Box Score

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Kean University junior Vinnie Darpino lscored 21 points on Friday night to lead the Cougars to a 72-54 victory over Rensselaer in the first game of the Williams College Purple & Gold Invitational.

Kean (6-6) faces the winner of the Williams-CCNY matchup in the championship game on Saturday at 3pm. RPI (4-5) plays the loser in the consolation game on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Darpino was one of four Cougars in double-figures in the win. He was joined by Jonathan Jones (12), Bryan Lytle (12) and Akinwande Oshodi (10). Sam Simmons (Newburgh, NY/Newburgh Free Academy) of RPI led all scorers with 22 points.

Kean's man-to-man defense suffocated the Red Hakws for the first 13 minutes of the game, allowing just six points. The Cougars drew a couple of charges, out-rebounded RPI 18-12, forced 13 turnovers and held the Red Hawks to just 38% shooting from the floor.

Darpino connected on 5 of his 9 shots from the floor, the majority off drives to the hoop against taller defenders. But the 5-9 guard was effective, scoring a team-high 13 points.

The Cougars led 13-6 before putting together a 12-0 run over 4:56 that extended their lead to 19 points. Oshodi started the run with a left-handed lay-up off the block that resulted in an old-fashioned three-point play when he hit the ensuing free throw.

Darpino kept things rolling when he finished off an easy lay-up courtesy of a no-look pass from teammate Michael Oglesby. He then nailed a 14-foot baseline jumper for a 20-6 lead. Eugene Tolliver capped the run with a trey off the left elbow for a 25-6 lead with eight minutes left in the half.

Twice in the second half, RPI cut Kean's lead to seven points. Tim Rupp's (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) three-pointer from the right wing with 15:04 to go in the game made it a 43-33 contest and moments later, a three by Mike Brion (Nashua, NH/Bishop Guertin) made it 43-36.

But Kean answered with seven straight points to bump its lead back to 14. Lytle had a key putback that he turned into a three-point play, and Darpino capped the mini-run with a 12-foot jumper that made it 50-36.

Kean shot 41.3 percent (26 of 63) from the floor for the game and outrebounded the Red Hawks, 40-29. Kean was 14 of 16 (87.5 percent) from the foul line.

For RPI, Simmons connected on 9 of 13 shots from the floor en route to his 22 points. Rupp finished with 11 points and three assists.