Box Score Mahwah, NJ:  The Ramapo College men's basketball team, ranked #12 in the nation, posted a 60-54 victory over the Gothic Knights of New Jersey City University tonight at the Bradley Center, behind a double-double performance from senior Garret Thiel.  With the New Jersey Athletic Conference win, Ramapo improves to 15-2 overall and 9-1 in the conference.

The lead changed nine times and the game was tied on eight occasions, but the Roadrunners prevailed earning their 15th win of the season, behind Thiel, who finished the night with 17 points shooting 5-10 from the field.  He completed the double-double with ten rebounds, helping his team to the six-point victory over NJCU, now 7-10 overall, and 2-8 in the conference. 

The two teams traded baskets for the first two minutes of the game before Ramapo's Stephon Treadwell hit a jump shot, giving Ramapo a four-point, 8-4 advantage, with 16:48 on the clock.  NJCU's Khalid Muhammad responded with a three-point goal closing the gap to one, before a layup from Khalid Crawford-Muhammad off the steal, put the Gothic Knights on top, 9-8 with 15:50 to go.  Ramapo would take over the lead (13-10) once again with a deep three from Will Sanborn, with just over 14 minutes to go.  With the game tied at 21, with 6:24 on the clock, Muhammad sparked a 6-0 run with a jump shot.  The run was capped off with a three-point goal from Rondre Kelly at 2:47, giving NJCU a 27-21 edge.  The Gothic Knights took their biggest lead of the half with 14 ticks on the clock, when two free throws from Muhammad, sent the Gothic Knights into the locker room leading 31-24.  NJCU shot a combined 11-33 (33%) in the half behind Ramapo's 10-25 (40%) performance.  NJCU out rebounded Ramapo, 25-16.

The Roadrunners slowly chipped away at NJCU's lead in the opening six plus minutes of the second half, before free throws from Thiel sparked a Ramapo run, leading to the game's sixth tie, 36-36, with 13:11 to go.  It was an and-one play from Treadwell that tied the game, and another basket by Treadwell just one minute later, that gave Ramapo back the lead.  Kelly quickly responded with a three-point goal to again put NJCU ahead, 40-39, off a dish from Josh Caver.  With 8:50 to play, Thiel again sparked a Ramapo surge, stringing together six straight points to go up, 46-40 with just under seven to play.  The Gothic Knights responded with a run of their own to come within one, 45-46, when Dakwan Simmons, drained a three-point goal with 6:31 on the clock.  The Roadrunners would go up four, 50-46 (5:29), before NJCU chipped away at Ramapo's advantage, leading to the game's eighth and final tie with 2:13 to play.  Muhammad nailed a jump shot to knot the game at 52.  Ramapo would out score NJCU, 8-2 in the final minutes, with a key three-pointer from Patrick O'Connell to go up, 57-52 with 47 seconds to play, taking the win, 60-54 in Mahwah.  The Roadrunners hit 7-22 (32%) in the final half while NJCU shot a combined 8-34 (24%).  Thiel collected ten points while Simmons and Kelly netted seven points each.

Elgin Brown collected 11 points and a team leading 13 rebounds for Ramapo, and Treadwell chipped in 11 points of his own.

Muhammad recorded a team-high 24 points shooting 8-22, and Kelly finished the night with 12 points.

Ramapo returns to action on Saturday, January 19th when they host Rutgers Camden at 3pm at the Bradley Center.