Newark, NJ: The Ramapo College women's basketball team won their eighth straight game with a 67-54 road win over Rutgers-Newark University tonight at the Golden Dome. The Roadrunners improve to 11-5 overall and 8-2 in the NJAC while the Scarlet Raiders now stand at 2-15 overall and 1-9 in the conference.
Olivia Johnstone got Ramapo on the board with a three-pointer to open the game off an assist from
Jada Thompson before Ramapo pulled away for a 17-4 lead heading into the second quarter. In the second, the Scarlet Raiders opened with a 7-0 run before
Jackie Ventricelli got a steal and a fastbreak jumper to put Ramapo up 19-11 with just under 4:15 left to play. That basket started a 7-0 run as
Kellie Martinez converted a pair of free throws and Johnstone sank another three-pointer as the Roadrunners took a 24-11 lead. Rutgers-Newark went on a mini 6-0 run of their own to cut the lead to seven with 1:05 on the clock off a layup from Aliyah Sanchez. Johnstone scored a layup for the Roadrunners and Ventricelli converted on one of two from the free throw line before Rutgers-Newark scored the final basket of the second with a layup from Sanchez. Ramapo went into the locker room with a 27-19 lead.
In the third, following a jumper from Samiyah Horton, 27-34, Ramapo went on a 7-0 run capped off with an and-one play from Thompson to take the biggest lead of the game so far, 41-27, with 4:13 on the clock. Ramapo finished the quarter leading in double figures the final four minutes of action as
Shannon Burns closed out the third with two free throws for a 48-33 lead. Ramapo went up 21 points with 7:18 remaining in the game on a pair of free throws from Thompson, 54-33, before a mini 6-0 run from the Scarlet Raiders cut the lead to 15 with just over five minutes on the clock. Ramapo would hold a double digit lead in the final minutes of the game while Rutgers-Newark shrunk the lead back down to 13 with just 1:23 remaining. Ramapo scored their final four points on the free throw line as they came away with a 67-54 road win.
Thompson posted her fifth double double in as many games and her eighth of the season as she collected 20 points and tied a career high of 16 rebounds while adding six assists and three steals. Johnstone led the team with 21 points including four three-pointers while Ventricelli added eight points, five steals and three assists. The team shot 30% (21-69) from the field, 33% (7-21) from the three-point line and 66% (18-27) from the free throw line. The Roadrunners scored 24 points in the paint, 23 second chance points and 17 points off Scarlet Raider turnovers.
Horton led Rutgers-Newark with 19 points while she added four rebounds, four steals and three assists. Odom Barnes added five rebounds and 11 points while Tracey Ilderis posted a team high 11 rebounds while adding five points. The Scarlet Raiders shot 38% (21-55) from the field, 18% (2-11) from the three-point line and 83% (10-12) from the free throw line.
The Roadrunners return to action on Saturday, January 20
th when they host Stockton University for a key NJAC game at 3:00pm at the Bradley Center.
