Box Score PURCHASE, N.Y. – All five starters scored in double figures and Rutgers University-Newark used a 29-4 first-half run to pull away for an 84-54 win over Purchase College in the Purchase Physical Education Center.
Sophomores
Jasmine Lombard and
Arianna Williams tallied a dozen points apiece as the Scarlet Raiders raced out to a 45-23 halftime edge by dominating play on both ends of the court. Rutgers-Newark controlled the boards, 29-8, in the opening period while its bench outscored the hosts, 12-0. The Raiders shot a sizzling 54.1% (20-37) and tallied 13 points off of eight Panther turnovers before the intermission.
Lombard netted 10 of her 16 points and Williams drained three 3-point jumpers during the decisive 29-4 spurt. The Raiders pushed the lead to 41-15 on a layup by senior forward
Jade Howard with 3:50 left in the period. Senior center
Sharee Gordon hauled down eight of her 10 rebounds and Lombard collared seven of her nine boards in the opening half.
Rutgers-Newark pushed the lead to 58-25 on a rebound basket by Howard with seven minutes gone in the second half to dash any hopes of a comeback by the Panthers.
Williams connected on a career-high six 3-point jumpers on 10 tries to finish with a career-high 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Howard with 18 points and 11 rebounds and Gordon with 16 points and 10 rebounds gave the Raiders a pair of double-double efforts while Lombard came up a rebound shy of the feat. Lombard connected on eight of 12 shots from the floor.
Sophomore guard
Maria Simmons added 13 points, six rebounds and a game-high seven assists while sophomore guard
Shala Glenn dished out six of the Raiders' season-high 21 assists.
Panther sophomore guard Allison Haugh knocked down nine of 15 3-point jumpers to finish with a game-high 31 points while junior forward Elizabeth Osowiecki tallied 15 points and a team-high six rebounds.
The Raiders dominated rebounding, 50-18 while shooting over 50% from the floor for the second straight game. Coming off of a 58.5% performance in a 63-51 win over New Jersey City, Rutgers-Newark connected on 52.9% (37-70) of its field goal tries.
The 84 points were 11 more than the previous season high total of 73 posted in a season-opening overtime win over Baruch.
Rutgers-Newark (3-2, NJAC 1-0), which won its second straight decision, returns to New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against two-time defending league champion Montclair State (5-0, NJAC 2-0). The nationally-ranked Red Hawks routed Moravian, 86-58, in Bethlehem, Penn., tonight. The Raider men will play Montclair State at 8 in the conference doubleheader.
