FEBRUARY 3, 2016

KING'S MEN TOP FDU-FLORHAM, 72-60

MADISON, NJ -- Dan Rutecki and Chris Fazzino combined for 47 points and the King's College men's basketball team used a 15-2 run to start the second half as the Monarchs went on the road to pick up a much-needed 72-60 Freedom Conference win over host FDU-Florham Wednesday night in Madison, NJ.

With the win King's improved to 9-11 overall and 3-7 in league play. The victory also enabled the Monarchs to snap a four-game conference losing streak while also sweeping the season series from the Devils. FDU fell to 4-16 and 2-8 with the loss.

King's raced out to a 10-2 lead thanks to six points from John Fazzini and four from younger brother Chris.  The lead later grew to 14-3 after an inside buck from Dan Rutecki with 12:28 left in the opening half.

After the Monarchs built their biggest lead of he half at 23-11 with 8:24 on the clock after a pair of free throws by Connor Hughes, FDU used a 12-3 run to trim the lead to 26-23 with 2:46 left in the half after a jumper by Steve Herdman. King's answered with a 6-2 spurt to extend the lead to 32-25 after four straight points form Rutecki, but the Devils cut the lead to 32-27 at the break following a Veon Lassiter jumper with 0:09 on the clock.

The Monarchs flew out of the gates in the second half, sparked by a Chris Fazzini three-pointer. The bucket was the first of a 15-2 run over a 4:24 span that enabled King's lead to swell to 47-27 with 15:36 to play. Chris Fazzini scored seven points in the surge while Rutecki added six. But FDU countered with a 16-7 run of its own, trimming the King's lead to 54-43 at the 8:43 mark. 

The Monarchs used a 7-2 spurt to extend the lead to 61-45 after four points from Rutecki and a pair of Tom Heston foul shots with 5:59 left. But FDU wasn't done just yet and cut the lead to 64-55 after a three-pointer by Alex Hanssen with 3:38 remaining.

But King's made it a double-digit game for good when a Chris Fazzini lay-up at 3:24 pushed the score to 66-55. The Devils came no closer the rest of the way.

Rutecki led King's with 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting with nine rebounds while Chris Fazzi added 23 points. Rutecki has scored at least 24 points in three of KIng's last four games. John Fazzini contributed 10 points with seven rebounds and three assists. Connor Hughes posted four points while Heston chipped in with three points, three rebounds, and seven assists.

FDU was led by Steve Herdman with 16 points while Anthony Mitchell added 13. The Monarchs held Devil leading scorer Donte Ali to just three points.

King's will next host Manhattanville College Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Scandlon Gym