Stockton 85, Rowan 72

Omar Smith

Boxscore
Richard Stockton (14-4) opened up a 20-point lead in the first half and went on to defeat its rival Rowan (3-3) 85-72. Balanced scoring and excellent shooting once again were the keys for the Ospreys. Omar Smith (Newark/Central) tallied a game-high 23 points while Pat Kelly (Cape May CH/Wildwood Catholic) hit five of Stockton’s 10 three-pointers and finished with 17 points. Kai Massaquoi (Lawnside/Haddon Hts.) displayed his versatility with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Kelly nailed two three-pointers at the start of a 19-7 run that turned a six-point Stockton lead into a 38-20 advantage. DiAndre Brown (Sicklerville/Camden Co. Tech), who finished with 10 points, scored on a layup to put Stockton ahead 47-27 with 2:16 on the first-half clock, but Rowan responded with the last seven points of the period and trimmed the Ospreys’ lead to 47-34 at the break. Kelly went 4-5 from beyond the arc for 12 points and Stockton shot 50 percent from the floor (18-36) in the half.

Rowan pulled within five points with 12:25 to play before Smith ended the threat with a jumper and two free throws on Stockton’s next two possessions for a 60-51 lead. The Ospreys later clinched the game with a 10-3 run that began with another trey by Kelly and ended with a Massaquoi free throw for a 70-57 advantage with 6:37 on the clock. Stockton led by double figures for the rest of the game and moved into first place in the NJAC South division with the 85-72 victory.