Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College men's basketball team dropped a tough, 64-61 decision tonight to the Pioneers of William Paterson University, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up. With the loss the Roadrunners fall to 2-2 overall, and 0-2 in the conference, while the Pioneers improve to 3-1 overall, and remain undefeated in the conference at 2-0.
The two teams combined for 22 three-pointers in a tough NJAC battle as the Pioneers finished on top of Ramapo taking home their second win of the NJAC season. William Paterson out rebounded the Roadrunners 38-21 and caused 16 turnovers, as four Pioneers scored in double-digit figures. Terik Bridgeman led the way sinking 16 points, shooting 6-11 from the field. Zack Frick, Bright Mensah, and Jaques Conceicao each netted 12 points in the win as the Pioneers combined hitting 24-53 (45%) from the field. Mensah grabbed 13 rebounds for the double-double, while also grabbing a team-high three steals.
Ramapo jumped out to a 32-27 half time lead after
Frank Nock led the Roadrunners hitting 5-8 from the field, including a perfect 3-3 from behind the three-point arc.
Christopher Moseley and
Jermaine Peart each collected eight points, both sinking 3-3 from the field and 2-2 from behind the arc. The Roadrunners combined shooting 12-25 (48%) ahead of the Pioneers' 11-29 (38%). William Paterson opened the game on a five-point run, sparked by Conceicao and capped off with a three from Mensah, before Nock drained his first three-pointer of the half to close the gap, 3-5. WPU would go up, 7-3 before a mini 5-0 run would give Ramapo their first lead of the half, 8-7, with a three-point goal from Moseley. Over the next ten-plus minutes, the two teams would trade baskets, coming to the second tie of the game with 3:26 left to play, when a basket from William Paterson's Conceicao would knot the game at 24. Peart would drain two three-point goals and a jump shot with 24 ticks left on the clock, to give Ramapo the five-point, 32-27 advantage at the half. Bridgeman led William Paterson with seven points in the half.
After two free throws from Nock, a dunk from Conceicao got the second half underway as the Pioneers trailed by just three at 18:19 after a jump shot from Mensah. The Roadrunners would connect five straight points to jump ahead, 39-31, but WPU responded with a mini 5-0 run of their own to again come within three, this time with a three-pointer from Sandy Burgos.
Nick Stanek responded with a three for Ramapo and Frick responded with one of his own for WPU, before Mensah sank a two-point goal to close the gap to just one point, 41-42, with 11:38 to play. Peart drained back-to-back long shots for the Roadrunners, split by a basket from Bridgeman, to put Ramapo on top, 48-43. The Pioneers would work to tie the game at 52 with an and-one play from Mensah, before Nock drained another three-pointer to put Ramapo on top, 55-52 with just under seven minutes to play in the game. Two minutes later, a three from Frick put WPU on top, 57-55, before another Ramapo three, this time from
Thomas Bonacum at 4:23, would put Ramapo ahead, 58-57. The two teams traded baskets until a 61-61 tie with 1:30 remaining. Bridgeman gave the Pioneers the lead with 32 seconds left and after a missed opportunity by Ramapo, and a free throw from Bridgeman, the buzzer sounded with William Paterson on top, 64-61. Bridgeman netted nine points in the half and Frick and Conceicao each added eight, as the Pioneers shot a combined 13-24 (54%) from the field. Bonacum led the Roadrunners with eight points as the team went 8-20 (40%) in the half.
Nock led Ramapo with 18 points including four three-point goals, while Peart went a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc, collecting 14 points in the loss. Moseley finished the night with 11 points and
James Long dished out a team-high five assists. Ramapo shot 20-45 (44%) in the loss.
The Roadrunners return to action on Wednesday, December 3rd when they travel to NJAC rival Kean University for an 8:00pm tip in Union.
