Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College women's basketball team played host to the Profs of Rowan University today at the Bradley Center and posted a tough 75-72 loss. Rowan's Jessica Nimbley (Middletown, NJ) sunk 28 points to lead the Profs to their second NJAC victory (2-4) of the season. Rowan improves to 8-7 overall. With the loss, Ramapo falls to 6-10 overall, and 1-5 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Nimbley finished the game shooting 8-14 from the field and 12-13 from the charity stripe for a season-high, and career-high, 28 total points. Nimbley's previous high was 27, in the team's one-point victory, 69-68, over Wesley back in November. Nimbley also grabbed a team high 12 rebounds for the double-double. Ashley Cieplicki (Haworth, NJ) earned a double-double of her own with 20 points and 11 rebounds while Gina Catanzariti (Cinnaminson, NJ) contributed 11 points and three steals in the game. The Profs combined hitting 25-61 (41%) from the field. Sophomore Stephanie Cannizzaro (Pequannock, NJ) led Ramapo shooting 11-22 from the field and 3-4 from the line, for 26 points. She grabbed three steals and four rebounds in the game. Brittany Hoffman (Belford, NJ) and Malika Gilliam (Roselle, NJ) netted 12 and 11 points respectively. Ramapo hit 44% (28-63) of their shots in the game.

The Profs held a slight edge over the Roadrunners until Cannizzaro hit a jump shot and was fouled with 9:42 to play. The two-point basket tied the game for the seventh time, 16-16, and the basket from the charity stripe gave Rampao their first lead of the game, 17-16. The Roadrunners connected three more baskets to go up seven, 23-16, before the Profs answered with a 14-0 run of their own to take a 30-24 lead over Ramapo with 2:56 to play. Nimbley sunk six points for the Profs during the run. Cannizzaro sparked a 6-0 run for Ramapo to tie the game, 30-30 with 1:16 on the clock, and in the final minute, Nimbley sunk five points to Cannizzaro's two, to head into the locker room, 35-32 over Ramapo. Cannizzaro finished the half with 17 points shooting 7-13. Nimbley led all Profs with 17 points of her own hitting 6-8 from the field and 5-5 from the charity stripe. The Profs held a slight edge in shooting, hitting 14-31 (45%), while Ramapo sunk 12-28 (43%).

Rowan spent the opening six minutes of the half slowly gaining their biggest lead of the game at 14:08, when a jumper from Alissa Lamey (Northfield, NJ) put Rowan up, 47-39. The game leaned in Ramapo's favor over the next five minutes while the Roadrunners closed the gap to two, 57-55. The Profs held Ramapo to five points over the next 6 ½ minutes and scored ten of their own, behind four points from Cieplicki, to go up by seven again. With a seven point Rowan lead, 67-60, and 2:33 to play, Ramapo outscored the Profs, 12-8 to fall just short, 75-72 in the NJAC match-up. Cieplicki netted 13 second half points and Nimbley added 11, while the team combined hitting 11-30 (37%) from the field. Hoffman led the Roadrunners with ten points. Ramapo netted 16 of their 35 attempts (46%) in the half.

The Roadrunners return to action on Wednesday, January 21st when they host New Jersey City University at 5:30 PM. Rowan takes on Richard Stockton on Wednesday in Pomona, NJ at 6:00 PM.