Greater Middlesex Conference. Previously, we had mentioned about Billy Lester (Middlesex) and Franco Valentino (South Brunswick) of TCNJ. Now, we have Kean, which has several players from the GMC including former South Plainfield standout, Mike Burton, Monroe hoops player, Kenny Pace, and Carteret big man, Xavier Fuller. The Cougars also have Middlesex County roots on its coaching staff with former East Brunswick player, Tom Wagenblast, as assistant coach.
Kean came in with a 2-2 mark overall while TCNJ was 1-4. Both teams were playing their conference openers tonight, and they are each in the South Division of the NJAC. Leading the way for the Cougars is Jonathan Jones, a former standout at Linden High School. Jones was a member of those back to back Group IV state champions at LHS in 2006 and 2007. He entered this contest leading the team in scoring (25.0 points per game), rebounding (15.8 rpg), and steals (2.3 spg). Burton, who Wagenblast felt was doing very well during the summer, has chipped in averaging 11.5 points per game and 1.3 steals per game.
Looking at TCNJ, Donovan Smalls leads the team in scoring with 17 points per game while Steve Siracusa (13.2 ppg) and Albert Matlock (12.8 ppg) have also contributed. Siracusa is actually averaging a double-double per contest with his 11.2 rebounds per game. Smalls also has 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game while Siracusa is also averaging 2.2 assists per contest, and 2.0 steals per game. Three of TCNJ’s losses have been by eight points or less. The only defeat where the Lions weren’t that competitive was to Division I Elon (99-68). Kean’s only game where they were somewhat out of it was to Division I school, Maryland Eastern Shore (86-68).
Entering Wednesday night’s contest, both teams were scoring the exact same amount (73.8 ppg) with TCNJ being outscored more per contest. The Lions were shooting better from the floor (44 percent vs. 41 percent) including beyond the arc (35 percent vs. 28 percent). TCNJ was also shooting better at the line (79 percent vs. 71 percent). Kean had more rebounds per game, assists per game, and blocks per game while TCNJ had fewer turnovers per contest, and more steals per game. Prior to the start of the men’s game, the women’s teams from the two schools went at it with the Lady Cougars of Kean defeating the Lady Lions of TCNJ by a margin of 72-56 to start the conference season at 1-0.
After there were two lead changes and eight ties including the last one at 56-56, Kean went on a decisive 19-5 tear to take a 75-61 lead with under seven minutes to play in the game. TCNJ tried to respond with a 10-4 spurt over the next 3:25 to close within eight at 79-71, but the Lions weren’t able to get any closer as the Cougars won the NJAC South Division opener by the score of 88-78. Jones turned in a huge game for Kean. In 31 minutes of action, the senior center shot 12 of 20 from the floor and 8 of 9 from the line for a game high 32 points. He also pulled down 16 boards for a monster double-double while collecting four steals. Diego Gutierrez chipped in for Kean with 11 points on 4 of 6 shooting from the floor and 3 of 4 from the line.
Meanwhile, for The College of New Jersey, Smalls led the way with a team high 23 points on 7 of 13 shooting including 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, and 6 of 7 from the foul line while Siracusa chipped in with 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting from the floor and 4 of 5 from the line. The New Providence standout also grabbed 9 rebounds and swiped 5 steals. For the game, Kean, which outscored TCNJ in both halves including a 41-33 showing in the second half, shot 34 of 63 or 54 percent from the floor including 4 of 12 from long distance while TCNJ was 28 of 57 from the field for 49 percent including 7 of 20 from three point land. At the foul line, the Cougars were 16 of 25 for 64 percent while the Lions were 15 of 26 for 58 percent. In other statistical departments, Kean won the battle on the boards (38-30) including a 15-11 edge on the offensive glass, had fewer turnovers (18-21), and more assists (15-13) while TCNJ had more steals (10-2), blocks (4-2), and fewer fouls (22-24). See all the stats on this game courtesy of Kean Athletics.
The game started out in a big way for Kean as Mike Shaughnessy (9 assists) of Linwood, NJ fed Jones with an alleyoop pass for a dunk, and a 2-0 lead just 12 seconds into the game. Donovan Smalls, who scored six of the Lions first eight points of the contest answered with a layup at the 18:55 mark for a 2-2 tie. Jones scored again off a pass by Shaughnessy with a reverse layup for a 4-2 lead before Siracusa answered with a bucket for a 4-4 tie. Burton then gave Kean the lead again on a baseline drive for a layup, and a 6-4 score before Smalls answered with a bucket at the 17:47 mark for a 6-6 tie. Burton replied quickly with a jumper from the right side for an 8-6 lead before Smalls got a score to tie it at 8-8, and the Lion’s took their first lead of the game on a score by Siracusa for a 10-8 score.
The Cougars would tie the score at 10-10 with a basket from J.J. Hladik, but TCNJ then took control of the game for a bit with three pointers by Brian Kelly (3 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, and a steal) and Smalls for an 16-10 lead. The back to back threes sparked a 15-6 spurt by the Lions that included two scores and two free throws by Siracusa for a 25-16 lead at the 11:00 mark. Kean tried to get things going with another alleyoop pass by Shaughnessy to Jones for a dunk to close the gap to 25-18 with 10:18 to go in the half. Following a missed front end of a one and one by Smalls, the Cougars pulled within four at 25-21 on a three pointer by Andrew Kirey (6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block) with 10:01 to go as TCNJ called for time. Following the timeout, Kirey forced a steal and passed to Diego Gutierrez for a breakaway dunk to pull within two at 25-23 with 9;47 left in the half.
The Cougars then completed a 9-0 run to tie the game at 25-25 on a basket by Hladik at the 9:10 mark before Smalls netted two free throws at the 9:04 mark for a 27-25 TCNJ lead. Kenny Pace then evened the matchup with a basket at the 8:42 mark before the Cougars forced a steal that eventually led to a foul on Jonathan Jones at the 8:30 mark. Jones missed the first, but netted the second to put the Cougars on top at 28-27. Jones then got an offensive rebound, and put in the follow for a 30-27 lead with 7:55 left as the Lions called for time. Just under a half minute later after Shaughnessy swiped a steal and was fouled, Jones found Gutierrez on a back door cut, and the Miami, Florida native drew a foul that resulted in two free throws with 7:27 to go in the half for a 32-27 Kean lead.
Kean increased its lead to 34-27 on a jumper by J.J. Hladik before TCNJ went on a 9-4 run to pull within two at 38-36. Leigh Keenan (5 points and a rebound) of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania then scored the next four points for the Cougars including a layup and two free throws for a 42-36 advantage. TCNJ answered with a 7-3 run including a three by Peter Kelly and a layup by Siracusa to close the gap to 45-43 as the Cougars called for time at the 2:03 mark. Following the timeout, the Lions tied it on another score by Siracusa before Jones scored with six seconds to go in the first half. TCNJ tried to respond with a bucket, but Burton and Kirey combined to draw an offensive foul from Siracusa, and the score remained 47-45 in favor of Kean going into the halftime intermission.
Neither team had a lead bigger than nine points in the first half. Kean led by seven on a couple of occasions in the first 20 minutes. There were five ties and a lead change in the first four minutes or so of the game. There were two lead changes and seven ties in the entire first half. Jones led Kean with 15 points with no fouls while Smalls had a game high 17 points at the break. Siracusa chipped in with 12 points. Hladik added six points for the Cougars while Pete Kelly had 5 points for the Lions. Burton leads all GMC players with 4 points and 2 fouls while Pace has two points. Billy Lester saw some time for the Lions in the first half, and picked up a foul. The start of the second half had TCNJ getting the first opportunity to score.
The Lions got three offensive rebounds that led to a foul on the follow by Brandon Johnson (9 points, 5 rebounds, and a steal), who made one of two from the line for a 47-46 Kean lead with 19:30 to play in the first half. TCNJ had a chance to go ahead when Johnson got a steal, but TCNJ wasn’t able to cash in on the layup. Siracusa got a steal at the 18:35 mark to give the Lions another chance, but Smalls missed on the scoring attempt inside, and Burton put Kean up by three at 49-46 with 18:11 to play. Smalls answered with a score, and had a chance to give TCNJ the lead again, but turned the ball over at the 17:47 mark. After a score by Kean for a 51-48 lead, Albert Matlock (5 points, an assist, and a steal) swiped a steal, and drove in for a layup to close the gap to 51-50 with 16:55 to go in the game.
Keenan missed a chance to put the Cougars up by three as he missed a layup in transition, and then after being fouled on the follow, made only one of two for a 52-50 lead with 15:30 to go. Gutierrez then scored on a drive for a 54-50 Kean lead before TCNJ called for a 30 second timeout with 14:55 to go. Jones then added a basket down low for a 56-50 lead at the 14:09 mark, but the Lions rallied with six straight points including two free throws by Siracusa, a drive for a layup by Johnson, and a put back by Kyle Rawson (7 points, a rebound, and an assist) to tie the game at 56-56 with 12:04 to go. However, Jones put the Cougars back on top at 59-56 with a traditional three point play at the 11:46 mark. Gutierrez then added a bucket for a 61-56 lead with about 11 minutes to go.
Hladik (8 points and a steal) got his first points of the second half for a 63-56 lead before Pete Kelly drew the Lions within five with a follow at the 9:15 mark. Jones continued to battle on the boards by tipping the ball to himself for a follow, and a 65-58 lead with 9:04 remaining. On the ensuing inbounds, TCNJ was forced to call timeout at the 8:56 mark in order to avoid a turnover. Kirey then forced a steal, and took a pass in transition from Mix (7 points, 2 steals, and a block) for a three pointer from the left side for the biggest lead of the game at 68-58 with 8:30 to go. Rawson then made one of two from the line, and Johnson drew a foul on a three pointer, but missed all three foul shots at the 7:37 mark. Rob Lewis (5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist) of Scotch Plains then took a pass from Kirey for a jumper, and a 70-59 lead with a little over seven minutes to play.
After a bucket by the Lions to draw within nine, Pace netted a three pointer and Jones scored off a feed by Kirey after a quick turnover for a 75-61 advantage with 6:46 to go as TCNJ called for time. Over the next 3:25, the Lions continued to battle with 10 of the next 14 points including a layup off a steal by Siracusa at the 3:26 mark for a 79-71 Kean lead as the Cougars called for time moments later with 3:21 to go. Following the timeout, Lewis got a score as he was fouled by Johnson with 3:16 to play, and made the bonus foul shot for a traditional three point play, and 82-71 Cougar lead. Burton then drew a charge on Rawson at the 2:45 mark. TCNJ got within single digits again at 87-78 with about a minute left, but Kean, which got a couple late scores by Jones to put him over the 30 point barrier, went on to win by a final of 88-78.
The GMC was represented by Burton with 6 points and Pace with 5 points for Kean. The Cougars are now 3-2 overall on the season including a 1-0 mark in conference play while TCNJ dropped to 1-5 overall, and 0-1 in the NJAC. See an article on the game courtesy of Kean Athletics.