Rowan men’s basketball wins fifth straight after losing first game

Consistency has been key for the Rowan University men’s basketball team early in the 2016 season.

The team has scored at least 90 points in four of their five games. The only time they didn’t top that threshold, they scored 89. They have also won four games in a row, bringing them to 4-1 overall.

After beginning the season with a 113-96 loss on the road to Neumann University, the Profs continued their streak of road games.

They set out to Chester, Pennsylvania to partake in the Widener Tip-Off for Autism Awareness tournament.

The brown and gold picked up their first win of the season against Farmingdale State College. Rowan’s starters combined for 66 of the team’s 89 total points. Senior forward Shawn Wilson would explode for a game-high 30 points in 28 minutes, going 11-15 from the field. Sophomore guard Nick DePersia tallied 17 points, while dishing out eight assists. 

The second game of the tournament matched the Profs up against Widener University. The game against the Pride served as the championship game, in which Rowan was victorious 91-87. Wilson was dominant yet again, as he cashed-in his second straight 30-point game in the win.

The brown and gold tallied their third straight win with a thrilling 101-100 win against Stockton University on Nov. 22, giving them their first win in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Freshman guard Jeff Haddock would come off the bench and hit seven of 10 shots from beyond the arc. Wilson would come up big in the late stages of the game, hitting a free throw with 38 seconds left to give Rowan a 99-98 lead. With 16 seconds left, Wilson would hit two more, solidifying the Profs’ win.

For their fourth straight win, it was DePersia (26), Wilson (23), and Gary Carthan (15) combining for Rowan’s 64 of their 99 points in a 99-94 win against Rosemont College.

With this streak, comes hype of Rowan’s hot start and overall record. However, for first-year head coach Joe Crispin, the record doesn’t matter.

“One of the things I talk to the guys about is that I really don’t care about our record at all. I don’t even pay attention to other teams’ records,” Crispin said. “The only reason we know our record is because people talk about it and ask how the season’s going. But our goal is to be a team in February and March that can beat anybody. And, if we have to lose a couple games to be that team, I have no problem with that at all.”

On Wednesday, Rowan looked to extend their winning streak and end their road-trip on a high note against Rutgers-Camden.

Prior to the game, Crispin reflected on the first matchup between the teams last year, a 71-70 Rowan loss.

“It was a horrific game overall for us last year. But now we have to ask ourselves if we have the discipline to go there and play our best basketball and play with the intensity we’ve had all season so far,” Crispin said. “If we can get in the habit of doing that, the wins will take care of themselves.”

The first meeting between the teams this year was another close one, but the brown and gold emerged victorious, 78-75.

Haddock led the Profs with 20 points on 6-9 shooting. He was 3-6 from behind the arc.

Rowan’s next opponent is William Paterson, who comes to Glassboro this Saturday. It is the first home game for the Profs this year.

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