Box Score

CAMDEN, NJ – Rutgers-Newark sophomore guard John Snow almost became the hero with a pair of 3-point jumpers, but Rutgers-Camden sophomore forward Teon Russell stole his thunder – and the game – in a 62-61 overtime thriller in New Jersey Athletic Conference play.

The Scarlet Raptors (7-10, NJAC 4-6) snapped the Scarlet Raiders' 7-game winning streak when Russell picked off a deflected inbounds pass in the final second and hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer as the Rutgers-Camden completed an improbable sweep of the regular-season series between the teams.

Snow, who finished with14 points, hit only two of five shots from beyond the arc, but they were crucial.  His trey with 14 seconds left in regulation forced overtime by knotting the score at 52-52.  He nailed his second 3-pointer with just eight seconds left in overtime to boost the Raiders into a 61-60 lead.

The Raptors appeared defeated when junior guard Woody Redding was whistled for charging with just two seconds left, giving the Raiders possession on the right side baseline.  But Russell, who made just three of 12 shots from the floor on his way to seven points, six rebounds and five steals, came away from a crowd with the inbounds pass and nailed the decisive jumper from 12 feet out on the right side as the horn sounded.

Senior forward Fateen Belfield notched a double-double for the Raiders with 12 points and 10 rebounds while sophomore swingman Christian Garcia compiled 14 points, seven rebounds and seven rebounds.  Senior center Hussein Abdelmaksoud hauled down a team-high 12 rebounds while adding eight points and three steals as Rutgers-Newark dominated the boards, 53-32.  Freshman forward David Azoroh came off the bench for seven points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.

Redding poured in a game-high 23 points, making 13 of 16 free throws while adding a game-high eight assists, five steals and five rebounds to offset an off night on offense by Russell.  The Raptors bench outscored its counterpart, 22-12, getting 11 points from senior guard Gemir Pitts and 10 from freshman guard Steve Schneider.

The Raiders (13-4, NJAC 7-3) clawed back from a 57-52 deficit in overtime as Abdelmaksoud made six of six free throws around a 3-point jumper by Raptor sophomore guard Jason Richardson to reduce the Raptor lead to 60-58 with 39 seconds left.  That set the stage for the frantic final seconds.

Rutgers-Newark led 49-42 with 5:30 left in regulation after freshman guard Rahim Bunch drained a 3-point jumper, but the Redding tallied eight points to fuel a 10-0 Raptor run to seize a 52-49 lead with 32 seconds left as the Raiders failed to score until Snow's first 3-pointer.

There were 10 lead changes and eight ties in the nip-and-tuck battle with the Raiders clinging to a 29-28 lead at the half.

In the end, 26 turnovers proved to be the Raiders' undoing.

Rutgers-Newark hosts Montclair State on Saturday in The Golden Dome Arena in an NJAC doubleheader.  The women tip off at 6 p.m. with the men to follow at 8.