Highlights
NEWARK, N.J. (January 28, 2017) – The Rutgers University-Newark women's basketball team picked up a key New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) win Saturday night in The Golden Dome, topping Rutgers University-Camden, 62-53.
The Scarlet Raiders improve to 5-8 in the NJAC and 7-13 overall, and Camden drops to 6-6 in the conference and 12-7 overall. R-N – who secured the season sweep of Rutgers-Camden - will look to make it two-straight NJAC wins Wednesday night at Ramapo College.
R-N played well all night, getting big contributions from sophomore guard
Faith Ashby, senior guard
Maria Simmons and senior guard
Shala Glenn.
"We played really well tonight and had some people step up – especially Shala (Glenn)" said second-year Head Coach
Ashley Cieplicki. "Wednesday night was tough, but the ladies bounced back in a big way which was great to see. Now the key will be to play the same way Wednesday night."
Ashby totaled a game-high 21 points on just 14 shots, adding three rebounds, three steals and two assists, and Simmons had a rare double-double with just four points. The R-N veteran did everything else, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists as well as pocketing two thefts and a blocked shot. Glenn had her second-straight splendid performance, posting 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbing five rebounds. Junior forward
Nicole Skelly was strong off the bench with six points, eight rebounds and a steal.
Rutgers-Newark played an excellent first half, taking a 35-24 lead into the locker room. After falling behind 10-6 3:39 into the game after the second three-pointer of the game for sophomore guard Gabby Greene, the Scarlet Raider defense took control, holding the Scarlet Raptors off the scoreboard for the next 5:55 of game time. During that span, the Raider offense heated up a bit as well, running off 11-straight points to open a 17-10 lead. Glenn had five of her 11 first-quarter points in the rally, and the hosts ended up taking a 19-12 margin into the second.
Camden came back to make it a two-point game early in the second, but a three-pointer from freshman forward
Louise Ann Borja slowed the momentum. Freshman guard
Hannah Ashby and
Faith Ashby buried back-to-back long balls later in the quarter to help R-N to a 13-point lead, and the Scarlet Raiders settled on an 11-point lead at intermission.
Glenn started the third with a bucket, but six-straight points from Rutgers-Camden made it a seven-point game with 5:20 left in the quarter. Rutgers-Newark responded with nine of the next 11 – punctuated by another three-pointer from
Hannah Ashby – and eventually took a 46-34 advantage into the fourth quarter.
A three-point play from senior forward Caroline Santiago pulled the Scarlet Raptors within six points with 5:54 to play, but Newark responded, getting a clutch three-pointer from
Faith Ashby to push the lead back to nine points with 5:20 on the clock. Camden again fought within six and Newark again countered with a three from
Faith Ashby, this time nailing an attempt from the far corner to put her team on top 54-45 with just 4:04 left.
From that point, the Scarlet Raiders did what they had to, playing strong defense, running clock on offense and grabbing several key offensive rebounds to seal the much-needed conference win.
Rutgers-Newark – now 5-8 in the league with five conference games left – will need to keep winning league games down the stretch if it wants a berth in the NJAC Tournament. The top-six teams in the conference make the postseason tourney, and the Scarlet Raptors currently hold the No. 6 spot with a league mark of 6-6. The College of New Jersey (6-7), Rowan University (7-6), Camden and Rutgers-Newark are all in the mix for spots five and six in the tournament.
NJAC Standings
R-N shot 36.7 percent from the field, 35 percent (7-of-20) from long range and 11-for-15 at the line, scoring 26 points in the paint. The Raiders held a 43-39 margin on the glass and assisted on 17 of their 22 made baskets.
Camden shot 33.3 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three and 5-for-8 at the stripe, totaling 12 assists, 17 turnovers and eight steals. Santiago tallied a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double as four Raptors were in double figures.
