WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The University of Scranton men's basketball team shot a season-high 50.8% from the floor and freshman Nick Ruisi (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields/Cheshire Academy) scored a career-high 22 points as the Royals (2-9) notched a 76-61 victory over the King's College Monarchs (8-3) on Saturday afternoon at Scandlon Gym in Wilkes-Barre.
The 50.8% from the floor marks the Royals' best shooting percentage since posting a 51.0% clip in an NCAA Tournament first round victory over NC Wesleyan on Mar. 3, 2023.
King's led 7-6 just over four minutes into the game when junior Cameron Khoza (State College, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) sank a three to give the Royals a lead that they would not relinquish. Khoza's three ignited a 14-3 run and Ruisi capped things off with a jumper to make it 20-10 at the 9:34 mark. Later in the half, Scranton held a 28-22 advantage and then scored the final six points of the half as Ruisi's jumper opened up a 34-22 lead at the break.
The Monarchs were able to battle back within eight on three different occasions in the early stages of the second half, but sophomore Jon Spatola (Marlboro, N.Y./Marlboro) buried a three to spark a quick 7-0 spurt which made it 50-35 in favor of the visitors with 11:38 remaining. From there, King's cut the lead to ten at 53-43 before Ruisi and sophomore Luca Baratta (Richboro, Pa./Perkiomen School) hit a three on consecutive possessions for a 59-43 advantage. Scranton used four straight points from senior Tahaj Parland (Neptune, N.J./Mater Dei) to lead by as many as 19 at 66-47 and rolled to the victory.
Ruisi led all scorers with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting (4-of-5 3PT) and was joined in double figures by Parland with 16 and Spatola with 13. Spatola also added eight rebounds and seven assists on the day.
For Ruisi, the 22 points surpasses his previous career-best of 17 that had been set at Arcadia on Dec. 17.
Eamonn Walsh paced the Monarchs with 20 points in the setback and Chris Patton contributed 17.
Scranton was 31-of-61 (50.8%) from the floor and 10-of-22 (45.5%) from deep, while King's shot 39.4% (26-of-66) from the field and 23.8% (5-of-21) from beyond the arc.
The two teams were even in the rebounding battle at 37 apiece as Baratta and Spatola each grabbed eight boards.
The Royals will hit the road to battle Elizabethtown on Wednesday evening with start time slated for 5 p.m.
--ROYALS--
