NEWARK, N.J. (December 30, 2017) – The Rutgers University-Newark women's basketball team rang in the New Year with a rout as the Scarlet Raiders cruised past visiting Pittsburgh University-Bradford 72-43 in The Golden Dome. R-N closes out 2017 with an even 6-6 record while the Panthers fall to 4-5.

The Scarlet Raiders were led by a stellar performance from junior Faith Ashby who poured in a game-best 21 points while grabbing eight rebounds (three offensive), dished out four assists, and recorded two steals in 37 minutes of action. Senior Nicole Skelly had a big game as well, racking up a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Skelly also shared game-high honors with four helpers and three steals. Sophomore Hannah Ashby rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 points and chipped in with six caroms, four assists, and a pair of steals.

Rutgers-Newark led wire-to-wire, starting out strong and not letting up against Pittsburgh-Bradford. Faith Ashby had eight first quarter points as her team jumped out to an 11-2 lead with 4:08 to play in the period. Ashby closed the quarter with a runner in the lane as time expired to make it 19-9 headed into the second.

With 6:28 remaining in the first half, Bradford briefly made it a single-digit contest when Ali Rinfrette knocked down a jumper as the visitors trailed 21-12. Still, Newark quickly responded with nine consecutive points including six from Hannah Ashby to gain its biggest advantage of the game. The home side would head into the break leading 30-14.

In the third quarter, the Scarlet Raiders erased any hope of a comeback, mounting an incredible 27-6 surge that featured baskets from five different players. Faith Ashby capped the run with her only 3-pointer of the afternoon to make it 59-25.

R-N coasted through the final period and the visitors began to chip away at their deficit, coming within 24 on two occasions. However, it was junior Chelsea Scott who punctuated the victory when Hannah Ashby found her on the left wing and she drilled a trifecta to net the home team's final points of the contest.

The Scarlet Raiders return to the hardwood on Wednesday January 3 when they resume New Jersey Athletic Conference play at Stockton with tip-off scheduled for 8 p.m.