Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College men's basketball team came from behind in the second half to force overtime and took control of the extra time to earn an 80-73 overtime victory over the Gothic Knights of NJCU. With the New Jersey Athletic Conference win Ramapo jumps ahead to 14-7 overall and 10-4 in conference play. NJCU falls to 13-7 and 11-3 in the NJAC.
David Haye recorded 22 points and
Josh Ford dropped 20 as they led Ramapo to the conference win tonight at the Bradley Center.
Thomas Bonacum,
Cory Soanes, and
Jermaine Peart collected nine points each as the team shot a combined 23-53 (43%) in the overtime win. Haye was just one rebound shy of a double-double pulling down a team leading nine rebounds and Bonacum and Ford each dished out four assist on the night.
It took two minutes for points to get on the board and it was Ramapo's
Christopher Moseley who put away two points to get the Roadrunners on the board first. After trading baskets and the lead, Ford nailed down a three-point goal to go up 7-6 and he followed with a second three to take a 10-6 lead with 12:42 on the clock. The Gothic Knights would push to tie the game at 12 with 11:26 to play with a layup from Jalen Harris, before two minutes of scoreless basketball was played, ending at 9:31 with two good free throws from Soanes to put Ramapo ahead, 14-12. Yuri Brutus sparked a 7-0 run for NJCU to take a 19-14 lead, a run capped off with a long shot from Khalid Muhammad at 7:46. The Gothic Knights would lead 21-15 before Bonacum got Ramapo on the board to close the gap, 17-21. Off a steal from Bonacum, Moseley capitalized on an and-one play to put Ramapo within one, 20-21 with just over five minutes to go. The two teams traded baskets over the next few minutes until a basket from behind the arc from Harris gave NJCU a 27-22 edge and another long shot from Harris gave NJCU a 30-22 lead with 1:28 to play in the half. Bonacum drained a three of his own to close the gap, but the Gothic Knights kept their lead heading into the locker room with a 34-27 advantage over the Roadrunners. Bonacum led in the half with nine points and Ford sank eight as the team hit 10-26 (39%) in the half. Harris led NJCU with 15 points as the team combined hitting 14-35 (40%).
At the start of the second half, the Gothic Knights stretched their lead to double-digits (37-27) when James Frazier hit the back end of a two shot foul with 18:19 on the clock. Ramapo came within eight on two occasions over the next three minutes until Brutus nailed a jump shot and was fouled to put away an and-one play to go up 44-31. Harris sank a three for a 47-31 lead with 14:24 to play and one minute later, another three from Harris put the Gothic Knights ahead, 50-35. The Roadrunners spent the next four minutes breaking the double-digit deficit and at 9:29 Haye nailed a jumper to come within eight, 46-54. Ramapo came within five, 53-58, with two free throws from Haye at 7:11 and an and-one play from Haye 35 seconds later put Ramapo within three, 56-59 with 6:36 to play. The teams traded baskets with NJCU holding onto the lead until with just one minute left in the game, a free throw from Ford tied up the game at 65-65. A last second shot from Ramapo fell short forcing overtime. Haye put away 20 points in the half as Ramapo went 9-21 (43%) from the field. Haye hit 5-6 from the field and 10-11 from the charity stripe. Muhammad led NJCU with eight points as the team combined hitting 11-27 (41%).
One minute into overtime James Julius nails a three-pointer for NJCU and Peart followed with two points for Ramapo leaving NJCU on top, 68-67 with 3:46 to play. The Roadrunners took back the lead just under a minute later with another goal from Peart but NJCU responded with two free throws to go ahead again, 70-69. It was back and forth play for the remainder of the overtime period until with 35 seconds on the clock, Ford drains a three to put Ramapo on top 77-73. Free throws down the stretch kept Ramapo in the lead to earn the 80-73 conference win.
The Roadrunners return to action on Saturday, February 6th when they travel to Stockton University for a 1pm tip off.
