NJAC Release | Season Preview

PITMAN, N.J. (November 14, 2017) – The Rutgers University-Newark women's basketball team was picked to finish seventh in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Preseason Poll, it was announced Tuesday morning by the league office.
 
The Scarlet Raiders – coming off a trip to the NJAC Tournament final – were also selected as the conference's 'Dark Horse'.
 
Montclair State University – the defending NJAC Champion – topped the poll, Stockton University was second and Kean University checked in third. Rowan University, William Paterson University and The College of New Jersey were in spots four, five and six, and rounding out the ledger was Rutgers University-Camden (eight), Ramapo College (nine) and New Jersey City University (10).
 
Montclair State, Kean, Stockton, Rowan, William Paterson and Rutgers-Newark reached the conference tournament in 2016-17.
 
"Last year we were able to finish the season playing our best basketball, and that resulted in a nice postseason run for our program," said Head Coach Ashley Cieplicki. "We need to continue working hard and getting better each time on the court, and hopefully that hard work gives us an opportunity to play for another NJAC title."
 
Rutgers-Newark experienced a four-win improvement from 2015-16 to 2016-17 and returns many of its key contributors this season, while welcoming in a strong group of newcomers. The team recently battled Division I Fairleigh Dickinson University in its final exhibition of the season, and the Scarlet Raiders will open the year at FDU-Florham Wednesday night.
 
R-N opens play in The Golden Dome Friday and Saturday with the annual John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic, welcoming Penn State University-Abington, Cedar Crest College and St. Jospeh's College – Long Island to the Brick City. The Scarlet Raiders will square off with Cedar Crest Friday at 5:30 p.m. and St. Joe's Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
Fans  should follow @ScarletRaiders and @RN_WBB all season long for the latest on Rutgers-Newark women's basketball.