STOCKTON EARNS FIRST VICTORY, 78-74

Salman Yusuff

Boxscore

Richard Stockton (1-2) earned its first victory of the season by topping Elizabethtown (0-3) 78-74 in the consolation game of the White Rose City Classic at York College.

Salman Yusuff (Vineland/Vineland) led the Ospreys with game highs of 19 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. DiAndre Brown (Sicklerville/Camden Co. Tech) tossed in 16 points.

Two additional Ospreys reached double figures. Bill McDonough (Spring Lake/St. Rose) netted 12 points and sophomore Rich Suhr (Toms River/TR East) contributed a career-high 10 points. The victory gave Stockton head coach Gerry Matthews career win number 494.

Stockton scored the first five points of the game and led the entire way but never by more than nine points. The first of two nine-point cushions came on a three-pointer by Suhr with 11:37 left in the first half and the second happened when McDonough hit two free throws with 6:52 on the first-half clock.

Elizabethtown answered with a 10-2 run before Yusuff kept the Ospreys in front with a layup for a 37-34 lead. Brown (10 points) and Yusuff (9 points) sparked Stockton to a 43-37 lead at the break.

In the second half, a three-point play by Suhr followed by two free throws from Yusuff put Stockton ahead 58-50. The Ospreys again led by eight after Yusuff sank three more free throws during a 6-0 run that ended with Stockton in front 67-59 at the 5:46 mark. Elizabethtown closed the gap to one point with 23 seconds to play, but the Ospreys went 4-4 at the line to seal the 78-74 triumph.