PITMAN, NJ – Rutgers-Newark senior guard Pedro Burgos and freshman swingman Christian Garcia have swept the weekly men's basketball awards for the New Jersey Athletic Conference after helping the Scarlet Raiders to a vital win at Montclair State on Saturday.

NJAC Men's Basketball Players Of The Week (Jan. 5, 2012)

Burgos, a 2011 first-team All-NJAC shooting guard, poured in 26 of his game-high 30 points in the second half of the crucial 83-71 win in the Red Hawks' Panzer Athletic Center while Garcia came off the bench for 19 points, eight rebounds, two assists, a game-high two blocked shots and a steal.

It was the first weekly nod of the year for Burgos while Garcia claimed the rookie award for the fourth time in 12 weeks and for the second consecutive time.   Burgos was named the NJAC Player of the Week twice last season while Garcia, who received a medical hardship season after suffering a broken bone in his foot in December of 2011, took three of the first four rookie awards as a true freshman.

Burgos averaged 26.0 points while hitting 50% (17-34) of his field goals, 56.3% (9-16) of his 3-point jumpers and 90% (9-10) of his free throws during a 1-1 week for the Scarlet Raiders.  In Wednesday's 82-69 loss to Stevens, Burgos tallied 22 points.  Against MSU, he drained five of seven 3-point jumpers and made nine of 10 free throws.

Garcia averaged 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds off the bench in the pair of games.  He netted 10 points in the loss to Stevens.

The win at MSU boosted the Raiders (13-9, NJAC 6-4) into a second place tie in the NJAC's rugged North Division with New Jersey City (16-5, NJAC 6-4) – a half-game ahead of Montclair State (16-7, NJAC 6-5) and Ramapo (14-8, NJAC 6-5) – in the battle for one of three conference championship berths. 

The Raiders host division leading William Paterson (19-3, NJAC 9-2) on Wednesday before finishing the regular season at home against Ramapo on Saturday and at New Jersey City on February 15.