HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – The Centenary University men's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 70-69 loss to the United States Merchant Marine Academy Wednesday evening, as the Mariners connected on a three-pointer at the buzzer to steal the victory inside the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center.
The Cyclones came out strong, establishing an early advantage behind contributions from Kenneth Rankin, Naire Preston and Darnelle Forrest. Both teams exchanged leads throughout the opening half, but Merchant Marine took a narrow 36-34 advantage into halftime.
Centenary opened the second half with a 10-0 run to take a 44-36 lead. The Cyclones continued to battle throughout the period, maintaining a narrow advantage heading into the final seconds.
With Centenary leading 69-65, Merchant Marine's Jack Flannery converted a layup with 10 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to two. Following a missed Cyclones free throw with six seconds left, Kaden Hauber connected on a three-pointer as time expired, giving the Mariners a dramatic 70-69 victory.
Kenneth Rankin led Centenary with 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Naire Preston followed with 13 points, four rebounds and three steals, while Noah Hutchinson added 12 points and three assists.
Kenny Maira provided a spark off the bench with 11 points, connecting on two three-pointers. Darnelle Forrest contributed six points, five rebounds and three assists, while Jasir Lane pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds.
As a team, Centenary held a 44-41 rebounding advantage, scored 30 points in the paint and converted 16 Merchant Marine turnovers into 21 points. The Cyclones shot 40.3 percent from the field.
With the loss, Centenary moves to 1-2 overall on the season.
