Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College women's basketball team dropped a 61-39 decision to the Gothic Knights of New Jersey City University in a NJAC match-up tonight at the Bradley Center in Mahwah. With the loss the Roadrunners fall to 3-9 overall, 0-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference while NJCU improves to 3-8 overall and notches their first conference win of the season, 1-1.
The Roadrunners quickly fell behind in the first half of play after the Gothic Knights took over with 14:47 on the clock, leading by two, 8-6. Tania Greenleaf (Bordentown, NJ) sparked a 10-0 run off an assist by Vanessa Espinoza (Union City, NJ) to take a 12 point edge. NJCU slowly spread their lead over the next five minutes holding Ramapo to only seven points while sinking 12 of their own. Espinoza and Greenleaf hit back-to-back three-pointers with just under five to play in the half and Greenleaf sunk her fourth field goal giving the Gothic Knights a 19 point (36-17) lead with 3:43 on the clock. The Gothic Knights took their biggest lead of the half at 1:31 when Angela Fitzgerald (Jersey City, NJ) netted a jumper going up 38-17 for the 21 point advantage. Ramapo closed out the first 20 minutes of play on a 7-0 run to come within 14. Lauren Moschel (Fair Lawn, NJ) hit a three-pointer with 14 ticks left on the clock to close out the run.
Ramapo shot 42% hitting ten of their 24 attempts while NJCU went 17-32 (53%) from the field. Fitzgerald was on top of all Gothic Knights with eight points while Alaia Robinson (Irvington, NJ) netted six points and grabbed a team high eight boards in the half. Moschel was the lone Roadrunner in double digits sinking ten.
It took the Roadrunners six minutes to hit a jumper in the second half and NJCU took advantage recording 11 points in the opening minutes to go up by 25. Fitzgerald scored five of the team's opening points and Robinson and Greenleaf combined for the remaining six. The next seven minutes went much of the same with the Gothic Knights taking their biggest lead of the game at 7:48 when Robinson hit the front end of a two-shot foul to go up by 30, 58-28. Ramapo chipped away slightly on NJCU's lead coming within 22 in the final minute of the game.
Robinson finished the game with a double-double including 11 points and 18 rebounds while Fitzgerald finished with 15 points. Espinoza contributed 12 points in the win and along with Fitzgerald grabbed a team high four steals. Moschel finished the night with 12 points for Ramapo.
The Gothic Knights forced 26 Ramapo turnovers while committing 22 of their own.
The Roadrunners return to action on Saturday, January 12th when they travel to Richard Stockton for a NJAC match-up at 2:00 PM while the Gothic Knights host Kean University at 1:00 PM.
