Boxscore

(Reading, PA) – Richard Stockton (9-2) trailed from start to finish and suffered a 72-63 defeat to Alvernia (7-2) in the Ospreys' final game before a two-week holiday break.  Rameel Johnson (Newark/Science Park) shot 6-8 from the floor and scored a team-high 13 points.  Rich Suhr (Toms River/TR East) and Kevin Johnson (Paulsboro/Paulsboro) tossed in 12 points apiece.  Stockton shot a dismal 2-17 (11.8%) from three-point range and 13-23 (56.5%) at the free throw line.

Stockton scored just nine points in the first 14 minutes and fell behind 27-9.  Kevin Johnson scored four points during an 8-0 run that brought the Ospreys within 27-17, but they were outscored 14-5 in the last 3:17 of the first half and trailed 41-22 at the break.  Jesse Hunt (Freehold/Freehold Boro) and Nnamdi Usuwa (Colonia/Colonia) scored five points apiece but Stockton shot just 36 percent (9-25) from the field in the half.

The Ospreys struggled to make up ground early in the second half and still faced a 55-38 deficit with 9:10 to play.  Suhr scored eight straight points to ignite an 11-3 run that pulled Stockton within nine at 58-49 with 5:45 on the clock.  The rally stalled as the Ospreys went scoreless for the next 2:37.  They closed the gap to six twice in the last 1:26 but could not fight all the way back and suffered just their second defeat of the season, 72-63. 

Stockton will have two weeks off for the holidays before hosting Montclair State in an NJAC game on January 3 at 6 pm.