Box Score TOWSON, Md. (December 15, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Newark women's basketball team came up short this afternoon in non-conference action at Goucher College, falling 54-48. The Scarlet Raiders move to 6-5 while the Gophers improve to 4-4.
 
Rutgers-Newark was led by senior Faith Ashby who scored 17 points while grabbing eight rebounds in addition to three assists and three steals. Junior Comfort Akinbo had a big contest as well, recording a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards, including five on the offensive glass. Akinbo also contributed a game-high five blocks.
 
The Raiders return to action on December 29 as they close 2018 at the Lycoming Tournament beginning with a matchup against the hosts at 5 p.m.
 
The first quarter featured three early ties and lead changes as the squads battled for an edge. It was the Gophers who turned a 6-6 deadlock into a 12-6 advantage with a quick 6-0 run late in the period. A Faith Ashby jumper with three seconds remaining in the quarter sent the Raiders into the second trailing 12-8.
 
The second period saw Goucher open up a double-digit lead, taking a 24-14 edge with 2:35 to go before halftime. R-N rallied as rookie Syncere Lambert went on an individual 6-0 surge with points from a jumper, lay-up, and at the free throw line to bring the visitors back within four. The Gopher closed the scoring for the half to head into the locker rooms up 26-20.
 
Goucher reestablished its double-figure advantage early in the second half, scoring the first five points of the third to take an 11-point lead.
 
The Scarlet Raiders fought back once again with four different players contributing to a 7-0 surge that made it a four-point contest with 3:46 to go in the quarter.
 
Still, the hosts hit back-to-back trifectas to push their lead back to 10 and headed into the final 10 minutes in front 39-30.
 
After the Gophers notched the first bucket of the fourth, Rutgers-Newark reeled off the next five points. Akinbo and Faith Ashby scored baskets in the paint while Ashby added a freebie on their next possession to pull within 41-35 at the 8:32 mark. Unfortunately, that was as close as the visitors would get.
 
Goucher eventually opened up its largest lead of the afternoon, taking a 12-point advantage with 6:10 remaining and maintaining that edge until 2:02 to go in the game.
 
The Raiders ended the contest on a 6-0 run, bookended by a pair of Akinbo jumpers with a Faith Ashby lay-up in between, but it would not be enough.