Mahwah, NJ: The Roadrunners posted an 87-64 victory today at the Bradley Center in their first NJAC match-up of the 2007-2008 season over the Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers Camden. The Roadrunners improve to 5-3 overall, 1-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference while the Scarlet Raptors fall to 2-6 overall, 0-1 in the conference.
The lead changed three times at the start of the game before the Roadrunners took over at 16:03, down 5-7, going on a 12-0 run to take a ten point, 17-7 lead. The run was sparked by Omar Alston (Carteret, NJ) who hit two free throws after a foul. After a Rutgers Camden timeout with 13:16 to play, Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ) finally got the Scarlet Raptors on the board with a good jumper. Rutgers Camden out scored Ramapo, 10-5 in the following three minutes to come within three points at 8:34 with a basket from Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ). Rutgers Camden didn't score for the next four minutes while Ramapo sunk 13 points taking a 16 point, 35-19 edge with 5:36 to play. Rookie Ahmad Hassan (Edgewater, NJ) hit two three-pointers and junior Desmond Sanders (Newark, NJ) hit one of his own recording nine of the 13 run points. The Roadrunners took their biggest lead of the half, 20, with 15 seconds to play when Hassan hit his fourth three-pointer of the half. Ramapo headed into the intermission 18 points over Rutgers Camden, 50-32.
Hassan led Ramapo with 14 points hitting 4-5 from the three-point arc while Alston sunk nine points with four rebounds. The team hit 58% of their shots sinking 17-30 and Rutgers Camden went 10-18, 57%. Banks led the team with 14 points and Alex Rislin (Union, NJ) recorded six points and pulled down four rebounds.
Ramapo continued to spread their lead in the second half hitting 17-35 from the field over Rutgers Camden's 11-28. With 2:12 on the clock, Abib Gueye (North Bergen, NJ) hit a jumper off a dish from Tyler Fox (Toms River, NJ) taking their biggest lead of the game, 33, 87-54. Rutgers Camden scored the last four baskets coming within 23 for a final, 87-64 victory.
Hassan finished the day with 16 points and Tim Wesley (Jersey City, NJ) led the way with 18. Alston recorded a double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds and Assad Shaakir (Newark, NJ) and Scott Spieker (Marlton, NJ) each dished out a team high four assists. The Roadrunners went 34-65 (52%) in the game while Rutgers Camden hit 21-46 (46%). Banks finished with a team high 23 points shooting 9-12 and Rislin came in second with nine points on the night.
Ramapo travels to the Phoenix Cactus Jam Tournament on December 27th to face off with Clark (MA) in the opening round at noon.
