On Dec. 4, the Rowan men’s basketball team hosted their final home game of 2021. The team finished with a 2-1 home record in 2021, earning victories over Marymount University and Kean University at the Esbjornson Gym.
However, the team has to face four away games before the Christmas break, which will then be followed up by back-to-back games at Juniata College for the Doc Greene Tournament on Dec. 29 and 30.
Rowan kicked off their away trip on Monday, Dec. 6, with a 80-71 win over Cabrini University. Prior to the game, though, Head Coach Joe Crispin knew that he had to have his team well prepared to be successful this December.
“This is a good stretch for us, these next six in a row,” Coach Crispin said. “We’ve got to find our rhythm of play. We have to learn how to win, compete and bring energy.”
While some teams may be intimidated by long road trips, Coach Crispin and his staff believe it is an opportunity to relieve some pressure off of their players’ shoulders.
“Sometimes playing at home is harder for us,” Coach Crispin said. “There is a little more emotion, a little more expectation, and there’s people in the building. On the road, you just play.”
While it did not come easily, the first game of the road trip was a win that helped Rowan improve to 6-1. The win was the second straight game in which the Profs were able to overcome a halftime deficit in order to win.
The team’s scoring was led by guard Marcellus Ross, a sophomore, who dropped a career-high 19 points. Sophomore forward Andrew Seager, who is fresh off a big game against Kean, tied with guard Arian Azemi, a senior, for the second-highest scoring totals on the team with 16 points each.
Rebounding has also helped the Profs be successful this season, as they have not been out-rebounded by their opponents in four straight games. Their ability to grab the ball off the glass helped give them 54 total boards, 11 of which came from Ross in his double-double outing.
As it stands, Rowan is sitting at third in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) standings with a 2-1 NJAC record and 6-1 record overall. Two of their next three games are against NJAC opponents, which will be very significant to the Profs as they head into 2022.
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