SEWELL, NJ – Senior forward David Cherry (Linden, NJ/Roselle Catholic HS), who netted 13 points, connected on a layup with 31 seconds left to boost Rutgers-Newark to a 62-60 New Jersey Athletic Conference win over Rutgers-Camden in the Gloucester County College gym.
NCAA Box Score & Play-by-Play
Junior point guard Tim Smith (Mullica Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic), who transferred to R-N following an outstanding two-year stint at GCC, paced the Raiders with 14 points while juniors James Johnson (Summit, NJ/Summit) and Phil Barnes (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) notched 10 points apiece to lead a balanced offense.
The Raptors had a chance to force overtime after the Raiders missed a pair of free throws with 9.4 seconds left, but a jumper at the buzzer by Brandon Canty missed the mark.
A 3-point jumper by junior forward Chris Clahar gave the Raptors a 48-41 lead with 12:33 remaining before Rutgers-Newark reeled off seven straight points to tie things at 48-all. A Barnes layup and a jumper by Smith came ahead of a 3-point jumper by junior guard De'Vion Manning (Maplewood, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep).
There were five ties and three lead changes prior to the final minute of play with Clahar evening the score for the final time at 60-60 with a pair of free throws with 1:10 left.
The Scarlet Raptors (4-10, NJAC 0-3) led 31-28 at the half after erasing a seven-point deficit.
Smith scored all 14 of his points in the second half, making five of six shots from the floor and dropping in four of five free throws to keep the Raiders in the fray. He also hauled all down five of his rebounds and made two of his three steals in the final period.
Junior forward DeShawn Singleton (Passaic, NJ/Passaic) bulled inside for eight points on four-for-eight shooting while adding six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Barnes tied Singleton for the team lead in rebounding with six and blocked a pair of shots while making four of six shots.
Clahar paced the Raptors with 15 points off the bench while junior guard Joshua Askew added 14 points, five assists and two steals. Senior guard Bill Banks scored a dozen points while junior forward Tarik Hanton notched 11 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Rutgers-Newark (10-5, NJAC 3-0) stayed unbeaten in league play by posting its second straight victory overall.
The Raiders visit Montclair State on Wednesday for an NJAC twinbill. The women tip off at 5:30 p.m. with the men to follow at 7:30 in the MSU Recreation Center.
