DALLAS, Pa. (December 4, 2017) – Host Misericordia University pulled away from the Rutgers University-Newark men's basketball team in the second half of their non-conference showdown as the visitors lost 80-68. The Scarlet Raiders move to 2-5 while the Cougars even their record at 4-4.
Rutgers-Newark was led by junior
Mark Thomas who poured in a team-best 21 points and grabbed a squad-high seven rebounds to go with two steals. Classmate
Tyler Ofray joined Thomas in double-figures with 15 points including two 3-pointers while adding five boards. Sophomore
Chase Barneys recorded a team-high three assists.
In a tightly contested first half that featured a whopping 12 lead changes as well as three ties, neither team could gain much of an advantage. The Scarlet Raiders jumped out of the gate with the first four points of the contest on a pair of lay-ups by Thomas but the home side struck back quickly with a 3-pointer to kick off a see-saw battle.
The visitors attempted to gain more than a one possession edge multiple times but could not build on a couple of three point leads. In fact, R-N's last lead of the half came on a Thomas jumper off a feed by senior
Emmanuel Kema to make it 28-27 with 4:17 on the clock. From there, the Cougars tried to take control and while a pair of trifectas from Ofray kept the Scarlet Raiders close, Misericordia claimed a 39-34 advantage at the break.
The Cougars came racing out of the gate after halftime and put Rutgers-Newark in an insurmountable hole. A Thomas bucket about three minutes in had the visitors within six but the home team embarked on a devastating 16-4 run that opened up Misericordia's largest lead of the game.
The Scarlet Raiders did not go away, however, and attempted to chip away at their deficit. On two occasions, points from Thomas brought the visitors within 11 including a lay-in that made it 78-67 with 2:33 remaining. Unfortunately, R-N would get no closer as it fell by a final score of 80-68.
The Scarlet Raiders stay on the road as they head to New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) foe Ramapo on Wednesday night with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
