Cougars’ Justin Watson scores career high in a loss to NJCU
By: Joel Joly | Published Dec. 18, 2015
Freshman guard Justin Watson scored a career-high 20 points against the NJCU Gothics (7-2). However, it wasn’t enough to stop the Gothics from victory as the Cougars (1-8) fell short 78-62 back on December 12.
Watson put on a show at the Harwood arena, shooting 66 percent from the field.
He went 8-12 shooting from field, including going 4 for 6 from behind the arc. On the tenth game of the season, Watson rode his great shooting performance to 31 minutes of action off the bench.
Watson spoke humbly of his career high performance.
“To come home and have a good one it felt really good to help the team,” Watson said. “I was talking to Drakkar, and he was telling me I got to play my game. I wasn’t playing well the past few games, he just said go out there and be confident.”
Coach Rob Kurzinsky was satisfied with Justin Performance as well.
“Every day he brings us a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm”, Kurzinsky said. “He brings some athleticism and some length for us. He works very, very hard in skill sessions. Individually, offensively he’s shot the ball very well today.
Kean got off to a slow start as they let the Gothics take off to a 10-0 run at the beginning of the game. Watson came off the bench and led the Cougars at the half with 11 points, shooting 3-4 from behind the arc.
Coach Kurzinsky wasn’t to pleased and took responsibility for the team’s slow start.
“We weren’t very good to start, it all just comes back on me. I’m in charge of the ship, we didn’t execute very well, so I haven’t done a very good job in prepping us for it”.
Kean Cougars never led the game. The relentless Cougars kept chipping away in the second half. The game however got a little out of hand. Kean Cougars Senior guard Tommy Soulias, and freshman guard Jodrell Thompson got ejected with a minute and 58 seconds to go in the second half, due to a scuffle with the NJCU Gothics.
“It’s two teams competing hard,” Kurzinsky said. “Obviously it’s been a tough year for us, we’ve been losing, so it’s just and unfortunate situation. It should have never occurred and it should have never happened. Two teams are playing really hard and it doesn’t need to escalate to that, you got to have better discipline and just be smarter