Boxscore

Galloway, NJ – Stockton University (1-1) scored 54 points in the second half and pulled away from Neumann University (1-2) to win 86-71 on Friday night. Maurice Hart (Asbury Park/Asbury Park) led four Ospreys in double figures with a game-high 24 points on the evening. Stockton shot 11-29 (37.9%) from the three point line and 11-12 (91.7%) from the charity stripe for the game.
 
The first half of the contest was a tense affair as neither team could mount much offense. With Stockton leading 17-15, the Knights rattled off 10 straight points to take a 25-17 lead with 5:12 left in the half.  The Ospreys answered with an 11-0 spurt in the next two and a half minutes, led by Hart who scored seven of the markers during the spurt.  Armin Cane (Pleasantville/Pleasantville) finished off the half by scoring his first four points of the night to give Stockton a 32-29 advantage at the break.
 
The squads battled again at the beginning of the second half, with the Knights grabbing a 46-45 lead before the teams were knotted for the last time at 50-50 with 12:50 remaining. Two straight layups by Marcus Harmon (Whitesboro/Middle Twp.) put the Ospreys in front for good at 54-50.
 
Neumann closed to 61-60 before Hart hit a three-pointer and was fouled. He drained the free throw to complete a four-point play. Leading 65-63, Stockton put the game away with a 13-1 run that featured seven points by Jaymere Hadden (Millville/Millville). The Ospreys stretched the lead to 17 in the last two minutes and posted their first victory of the season, 86-71.
 
In addition to Hart's big night, Tom Catanoso (Cape May CH/Middle Twp.) scored a career-high 15 points and Harmon added 15 markers plus a career-high four assists. Hadden rounded out the quartet of double-digit scorers with 11 markers.
 
Harmon and Darius Jerkins (Somers Point/Mainland) pulled down a team-high six boards each. Cane led all players with five steals while Hart pilfered four and Sayvon Williams (Union City/Union City) swiped three. Stockton forced 20 turnovers and totaled 15 steals on the night.
 
DeShawn Lowman led the Knights with 23 points while Kevin Green and James Butler chipped in with 15 and 14 points respectively. Butler and Tyaire Hudson topped the team with seven rebounds each, with Hudson dishing a game-high five assists.
 
Stockton will play Gwynedd Mercy tomorrow at 3 p.m. on the second day of the Stockton Tip-Off Tournament.