Wilkes-Barre, PA, (January 14, 2006) – Just like in the women’s game the DeSales University men’s basketball team got off to a slow start and were never able to recover losing to King’s College, 77-70, in Freedom Conference action on Saturday afternoon in Scandlon Gymnasium.

 

        The loss snaps a six-game winning streak for the Bulldogs who fall to 9-4 overall and 1-3 in the Freedom Conference, while King’s improves to 9-6 overall and 3-1 in the conference standings.  King’s scorched the nets at a 60.9 percent clip (14-for-23) in the opening half and finished the game shooting 51.0 percent.  DSU converted just 40.7 percent of its attempts.

 

        After exchanging opening baskets, the Monarchs went on a 20-6 run over the next seven minutes to open up a 14-point lead, 22-8, with 11:54 to play in the opening half.  The margin swelled to as many as 17 points, 38-21, before a 7-0 DSU run cut the lead down to 10 points and sophomore Jamie McCloskey (Newark, DE/St.Mark’s) got a favorable bounce on a three-point attempt at the buzzer to make it a nine point game at the half, 44-35.

 

        DSU spent the entire second half just chipping away at the KC lead.  The Bulldogs would make a run and get within six or seven points but could never get any closer as the Monarchs kept answering with buckets on the other end and every time DeSales had a chance to make it a one possession game the shot just did not fall.

 

        Senior Drew Christman (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) tallied a game-high 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting to lead the Bulldog attack.  Sophomore Eddie Ohlson (Allentown, PA/Parkland) and senior Mike Zinn (Hanover, PA/Delone Catholic) each had 10 points to round out the double figure scoring.

 

        Junior Bob Nenstiel led the Monarch attack with 19 points and eight rebounds off the bench.  Jamie Cousart totaled 16 points and five assists and Vince Scalzo added 13 points in the win.