Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College men's basketball team earned a 77-76 win over Rowan University this afternoon at the Bradley Center in NJAC action. The Roadrunners move to 4-6 overall, 1-4 in the conference while the Profs now stand at 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the NJAC.
 
A last second shot from Matt Latka would propel the Roadrunners to their first NJAC win of the season. Latka led Ramapo with 21 points including 14 in the second half. Jordan Zagadou recorded 14 points while Rob McWilliams and Mark Howell each contributed with ten points. Connor Romano pulled down a team high 11 rebounds and added eight points. The team shot 46% (28-60) from the field, 30% (4-13) from the three-point line and 54% (17-31) from the free throw line. The Ramapo defense forced 19 Prof turnovers that turned into 22 points for the Roadrunners.
 
The Profs opened the game with a three-pointer before Ramapo went on an 8-2 run taking an 8-5 lead with 16:30 on the clock. McWilliams sank back-to-back shots to start the run while Lakta tallied a jumper and Romano capped it off with a three-pointer. Rowan sank a three-pointer from Austin Kearney to tie the game at eight with less than 16 minutes on the clock before both teams sank a three-pointer, one from Latka and one from Matt Green as the game was again tied at 11. Andre Morgan took a pass from Marquise Kindel to put Ramapo up 13-11 with 13:46 on the clock. The two teams traded baskets over the next 4:35 in the game as Rowan would take a one-point lead with a three pointer from Maliq Sanders 21-20. Ramapo would go on a 10-0 run over the next 3:50 to take a 30-21 lead. Rowan would cut the lead to three with an and-one play from Kearny with 1:25 left in the half. Howell connected on the second of a two-shot free throw before Kearney made a jumper under the basket with 45 seconds on the clock to come within two of the Ramapo lead. Howell and Price connected on back-to-back free throws for each team as Ramapo led 40-38 before Howell scored a breakaway jumper as time expired to go up 42-38 heading into halftime.
 
Rowan tied the game in the first minute of the half on a 5-1 run when Ryan O'Leary sank a three-pointer for a 43-43 score. Zagadou scored a jumper with 17:30 on the clock before O'Leary tallied his third three-pointer of the game to take a one-point Rowan lead 46-45. Latka recorded back-to-back jumpers to retake the lead 49-46 with 14:41 left to play. O'Leary then went on a 4-0 run of his own connecting on a free throw and a three-pointer to retake the lead 50-49 with 13:11 on the clock. McWilliams gave Ramapo the lead with 12:51 on the clock as he scored a jumper before Howell scored two (53-50) from the charity stripe following a technical foul on Rowan's bench. Rowan would go on 10-3 run to take a 60-56 lead before Ramapo went on a 6-0 run to take a 62-60 lead with 7:35 on the clock. An 8-2 run from Rowan put the Profs up 68-64 with less than five minutes on the clock, including two three-pointers from Kearney. A 7-2 run from Ramapo put them up 71-70 with a three-pointer from Latka before a Green sank a three-pointer for Rowan with 1:56 left in the game for a 73-71 lead. A Latka layup sandwiched between a Rowan free throw and layup saw the Profs with a three-point lead with less than 40 seconds left in the game 76-73. Zagadou brought the Roadrunners within one with a jumper with 20 seconds on the clock before Latka sank the game winner with less than one second remaining for a 77-76 score. Rowan would have to go the length of the court with .6 seconds on the clock but Latka was able to cut off the long pass as Ramapo came away with the NJAC home victory.
 
Four Profs scored in double figures as Kearney tallied 21 points including 4-8 from the three-point line. Price and Green each tallied 14 points while O'Leary connected on four three-pointers and scored 13 points for the team. Kearney and Smith each pulled down a team high seven rebounds. The team shot 44% (27-61) from the floor, 41% (14-34) from the three-point line and 50% (8-16) from the free throw line.
 
The Roadrunners return to action at the 2019 D3hoops.com Classic in Las Vegas, NV. The Roadrunners take on Muskingum University on Saturday, December 28th at 9pm (EST) and the College of St. Scholastica on Sunday, December 29th. Live stat and video links will be posted on www.ramapoathletics.com.