Box Score NEWARK, N.J. – Rutgers University-Newark overcame a cold start to hold off upset-minded York College, 66-60, in the ECAC Metro quarterfinals in The Golden Dome Arena.
Junior forward
Jordan McDaniel netted 13 of his game-high 17 points in the second half and came up with a crucial blocked shot in the final minute as the second-seeded Scarlet Raiders (19-9) bounced back after scoring just seven points in the first 12 minutes of the high-energy battle against the Cardinals (14-14).
The Raiders advance to Saturday's semifinals against third-seeded NYU (18-8), a 68-65 winner over Rutgers-Camden, at 2:15 p.m. in top-seeded Brooklyn College's West Quad Center. The host Bulldogs face fifth-seeded Staten Island (18-9) at 7 p.m. in the other semifinal contest. Saturday's winners square off in the title game at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday on Brooklyn College's home court.
After the game tipped off 35 minutes late because of a late arriving York team, it was the Raiders that had a tough time getting started. The Cardinals led 16-7 on a 3-point jumper by senior guard Ryan St. John with 8:34 left in the opening half.
But senior forwards
Allen Kuiper and
Elvis Hodzic came off the bench to ignite a 19-8 Raider run over the final eight minutes of the period that was punctuated by three 3-point jumpers by junior reserve guard
Vik Singh during the final four minutes. Rutgers-Newark led 28-24 at the half.
Kuiper started the Raider spree with back-to-back baskets, but it was Hodzic's performance on the boards that keyed the turnaround. He collared seven of his career-high 14 rebounds in the closing minutes while contributing an inside bucket and an assist. Singh, who netted all of his points on his three first-half treys, nailed his second 3-pointer with 14 seconds left in the half to give Rutgers-Newark its first lead of the night. Just before the halftime buzzer, Singh took a pass from the middle by Hodzic and buried a trey from the right side to change the momentum.
The Cardinals battled back in the second period with a jumper by junior forward Rashaan Bailey giving York a 39-38 lead with 11:19 left. A trey and a pair of free throws by St. John ignited a 7-0 Cardinal rally to flip the lead.
The Raiders answered with a 14-5 spurt capped by a layup and a 3-point jumper by senior swingman
Christian Garcia to set the score at 52-44 with 4:51 left. Rutgers-Newark led 56-46 with 3:28 remaining after a layup by Hodzic, but York would not go away.
A trey by St. John sliced the Raider lead to 60-57 with 46 seconds on the clock and a Rutgers-Newark turnover gave York a chance to cut deeper into their deficit. But McDaniel rejected a driving layup by senior guard Franklin Green with 30 seconds remaining. Senior guard
Doze Ikwuegbu made six of six free throws over the final 26 seconds to off-set a 3-point jumper by York senior forward Cyril Reid.
Ikwuegbu finished six points, four rebounds and three assists while Garcia notched six points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists for the Raiders. Kuiper tallied seven points and five rebounds while junior forward
David Azoroh hit four of five shots from the floor and five of six free throws to total 13 points while adding six rebounds.
Hodzic's rebounding helped the Raiders dominate the glass, 40-23, and off-set 24 Cardinal points produced by 16 Rutgers-Newark turnovers.
Senior forward Jaron Williams paced York with 16 points while Reid and Green added 13 apiece. St. John knocked down three treys on his way to 11 points while senior guard Du'Quan Lawson tallied three points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists.
