Box Score

NEWARK, N.J. – Senior swingman Christian Garcia totaled 24 points and nine rebounds to help Rutgers University-Newark battle past The College of New Jersey, 66-56, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game in The Golden Dome Arena.
 
The Scarlet Raiders (7-1, NJAC 3-0) led wire-to-wire but the scrappy Lions (3-5, NJAC 1-3) never gave up despite trailing by as many as 16 points in the second half.
 
Garcia hauled down seven rebounds, hit five of nine shots from the floor, dished off two assists and blocked two shots in the first half as the Raiders constructed a 36-27 halftime edge.  Senior guard Chris Foreman knocked down three of four shots from beyond the arc in the opening period to account for all of his points.
 
Rutgers-Newark got 14 points from junior forward Jordan McDaniel while senior forward Allen Kuiper battled inside for six rebounds.  Junior forward David Azoroh contributed five points and four rebounds.
 
Sophomore guard Darrian Collins connected on two of four 3-point jumpers on his way to eight points, four rebounds and three assists.  Collins, Garcia and freshman guard Tyler Ofray each had three assists to pace the Raiders.
 
Senior guard Jayson Johnson kept the Lions close by gunning in a game-high 27 points, but he was the only TCNJ player in double figures.  He connected on eight of 16 shots from the floor and made 10 of 14 free throws to carry the visitors.
 
Lion senior Bobby Bracket was limited to a season-low five points and nine rebounds by the tag team of Kuiper, Azoroh and senior center Elvis Hodzic.  The trio battled the TCNJ forward who entered the night with five double-doubles in seven games.

Rutgers-Newark opened the game with a 7-0 run.  Garcia hit a layup before the senior notched assists on a trey by McDaniel and a layup by McDaniel to put the Lions into a hole from which they would never escape.
 
The Raiders dominated rebounding, 37-29, and 13 offensive boards led to 16 second-chance points for the hosts.  TCNJ made just seven of 21 field goal tries in the second half as the Raiders limited them to 40 per cent accuracy for the night.
 
Garcia climbed another rung on the Raider career scoring ladder, edging past R-N Athletic Hall of Famer Burt Geltzelier (1946-50) who netted 1,222 points.  Garcia now ranks sixth on the all-time list with 1,235 points – just 14 behind fifth-place scorer Chadd Barnes (2005-08).
 
Rutgers-Newark hosts a non-conference doubleheader in The Golden Dome on Monday.  The Raider women take on Mount Saint Mary at 6 p.m. with the men facing Hunter College (3-5) in the 8 o'clock nightcap.