Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark downed Kean, 72-59, in its regular-season finale in The Golden Dome Arena.  But that was only half of the story for the final night of the regular season.

2013 NJAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament Bracket (PDF)

In Wayne, William Paterson (19-6, NJAC 12-4) downed Ramapo (17-8, NJAC 11-6), 54-42, to give the Scarlet Raiders an opening round home game in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament this Saturday.  Tonight's game against Kean was not a league game because of NCAA and NJAC sanctions against the Cougars' women's basketball program.

Freshman guard Laura Shakiri netted 11 of her 18 points in the second half as the Raiders raced past the Cougars  after trailing by three at the half.  Shakiri dropped in three treys after the break.

Junior forward Jasmine Daniels tallied 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Raiders while junior center Jewell Palmer added 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals as Rutgers-Newark (17-8, NJAC 11-6) completed a sweep of Kean (5-18).

Backcourt mates Maria Simmons and ShaQuanna Marshall contributed eight points and three assists each with Simmons coming away with a game-high steals and Marshall snaring six rebounds.

Kean senior forward Erika Jones single-handedly gave the Cougars the halftime lead, scoring 28 of her 37 points and hauling down 14 of her 20 rebounds in her final college game.  She nailed six of eight 3-point jumpers while adding for assists, three blocked shots and a pair of steals on the night.

A pair of free throws by Jones gave Kean its last lead at 45-43 with 14:30 left before Palmer had five points and Shakiri sank a trey to spark an 8-0 run which staked the Raiders to a 53-45 lead with 12:07 left.  Kean got within three points at 53-50 before Shakiri nailed two more 3-points to fuel a decisive 13-2 rally.  Simmons capped the outburst with a trey to make it 66-52 with 6:59 left.

Rutgers-Newark hosts Ramapo in The Golden Dome Arena on Saturday at  7 p.m. in the conference tournament opening round.  The Raiders got the home nod over the Roadrunners by sweeping the home-and-away series against Ramapo.

Saturday's home NJAC playoff game will mark only the second time that the Raiders have hosted a conference tournament contest. Of the previous nine appearances – all since 2005 under head coach Kevin Morris – only a 63-48 opening round victory over The College of New Jersey in 2011 was held in The Golden Dome.

The winner of Saturday's game advances to take on undefeated Montclair State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Panzer Athletic Center in the semifinals.