Ewing, NJ:  The Ramapo College men's basketball team dropped a tough match-up today to the Lions of The College of New Jersey in an NJAC match-up on the road, 82-56.  Ramapo falls to 13-9 overall and 9-6 in the NJAC while TCNJ improves to 14-8 overall and 11-4 in conference play.
 
Ramapo was led by Connor Romano with 11 points as he shot 5-10 from the field.  Jason Battle added nine points while Rob McWilliams sank nine of his own.  Jordan Zagadou finished the day with seven points as the team went 20-51 (39%) in the loss.  Romano pulled down eight rebounds, Marquise Kindel seven, and Romano and Kindel each dished out two assists.  The Roadrunners forced 12 TCNJ turnovers on the day.
 
The Lions opened the game with back-to-back baskets sparked with a three from Randall Walko to take a 5-0 lead, before Zagadou got the Roadrunners on the board with a layup at 18-flat on the clock.  Michael Chapman and Mike Walley hit back-to-back threes to put the Lions up, 14-4 before a free throw from Andre Morgan sparked a 13-0 Ramapo run, capped with a basket from Romano, to put Ramapo on top, 17-14.  The Lions didn't sit back as they strung together a 15-0 run to go ahead, 29-17.  PJ Ringel started the run with a layup at 10:22 and Walko capped it off with an and-one play at 6:49.  TCNJ was able to keep the lead for the remainder of the half, going up 38-25 with a three from Walley with 0:27 to play.  Battle sank two free throws at the end of the half to head into the locker room trailing the Lions, 27-38.  Ramapo shot a combined 9-26 (35%) in the half and the Lions went 12-28 (43%).  McWilliams led the Roadrunners with seven points and Romano and Morgan each added six.  TCNJ was led by Walko with nine points and Walley with eight.
 
In the opening three-plus minutes of the half, Ramapo would out score the Lions, 10-5 after an and-one play from Romano brought them within six, 37-43.  TCNJ strung together a 14-6 run over the next six minutes to take a 57-43 lead with another three from Travis Jocelyn with 10:48 on the clock.  The two teams traded baskets over the next few minutes as Kindel and Zagadou hit back-to-back goals with 6:17 on the clock to close the gap, 53-64 forcing the Lions to call a timeout.  The Lions took control of the remainder of the game and finished at the buzzer with a 26-point edge over the Roadrunners, 82-56.  TCNJ shot 14-28 (50%) in the half while the Roadrunners hit 11-25 (44%).  
 
Walley led the Lions with 23 points as he shot 8-14 including seven three-point goals.  Ryan Jensen added 14 points and Walko collected 13 as the team hit 26-56 (46%) in the win.  Walko dished out seven assists and led in rebounds with nine.  TCNJ forced nine Ramapo turnovers.
 
The Roadrunners return to action on Wednesday, February 12^th when they host Rutgers Camden at 7:30pm.