Mahwah, NJ:  The Ramapo College women's basketball team opened the 2014-2015 season today hosting the Golden Eagles of St Joe's Long Island, in their annual tip-off tournament.  The Roadrunners posted a 68-37 victory, behind 17 points from Jina Crawford, to open the year at 1-0 overall.  Ramapo advances to the championship game tomorrow at 2pm, and will face Washington College, while St. Joe's takes on Brooklyn in the consolation match-up at noon.  Washington defeated Brooklyn, 59-49 in the second game of the night.
 
The Roadrunners held the Golden Eagles (0-1) to just five field goals in the first half to take a 30-14 lead at the halftime buzzer.  Crawford led Ramapo with ten points shooting 5-7, as the team combined shooting 10-33 (30%) in the half.  Jackie Jerkovich dished out six assists and grabbed four steals.  The Roadrunners got on the scoreboard first at 2:13 into the game with a basket from Grace Elliott, before spreading their lead to double-digits with 6:18 on the clock.  Crawford sunk a jumper off an assist from Jerkovich to go up, 15-5.  Just under five minutes later, Crawford again sunk two-points to give the Roadrunners their biggest lead of the half, 27-9, with 1:51 to play.  Jerkovich nailed the final basket of the half, with just six ticks on the clock, to take the 16-point, 30-14 lead at the buzzer.  St. Joe's shot 5-21 (24%) behind five points from Jennifer Gubell.

In the second half, Crawford led the Roadrunners with seven points as the team continued to stretch their lead, their biggest of 31, 68-37, coming at the final buzzer.  With 11:35 to play in the game, Jackie Zizzo would hit a three-pointer to put the Golden Eagles within 16, 29-45, but it would be the closest they would come, as the Roadrunners pushed to a 27-point lead with 3:47 on the clock with free throws from Doris Ilic.  Ramapo would out score St. Joe's, 8-4 down the stretch to take home their first win of the season.
 
Crawford finished the day hitting 8-13 for 17 points, while Ilic posted nine points, hitting 2-5 from the field.  Jerkovich wrapped up the game with a team-high nine assists and five steals, as the team went 23-62 (37%) in the win.  St. Joe's was led by Zizzo, who posted nine points, as her team went 13-49 (27%) in the loss.  Teddi Petre dished out seven assists in the team's first loss of the season.
 
In the second match-up of the day, Washington College (1-0) took on Brooklyn College (0-1), and posted a 59-49 victory to advance to the championship match-up tomorrow against the Roadrunners. 
 
Washington opened the game to a 10-2 lead with a jump shot from Raley Hinton, before Brooklyn connected two baskets from Nacirema Mann and Megan Campbell to close the gap, 6-10.  Washington's Daniela Falcone answered with a three-point goal to push her team ahead, 13-6 with 12:47 on the clock.  Brooklyn worked to within two points before the two teams traded baskets for the next ten minutes, leaving Washington ahead by one, 19-18, with 5:15 to play.  Falcone sparked a run for Washington at 4:50, which was capped off with a jumper from Emily Hubley, to take a double-digit, 28-18 lead with just over two minutes to play.  Washington would end the first half with a 30-19 lead over Brooklyn.
 
In the second half, Brooklyn worked their way to within one point, 38-39 with a three-point goal from Jaclyn Grasso at the 8:25 minute mark, before taking the lead under one minute later with a jumper from Grasso.  Brooklyn would lead by six with 5:36 to play, but it wasn't enough as Washington went down a 7-0 run to take over the lead, 48-47 with three minutes to go.  Washington would hold Brooklyn to just two points in the final minutes, while scoring 11 of their own, to take the game, 59-49. 
 
Carley Kendall led Washington with 13 points shooting 6-8 from the floor, as the team combined hitting 24-53 (44%).  Kelly Sugalski chipped in 12 points and Hubley added 11, while dishing out a team-high four assists.  Brooklyn's Campbell and Vanessa D'Ambrosi each collected 15 points as the team shot a combined 21-65 (37%) from the field.  Nicole Francomano dished-out five assist in the loss.