Mahwah, NJ: The Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers Newark defeated the Ramapo College men's basketball team in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up, 61-58. The Scarlet Raiders improve to 4-1 overall, 1-0 in the NJAC while the Roadrunners stand at 3-2 overall, 0-1 in the conference.
Rob McWilliams led the Roadrunners with 12 points and eight rebounds,
Jason Battle netted 12 points and
Connor Romano collected 10 and dished out three assists. The Roadrunners shot 18-48 (38%) from the field and 19-29 (66%) from the line. Chase Barneys led the Raiders with 18 points, Jamir Patterson netted 12 points, Quincy Rutherford netted 10 points and six rebounds. Rutgers-Newark was 18-46 (39%) from the field and 19-21 (91%) from the line.
The two teams traded baskets in just over the first ten minutes of play before the Scarlet Raiders would go on a 14-3 run sparked by a pair of free throws from BJ Honis and capped off by a layup from Barneys giving the team the 25-13 led. McWilliams would capitalize on an and-one play tacking on two more for the Roadrunners before Rutgers-Newark would go on a mini 7-0 run. Battle would collect two points in the final seconds of the half and the Roadrunners would head into the locker room trailing 18-32. McWilliams led the Roadrunners in the half netting six points and pulling down five rebounds. The Roadrunners shot 6-22 (27%) from the field. Rutgers-Newark was led by Barneys who was 5-6 from the field sinking 13 points and Dante Ralph pulled down four rebounds. The team shot 13-30 (43%) from the field in the half.
In the second half, a layup from McWilliams would spark a 10-0 run that was capped off by a pair of free throws from
Travis Bennett closing the gap to six, 31-37. Rutherford would capitalize on an and-one play tacking on three points for the Scarlet Raiders before making two more free-throws extending the Rutgers lead to 11. Bennett would sink four points for Ramapo in 29 seconds and
Connor Romano would tack on two closing the gap, 39-44. The Scarlet Raiders would answer back going on a 9-1 run stretching the lead to 13 with 5:45 left to play. Battle hit a big three-pointer followed by two free throws and a layup from McWilliams to bring the Roadrunners within six, 49-55. Rutherford tacked on two free-throws before Battle and Romano sank back-to-back three-pointers to bring Ramapo within two with 51 seconds on the clock. Rutherford would be sent to the line for the Raiders shooting two and missing the first free throw of the game for the team before Jamir Patterson would be on the line and net both shots, 60-55. Romano would be on the line for Ramapo for a pair of free throws, he sank the first while he missed the second allowing
Marquise Kindel to grab the offensive rebound. Kindel would go back up with a made basket, leading Ramapo to call a time out with nine seconds on the clock. The Roadrunners were forced to foul as Barneys would be sent to the line to tack on one more for the Scarlet Raiders, 61-58. A last second three-point attempt from Battle would not be enough to tie the game and the Scarlet Raiders would come away with the victory.
The Ramapo College Roadrunners will return to action on Wednesday, December 4th at 7:30pm when they host Montclair State University.
