MAHWAH, NJ: Sophomore guard JANINE CAPPADONA (Atlantic Highlands, NJ) knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining to give Ramapo a hard-fought 70-67 victory over William Paterson in the New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball opener for both teams. Ramapo improved to 2-0 overall, while William Paterson fell to 1-2.
Both teams traded leads several times in the second half. Freshman forward Barrie Quick (Palermo, NJ) scored all eight of her points in the final 9:19, including a pair of free throws that gave the Pioneers a 64-63 edge with 2:22 to go. However, CAPPADONA canned the go-ahead trifecta and added a free throw that gave the Roadrunners a 69-64 lead with :31 remaining.
Junior guard Jessica Ruggini (Somerville, NJ) hit a 3-pointer with :21 left to pull the Pioneers within 69-67. A free throw by junior guard SHONAH BEGHYN (Bogota, NJ) produced the final outcome. A potential game-tying trey by William Paterson missed in the final seconds.
Ramapo was led by freshman guard VANESSA VARGAS (Union City, NJ), who came off the bench to produce 22 points and 13 rebounds in 33 minutes. Senior guard KATIE ARCURI (Staten Island, NY) added 13 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard CARLA COLUCCI (Emerson, NJ) chipped in 11 points.
For William Paterson, senior guard Katie Morris (Deptford, NJ) led the way with 14 points while junior guard Kat McPhail (Sparta, NJ) finished with 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Senior forward Jeanine Day (Green Pond, NJ) also had a strong game with nine points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
The women's next game is home against Hunter on Saturday, November 30, 2002 at 1:30 PM.
