Hackettstown, NJ: The Cyclones jumped back into the win column following an impressive win over the Dolphins of Mount Saint Vincent. The final score of the contest was 81-74, as the Clones improve to 5-6 on the season.

Inside the Box Score 

The Clones pulled through in a chippy, hard fought battle against the Dolphins. Throughout the contest, there were six lead changes, and a tied score on six different occasions. The Clones would go on to record the first basket in the contest and retained the lead for the entire first half. The second half of the game would fare much different, as the Cyclones would trade baskets with the Dolphins. After the Clones extended their lead to as high as sixteen points, the Dolphins would claw their way back. The Clones would shut down their efforts, not allowing the Dolphins to make a comeback. The offense for the Clones would go on to shoot 48.4% from the floor, and recorded an assists on twenty-three of their thirty-one made field goals. In the back and forth contest, the Clones defense would step up and make some key stops late in the game to pick up the win. As a team, the defense would go on to record thirteen steals, four blocks, and forced the Dolphins to commit twenty-turnovers on the night. The Clones had a solid day in the paint, recording over half of their points down low (46), and coming away from the contest thirty-two rebounds. At the charity stripe, the Cyclones had an excellent game, missing just one of their fourteen free throw attempts for the game, marking a season high in free throw percentage for the Clones.

Game Standouts

After dominating as the Cyclones sixth man, Naire Preston would have a dominant performance as a starter against the Dolphins. Preston posted fifteen points, two assists, a rebound, and three steals in twenty-eight minutes of action. 

The Clones leading scorer on the season, Kenneth Rankin, had a solid game once again. Rankin would score thirteen points on the night, and did a solid job of finding the open man, as he recorded a season high six assists. The second-year forward also came down with six rebounds, and posted two steals.

Devin Strickland provided a spark for the Cyclones coming off the bench. In nineteen minutes of action, Strickland tied for the second most points on the Clones with thirteen. The Junior, would also do a great job of dishing the ball to his teammates, as he posted four assists on the night.

Michael Salvatore continues to impress for the Cyclones, finding multiple ways to be a factor for the team. Salvatore came away from game with ten points, one assist, a season high nine rebounds, one block, and one steal. Salvatore would also come away from the contest with the highlight of the night, making a Dolphins defender fall on a step-back, while bringing the ball up the court. 

After a long time away from the game of basketball, Brandon Yale has slowly came into his own in recent games. Yale recorded a total of ten points, and five assists on the offensive end for the Clones. The Junior, would also come away from the game with a steal and a block on the night.  Read Full Article