Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College women's basketball team dropped their first NJAC match-up of the season today, 66-56, to the Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers Camden at the Bradley Center in Mahwah. In the win, Imani Hafiz (Franklinville, NJ) grabbed six steals for 303 in her career being only the second Scarlet Raptor in program history to reach 300.
Ramapo falls to 3-3 overall, 0-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference while Rutgers Camden improves to 4-3 overall, 1-0 in the conference.
Ramapo opened to a 6-2 lead with 15:43 on the clock after sophomore Beth Weinmann (Pompton Plains, NJ) sunk a basket giving the Roadrunners a four point edge. Camden answered with a mini 4-0 run to tie the game at six with two good free throws from Carmen Oyola (Hammonton, NJ). The Scarlet Raptors continued to control the game taking a 10-7 lead with just over 12 minutes left in the first half of play. Imani Hafiz (Franklinville, NJ) hit a jumper giving the Scarlet Raptors the slight edge over Ramapo. Ramapo chipped away and took the lead again at 8:09 with a jumper from Danielle Beam (Middletown, NJ) going up 13-12.
With 7:29 on the clock, Hafiz grabbed her third steal of the game and followed hitting the front-end of a one-and-one tying the game at 13. The steal was Hafiz's 300 career.
Rutgers Camden spread their lead to ten, 25-15, when Hafiz hit two free throws after being fouled following a steal. Alexandra Brown (Somerset, NJ) took a dish from Jessica Quas (West Milford, NJ) and hit her first basket of the day closing the gap to seven with a shot from behind the arc. In the final minutes of play, Rutgers Camden out scored Ramapo, 9-1 taking a 34-19 halftime lead.
Hafiz sunk 23 of Rutgers Camden's 34 points in the half hitting 7-18 from the field including 9-11 from the free throw line. Beam led Ramapo with five points in the half. Rutgers Camden forced 13 Ramapo turnovers committing ten of their own. The Scarlet Raptors went 11-32 from the field and Ramapo shot 7-27.
Ramapo opened the half with a jumper from Weinmann but the Scarlet Raptors answered with two good jumpers spreading their lead to the biggest so far, 17. The Roadrunners spent the next five minutes slowly chipping away coming within eight with 13:53 left in the half when Beam hit a jumper and sunk the free throw that followed after being fouled on the play. Ramapo came within seven at 13:03 before Rutgers Camden went on a 7-1 run taking control again with a 13 point edge. The run was sparked by Amber Parker (Pennsauken, NJ) who hit four of the team's seven points in the run. In the final 9:10 of the game, Ramapo edged Rutgers Camden 20-17, unable to overcome the deficit dropping their first NJAC match-up of the 2007-2008 season, 66-56.
Hafiz finished the day with 25 points netting only two in the second half. Hafiz grabbed six steals while Karima Blackwell (Somerdale, NJ) posted a double-double including 15 points and 11 rebounds. Oyola recorded ten points of her own in the win. Beam posted a double-double, 13 points and 12 rebounds and rookie Brittany Royer (Westwood, NJ) pulled down 11 boards in the loss.
The Roadrunners return to action on Saturday, December 15th when they take on the College of Staten Island at 2:00 PM.
The alumni game will take place prior to the start of the game at 11:30 AM. For more information contact Mike Ricciardi at mricciar@ramapo.edu or 201-684-7675.
