Live stream courtesy of Rowan Athletics

The men’s basketball team faced off against the Rowan University Profs on March 1 at 7:30 p.m. in New Jersey.

The Lions earned a NEWMAC championship title for the first time last week after facing off against Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The Profs earned an 11th New Jersey Athletic Conference title last week.

Lions fall to Rowan 96-79

The Profs held onto their lead to secure a dominant 96-79 win over Emerson.

In the final ten minutes, senior guard Geoff Gray and freshman guard Zach Waterhouse scored a combined 23 points. The Profs also continued to score quickly.

Gray subbed out at the 50-second mark.

Rowan will host Nichols College in the second round of the tournament on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Lions down 81-62 against Rowan with seven minutes left

The Lions slowly walked out of the locker room and onto the court after the first half.

The men’s basketball team now sits 19 points behind Rowan with seven minutes left in the second half of the first round for the NCAA tournament.

Freshman center Jarred Houston’s 12 points lead the Lions, but Profs’ senior guards DaRon Curry, Nick DePersia, and Rob DePersia each scored over 15 points for the Profs.

After hitting 13 shots in the first half, the Profs drastically improved in the second half. The Rowan team nailed 15 shots in the first ten minutes and hit six three-pointers to take over the game. The Lions failed to connect from behind the arc until senior guard Geoff Gray’s three-pointer with 11 minutes remaining.

Two minutes into the half, Houston powered his way into the paint and scored a contested layup with a foul to tie the game at 40. Houston celebrated the move by flexing in the direction of the Rowan crowd.

With 14 minutes remaining, Profs’ senior guard Rob DePersia carved his way through the Lions’ defense for a layup that put the Profs up by eight points and prompted head coach Bill Curley to call a timeout.

Two minutes later, Profs’ junior forward Austin Kearney hit his third three-pointer in the half to increase the Profs’ score by 16 points. Rob DePersia scored a three-point shot for the Profs’ next attempt to extend the lead to 16.

Gray, Houston, and junior guard Jack O’Connor have three fouls each.

Men’s basketball trails Rowan 34-33 at halftime

The Lions lead Rowan University by one point halfway through the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III tournament with a 34.1 shooting percent from the field.

Senior guard Geoff Gray and freshman guards Zach Waterhouse and Trevor McLean each scored seven points for the Lions. Gray also had an impressive 11 rebounds and three steals in the first twenty minutes of the tournament.

The Lions out-rebound the Profs by 30-20 with eight crucial offensive rebounds. Each team struggled to control the ball in the first half. The Lions committed 14 turnovers and the Profs committed nine.

Senior guard DaRon Curry leads the Lions with 14 points, including back to back three-pointers ten minutes into the game. Senior guards Nick DePersia and Rob DePersia have a combined 14 points and five steals.

Gray rolled his ankle on a drive to the basket with six minutes remaining in the first half. Gray recovered and waved off a substitution to remain in the game.

Rowan went scoreless for five minutes until Rob DePersia made a jump shot with two minutes remaining to cut the Lions lead to two. A minute later, Nick DePersia scored a layup that pushed him into the top five all-time for points scored in Rowan’s basketball program history.

Men’s basketball trails Rowan 25-21 with 13 minutes in

The men’s basketball team is trailing Rowan University by four points 13 minutes into the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III tournament.

Senior guard Geoff Gray leads the Lions with five points. Freshmen guards Zach Waterhouse and Trevor McLean also have five points, including both of the team’s three-pointers. Junior guard Jack O’Connor, who scored a career-high 33 points against Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the NEWMAC championship game last week, is off to a slow start shooting 1-4 from the field.

Senior guard DaRon Curry leads the Profs with 12 points after hitting consecutive three-pointers to put his team ahead.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.