Newport News, VA --- McDaniel College senior Cullen Murray Kemp (Trappe, MD) scored a game-best 23 points with 13 rebounds to help pace the Green Terror to a 57-45 triumph over Worcester State in the first round of the Captains Shootout hosted by Christopher Newport.
Both teams will await their opponents in the next round after the hosting Captains take on Piedmont later this evening.
For the Green Terror (3-6), freshman Phillip Perry (Crownsville, MD) added 10 points, three rebounds and a trio of steals and senior Louis Sarris-Grau (Huntingdon Valley, PA) chipped in with six points, seven boards and three assists. Junior Christopher Cowles (West Chester, PA) dished out a game-best six helpers.
The Lancers (2-7), sophomore Robert Hunter (St. Louis, MO) registered his sixth double-double in ten games this season with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Frank Stephenson (Fall River, MA) notched eight points, eight caroms and he handed out three assists.
In the first-ever meeting between the two squads, the Blue and Gold led by 13-4 with 13:15 on the clock before McDaniel used a 12-2 run for the one basket advantage with just under five minutes left to play (16-15).
After Worcester State got the 19-16 lead back on back-to-back lay-ups by Stephenson, Green Terror freshman Andrew Merlo (Rehoboth, DE) and Cowles tallied five points to trail 22-21 with just under 60 ticks left. Hunter would end the period with a lay-up to put WSU up at the intermission, 24-21.
The Lancers extended their advantage by five early on in the period (28-23), but then McDaniel held their opponents scoreless for nearly five minutes of play with a 12-0 surge for the 35-28 advantage with 13:27 remaining.
Although Worcester State would trim the lead twice to five points at the 11:50 mark (35-30) and again to six points with 8:13 left (42-36) they would be unable to overcome the deficit. The Green Terror would then outscore the Blue and Gold 10-4 over a stretch of five minutes to open up a 55-42 edge with 3:32 remaining as they cruised ahead for their third victory.
McDaniel scored nearly a third of their points off the fast break as they held an 18-4 lead in transition baskets. The Green Terror also led in points off turnovers (20-11), total rebounds (38-32), offensive boards (12-5) and points in the paint (30-28).
The Lancers actually shot 48 percent in the opening frame (10-for-21) and then only hit six of their 21 attempts from the floor in the second half (29 percent). WSU was just one for 11 from three point land and 57 percent from the charity stripe (12-for-21).
McDaniel had a modest percentage from the field with a 36 percent line in the category (21-for-59) while the squad was also canned five of their 15 bids from beyond the arc and added a 10-for-12 column from the free throw line.