Comeback Thwarted as Bears Fall to Scarlet Raptors

BROOKLYN, NY – The St. Joseph's College men's basketball team came up short in an exciting 65-57 loss to Rutgers-Camden inside of a frigid Brooklyn Technical High School. Despite the eight point margin and having trailed the final 15 minutes, the Bears gave the Scarlet Raptors all they could handle before ultimately falling to 3-13 (1-0 HVMAC) on the year.

Both teams came out firing early in a first half that saw three ties and four lead changes. The visiting Scarlet Raptors tried to dispose of the Bears early, holding large leads, but St. Joseph's fought back each time to narrow the gap. Rutgers-Camden looked to be in control at the end of the half, but a three-pointer by Jan Rogowski (Woodside, NY/St. John's Prep) and a layup by Donald Coleman (Brooklyn, NY/Nazareth) brought the Bears to within five heading into the break.

The Bears stayed hot as the second half opened up, scoring the first seven points. A Coleman jumper gave St. Joseph's their first lead since the 10:48 mark of the opening frame, 37-35. The lead was short lived however, as the Scarlet Raptors would go up by three a few plays later.

Rutgers-Camden managed to hold the lead, despite failing to score a field goal for the final 5:21, leaving the door open for a final St. Joseph's comeback. Rogowski, who finished with a game-high tying 20 points, connected from deep to cut the lead to two with under a minute to go.

St. Joseph's was forced to foul, and the Scarlet Raptors hit six of their eight free throws down the stretch to ice the game.

The Bears had trouble scoring inside, posting only 12 points in the paint. As a result, St. Joseph's attempted a season high 38 shots from behind the arc.

In addition to his 20 points, Rogowski added nine rebounds. He is averaging 25 points and 11.5 rebounds over his last two games. Coleman finished with a double-double for the second straight game, collecting 11 points and 13 rebounds. Antoine Forehand (New York, NY/Rice) was the only other Bear in double-digits, scoring ten points and now has reached double figures in four of his past five games.

Anthony Solano paced the Scarlet Raptors, scoring 20 and hitting six three pointers. Alex Rislin and Woody Redding each had 12 in the victory.

St. Joseph's is currently mired in a four game home-stand and will play their second consecutive game at Brooklyn Technical High School against HVMAC opponent, the Culinary Institute of America, on Sunday, January 23rd. The game kicks off a five game stretch of conference matches for the Bears. Tip-off is set for 12:00 pm.