MAHWAH, NJ – Despite a game-high 23 points from freshman guard Jared Tactuk (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) the Scarlet Raiders (10-11, 4-6 NJAC) fell to New Jersey Athletic Conference rival Ramapo (9-12, 4-6 NJAC) in heartbreaking fashion, losing 44-42 in overtime at the Bradley Center.

NCAA Box Score and Play-By-Play

Tactuk matched a career-high with five steals in the loss, while fellow freshman Shatanay McCaskill (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) hauled in a career-best 16 rebounds. Junior Courtney Vacca (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) grabbed 10 rebounds and added four points, while senior Bimpe Fageyinbo (Morris Plains, NJ/Passippany Hills) collected four points and four boards.

With the game knotted at 16 the Scarlet Raiders closed out the half on a 7-2 run to take a 23-18 lead into the break. Tactuk helped jumpstart the Rutgers-Newark offense early, netting 10 first half points on four-for-eight shooting. Senior Tiffany China scored eight points to pace the Roadrunners in the first half, while freshman forward Lindsey Gripenburg added four.

Ramapo would make its move early in the second going on an 11-6 run over the first 10 minutes of the stanza to deadlock the game at 29.

Sophomore guard Brittany Hoffman would give the Roadrunners their first advantage of the evening, since leading 2-0 in the early going, with a pair of free-throws at 8:43. A China free-throw would cap a 10-4 Ramapo run that put the Roadrunners up 39-33.

But Tactuk would would lead the Scarlet Raider rally, slicing the lead in half with a triple at the 3:13 mark, before a McCaskill jumper pulled the Scarlet Raiders within one. Tactuk would put the Rutgers-Newark back on top with a jumper just shy of the two minute mark.

But trailing 41-39 after a Tactuk free-throw Hoffman would find a way to pull the Roadrunners even connecting on a basket with just 30 seconds left to force overtime.

Offense was hard to come by in the extra session as both teams found themselves mired in a defensive struggle with each squad finishing the frame without a field goal.

Ultimately, a pair of Malika Gilliam free-throws proved to be the difference as the Roardrunners outscored their Scarlet Raiders 3-1 from the charity stripe to come away with the victory.

China finished with 12 points to lead all Ramapo scorers, while sophomore guard Stephanie Cannizzarro added nine points and a team-high nine rebounds.

The Scarlet Raiders shot just 21.5% (14-for-65) from the floor compared to its 37.5% shooting night in a 59-31 win over the Roadrunners earlier this season. Ramapo, which managed just 31 points in the first meeting on 29.3% shooting, connected on 34.2% of its shots while out-rebounding the Scarlet Raiders 45-41 to take the rematch.

Rutgers-Newark will look to rebound at a non-conference tilt against Braircliffe on Saturday, February 7.