On Wednesday, Dec. 1, Rowan men’s basketball dropped their first game of the season to the Stockton University Ospreys by a final score of 98-69.

While Rowan entered the game with a strong 4-0 record to start the season, Stockton got the better of them in an affair that was never really close from the beginning.

Stockton was the first team to put points on the board, which gave them a lead that was not relinquished at any point throughout the game. This gave Stockton their 23rd all-time victory over Rowan. 

For the Profs, this loss came at the expense of a night where the team was more off than on. Throughout the first four games, they shot 44% from the field. In the loss, however, the team only made 29% of their total shooting attempts. 

The shooting woes came from all over the floor, but the Profs were especially off from beyond the arc. The team only shot 20% from three, which is by far a season-low.

Rowan also had issues converting at the free-throw line, as they only made 73% of their attempts. 

For Head Coach Joe Crispin and his staff, this loss is going to be used as a learning experience for the team to get better.

“I want our guys to understand how to flow and how to adjust,” Coach Crispin said. “We have to learn how to see what is there and when to score.”

Despite the loss, Rowan was still able to get some positive production out of their bench players. A total of 42 of the team’s 69 points came from the bench, which accounted for 61% of their offensive production. The team’s leading scorer, junior Stretch Hawkins, accounted for ten of those points off the bench. 

The Profs will have another opportunity to play in front of their home crowd this Saturday, as they host Kean University for their first matchup of the year. Rowan will also have another crack at the Ospreys later on in the season, as they will travel to Stockton on Jan. 6.

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