Mahwah, NJ:
Thomas Bonacum scored 21 points including his 1,000th career point to lead the #10 ranked Ramapo College men's basketball team to a 80-68 victory over the Red Hawks of Montclair State University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up tonight at the Bradley Center. The Roadrunners improve to 18-1 overall and 11-1 in the conference while the Red Hawks fall to .500 at 9-9 overall and 6-5 in NJAC play.
Bonacum shot 7-15 from the field, including a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line and
Nick Stanek hit 5-6 from the field and 3-4 from the charity stripe collecting 14 points in the win.
Christopher Moseley added nine,
Patrick Peterson sank eight and
Josh Ford finished with seven of his own. Peterson led the team with ten rebounds and dished out a team high four assists, while Moseley grabbed three steals. Ramapo forced 20 MSU turnovers as they combined hitting 26-53 (49%) from the field.
Bonacum's 1,000th career point makes him the 20th player in program history to score more than 1,000 points in his career.
Ramapo jumped out to a 7-0 start as
Sultan Aminu started the game with a free throw and Moseley scored six straight points coming from two free throws and back-to-back jumpers. MSU would finally get on the scoreboard with free throw from Jordan Roberson before back-to-back two-point goals from the Red Hawks would close the gap, 5-9. Ramapo would work to an 18-10 lead with a layup from Stanek before MSU responded with an 8-0 run, capped with a long three from Jarrett Bogus, to tie the game at 18 and force a Ramapo time out. Over the next two minutes the teams traded baskets before Ramapo would jump ahead by five, 22-27 at 6:14. A layup from Bogus would tie the game again, this time at 27 with 5:37 to play in the half. MSU would take the lead thirty seconds later after Bogus again laid the ball in to go up, 29-27. Daniel Ramis would hit a three with twenty seconds on the clock to tie the game at 36 and Ford would answer with a three of his own at the buzzer to head into the locker room with Ramapo on top, 39-36. Bonacum led Ramapo with seven points in the half and Ford and Stanek each netted six, as the team went 13-29 (49%). Justin Porter put away a team leading eight points for MSU. The team combined hitting 13-31 (42%).
For the first five plus minutes of the second half the Red Hawks led Ramapo, leading by five with 15:41 on the clock and a jumper from Brandon Channer. At 15:10,
Cory Soanes would spark a 10-0 run to put the Roadrunners ahead, 56-51, the run was capped with a two-point goal from Bonacum. MSU would come within three points at 9:43 with a free throw from Channer, but the Roadrunners would work their way back to a double-digit advantage after Stanek put away two points to jump ahead, 71-61 with just under six minutes to play. A three-point goal from Stanek with 2:27 to go put Ramapo up, 77-67 followed by a traveling violation by MSU would force the Red Hawks to talk it over. Ramapo would hold onto the advantage until the final buzzer taking the game, 80-68. Bonacum sank 14 points in the half and Ramapo hit a combined 13-24 (54%). Channer led MSU with 12 points as the team went 10-28 (36%).
Jordan Roberson led the Red Hawks with a double-double including 13 points and 11 rebounds while Channer finished with 12 points and Bogus with ten. The team combined for 23-59 (39%) from the field. Isaiah Channer and Bogus each dished out three assists.
Ramapo returns to action on Saturday, January 28th when they travel to Kean for a 5pm NJAC match-up.
