Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark used swarming defense to limit Ramapo to just 15 second-half points to take a 60-42 win in the opening round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament in The Golden Dome Arena.

Junior forward Jasmine Daniels netted 10 of her game-high 16 points in the second half when the fourth-seeded Scarlet Raiders (18-8) expanded a 28-27 halftime edge to as many as 23 points against the fifth-seeded Roadrunners (17-9).  Daniels notched a double-double by adding a team-high 11 rebounds.

Ramapo senior guard Faith Flannery netted seven of her team-high nine points in the opening half which featured six ties and 11 lead changes with neither team leading by more than four points.

Daniels knocked down three mid-range jumpers and junior guard ShaQuanna Marshall drove for three layups to key the decisive 14-5 run to open the second period.  Marshall's final driving layup made it 42-32 with 14:25 left and the Roadrunners would never get closer than seven points before Rutgers-Newark started to methodically pull away.  A Daniels jumper upped the gap to 60-37 with 2:21 left.

Marshall finished with 10 points, four assists and three steals while junior center Jewell Palmer tallied 10 points, seven rebounds, two blocked shots, two assists and two steals for the Raiders who downed Ramapo for the third time this season.

Sophomore forward Jade Howard added seven points, seven rebounds and five steals to help Rutgers-Newark convert 27 Roadrunner turnovers into 18 points.  Freshman guard Maria Simmons also made five steals while adding seven points and four assists while sophomore reserve center Sharee Gordon contributed seven points and five rebounds.

Junior guard Alayna Donadio came off the bench to spark Ramapo with eight points, 10 rebounds and two steals while junior forward Micaela Moore hauled down a game-high 12 rebounds and added three blocked shots and three steals.  Sophomore forward Alex Milne chipped in seven points.

Rutgers-Newark advances to the semifinal round at top-seeded and unbeaten Montclair State (25-0) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Panzer Athletic Center.

The Raiders advance to the NJAC semifinals for the third time in a row and four the fourth time since 2007 under 12th-year head coach Kevin Morris.  Rutgers-Newark has earned eight NJAC playoff berths with Morris at the helm.

The Red Hawks, ranked fifth in the nation by D3Hoops.com and ninth in USA Today/Women's Basketball Coaches Association Poll, has downed Rutgers-Newark twice this season:  67-36 on December 1 in Montclair and 68-48 in The Golden Dome on January 19.