Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark clawed back from a double-digit deficit to tie the game twice in the second half, but Rutgers-Camden held off the Scarlet Raiders for a 72-66 New Jersey Athletic Conference win in The Golden Dome.

The Raiders (2-1, NJAC 0-1) got 15 points and 11 rebounds from sophomore swingman Christian Garcia and 18 points and four assists from senior point guard Al'Don Muhammad, but the Scarlet Raptors (2-1, NJAC 1-0) made the big plays down the stretch to take the win in the league opener for each squad.

Sophomore forward Teon Russell tallied 16 points and hauled down a game-high 17 rebounds while junior guard Woody Redding also got a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists as Rutgers-Camden snapped a 5-game losing streak against its sister institution.

Down 48-38 after a Russell jumper, the Raiders got back-to-back inside baskets by senior center Hussein Abdelmaksoud to start a 12-2 rally which was capped by a 3-point jumper by sophomore guard John Snow with 9:36 left to level the score at 50-50.

Junior guard Brandyn Wims, who led all scorers with 20 points, and Muhammad traded 3-point jumpers to put the score at 53-53 before a free throw by Wims and an offensive rebound basket by Russell put the Raptors ahead to stay.

A pair of free throws by Garcia made it 56-55 before Russell wrapped a pair of baskets around layups by Wims and Redding to push the Rutgers-Camden lead to 64-55 with 3:27 remaining.

Abdelmaksoud scored inside and made a pair of free throws ahead of a layup by Garcia with 1:57 left to whittle the Raider deficit to 64-61, but the Raptors pushed their advantage to 71-62 with 30 seconds left on a free throw by Redding.

Sophomore guard Doze Ikwuegbu finished with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists for the Raiders while Abdelmaksoud barely missed a double-double with 10 rebounds and nine points.

Wims added seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals for the Raptors who got a major contribution off the bench from junior forward Michael Williams.  Williams hit his first four shots to help the visitors race out to a 24-11 lead.  He also blocked two shots and hauled down four of his six rebounds in the opening half in only seven minutes on the floor.

Rutgers-Newark travels to Stevens on Sunday at 2 p.m. for a non-conference game following a short Thanksgiving break.  The Raiders are back in NJAC action on November 28 when New Jersey City comes to The Golden Dome for a doubleheader.