NEWARK, NJ – Junior guard Pedro Burgos poured in six 3-point field goals on his way to 30 points as wounded Rutgers-Newark downed New York University, 69-54, in the semifinals of the ECAC Metro Men's Basketball Championship Tournament in The Golden Dome.

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

The fourth-seeded Scarlet Raiders (19-7) travel to second-seeded Stevens tomorrow for the 5 p.m. championship game. The Raiders, who are playing in their eighth ECAC Metro Tournament, have not taken the title since 1996.

Junior forward Jeremiah Rivers tallied 15 points, eight rebounds, four steals and two assists for Rutgers-Newark while sophomore point guard Al'Don Muhammad made five of eight shots from the floor on his way to 11 points, a game-high nine assists and three steals. Sophomore forward Noah McCoy contributed seven points and seven rebounds.

The Violets (16-11), who knocked off top-seeded St. Joseph's LI, 107-53, in the opening round of the playoffs got 17 points from junior center Andy Stein. Sophomore forward Carl Yaffe had 13 points, a game-high 13 rebounds and four assists while senior forward Richie Polan chipped in 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Burgos had a dozen points and Rivers 11 as the Raiders forged a 38-23 halftime lead by hitting five of 12 shots from beyond the arc.

Stein and Polan had seven points each to account for all the damage in a 14-0 run which trimmed the Raider lead to 44-43 with 12:52 left. The Violets would twice more cut their deficit to a single point, but the stubborn Raiders never relinquished the lead.

Burgos poured in three treys and netted 11 points during the decisive 16-4 run which staked Rutgers-Newark to a 64-51 lead with 3:18 left.

The smaller Raiders scratched out a slim 34-33 advantage in rebounding against the taller Violets.
Stevens (20-7) stopped third-seeded Mount St. Mary, 71-66, in Hoboken to set up Sunday's championship matchup.

Rutgers-Newark advanced to the championship game despite playing without several key players, including sophomore center Hussein Abdelmaksoud who broke a bone in his foot the day before the playoffs began.