Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College men's basketball team opened the 2008-2009 season tonight at the Bradley Center, tipping off against Yeshiva University, in the Annual Roadrunner Tip-Off Tournament. The Roadrunners (1-0) posted an 80-39 win over Yeshiva (0-1) and in the first game of night, the Warriors of Eastern Connecticut (1-0) defeated Berkeley (0-1), 82-61 to advance to the finals of the tip-off tournament tomorrow at 3:00 PM. Berkeley will play in a consolation match-up at 1:00 PM verse Yeshiva.

Sophomore Ahmad Hassan (Edgewater, NJ) led the Roadrunners to their first win of the season as he sunk 7-11 from the field including three three-pointers for 17 points.

Hassan opened the game with a three-pointer off a dish from senior Tim Wesley (Jersey City, NJ) but Yeshiva's Martin Leibovich (Argentina) answered back with a three-pointer of his own to tie the game in the opening minute. The Roadrunners sunk back-to-back baskets to take an 8-3 lead and with 14:25 left in the half, Hassan hit his second three of the game to put the Roadrunners up ten, 15-5. Ramapo held the ten point advantage for the next four minutes and with just under ten to play in the half, Ramapo began to spread their lead. With 2:36 to go, Ramapo led by 21 when Wesley tipped in a ball to go up, 40-19. At the intermission, Ramapo led by 23, 44-21, hitting 20-36 (56%) from the field. Yeshiva sunk only seven of their 21 attempts in the half (33%). Wesley and Kevin Findlay (Roselle, NJ) each contributed eight points and Chen Biron (Israel) led the Maccabees with 11.

Ramapo held the Maccabees to only eight points in the first eight minutes of the half and sunk 20 of their own to take a 60-29 lead with just over 12:00 to go. They outscored Yeshiva, 14-8 over the next seven minutes taking a 37 point lead heading into a Yeshiva timeout at the 5:33 minute mark. Ramapo closed the game on a mini 5-0 run to defeat Yeshiva, 80-39. Ramapo hit 14-30 (47%) in the final 20 minutes of play behind ten points from rookie Larry Burroughs (Paterson, NJ) and seven from Wesley.

Wesley finished the night with 15 points and five assists while Ramapo finished the night shooting 34-66 (52%). The Maccabees hit 14-41 (34%). Leibovich recorded a team high 14 points and Biron wrapped up the night with 12 for Yeshiva.

Eastern Connecticut 82 – Berkeley 61
Junior guard Edwin Ortiz (Hartford, CT) shot 7-11 from the field, including six three-pointers for 20 points, to lead the Warriors to their first victory of the 2008-2009 season. Ortiz dished out a team high four assists and Jamie Kohn (Columbia, CT) pulled down seven rebounds. The team shot 17-40 (43%) in the first half and then 17-27 (63%) in the second, for a game total, 34-67 (51%) over Berkeley's game total, 19-53 (36%). Berkeley hit eight of their 22 attempts in the first half while sinking 11-31 in the last 20 minutes of play. Donovan Black (Morristown, NJ) led the Bulldogs with 17 points including ten (10-17) from the free throw line, while Marcus Jones (Belleville, NJ) and Derron Chaplin (Paterson, NJ) added 14 and ten respectively. Chaplin contributed a team leading five assists.