Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College men's basketball team faced off with NJAC rival Montclair State University today at the Bradley Center where the Roadrunners came out with an 85-81 victory. The Roadrunners improve to 6-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference. MSU falls to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play.
Thomas Bonacum led the Roadrunners to their sixth win of the year hitting 8-14 from the field for 23 points.
Josh Ford netted 16 points and
Frank Nock and
Christopher Moseley each collected 15 in the win. The team hit a combined 32-54 (59%) from the field as Ford and Nock dished out three assists each. The Red Hawks were led by Brandon Channer who sank 25 points hitting 8-18 from the field and Jordan Roberson added 17 on the night. The team went 26-68 (38%) in the loss. Erick Loften-Harris led in assists with six and Channer grabbed three steals. Roberson pulled down a team high 12 boards.
In the first half of play, the two teams traded baskets until the 13:32 minute mark when Montclair led, 12-11, Nock sparked a 9-0 run to put Ramapo on top 20-12. The run was capped off with a basket from Ford forcing a Montclair time-out. The Red Hawks cut the lead to five (19-24) at 8:32 with a basket from Loften-Harris but a 7-0 run put the Roadrunners up 31-19 with a long goal from
Salomon Pierre and another long goal, this time from
Noah Basket, put the Roadrunners ahead 34-21 with just over five minutes to play in the half. With just over one minute on the clock, Channer sank a two-point goal for MSU to close the gap 29-37, but back-to-back baskets from Ford with a steal in between from Basket put the Roadrunners ahead 41-29 forcing another MSU timeout. In the final minute the Red Hawks closed the spread again to ten to close out the half, 31-41 behind Ramapo. Nock and Ford each collected eight points in the first half and Bonacum added seven as the team combined hitting 17-31 (55%) from the field. MSU was led by Channer's eight points and six points each from Loften Harris and Shane Russell. The Red Hawks hit 28% of their shots downing 8-29.
It took just one minute for the Red Hawks to cut into Ramapo's double-digit lead at the start of the second half with a basket from Roberson but Ramapo answered back with a layup from Moseley to jump ahead 46-35 at 18:28. At 12:15, Channer drained a three-point goal to close the gap by nine, 51-60, and the Red Hawks continued to chip away coming within just five points at 8:11, 62-67 with a jumper from Roberson. Channer put MSU within two at 7:42 and gave the Red Hawks the lead, 68-67 with 6:55 to play with a long goal off an assist from Roberson. The two teams traded baskets and the lead over the next three-plus minutes until Nock drained a jump shot to go up, 76-71. In the final minutes it was Ramapo who finished on top, 85-81. Bonacum sank 16 second half points and Moseley added 12 as the team went 16-24 (67%) from the field. Channer led the Red Hawks with 17 points in the final half of play while Roberson collected 12. MSU went 18-39 (46%).
The Roadrunners return to action on Wednesday, December 9th when they take on New Jersey City University on the road at 8pm.
