MAHWAH, N.J. (January 16, 2019) – The Rutgers University-Newark men's basketball team suffered another close New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) defeat at Ramapo College tonight, 77-72. The Scarlet Raiders fall to 9-8 (2-8 NJAC) while the Roadrunners improve to 12-5 (6-4 NJAC).

Rutgers-Newark was led by junior Chase Barneys who poured in 22 points, including three 3-pointers, while adding a team-best seven rebounds. Senior Tyler Ofray nearly matched Barneys with 20 points and had a very efficient offensive night, shooting 8-for-13 from the field including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Ofray also contributed six boards and three assists. Sophomore Quincy Rutherford and senior Mark Isiofia-Thomas each chipped in nine points.

The Raiders continue their NJAC slate on Saturday when they host TCNJ at 8 p.m. in The Golden Dome.

In the first half there were five early lead changes and four deadlocks as the teams fought for control. Five different R-N players contributed as the visitors stayed close and had the contest knotted at 14-14 with 8:30 remaining in the stanza.

Ramapo attempted to pull away from there, reeling off nine straight points to take a 23-14 advantage at the 4:46 mark.

The Scarlet Raiders battled back and went on a 7-3 spurt featuring baskets from Barneys, Ofray, and sophomore Mike Vick that had the visitors within five.
Barneys would keep it that way when he converted a traditional three-point play to wrap up the scoring for the half and send Newark into the locker rooms, trailing 30-25.

The second period was a constant see-saw battle as the visitors worked their way into a slim 33-32 lead with an 8-2 surge to open the half. Sophomore Dante Ralph contributed six of the eight points and put the Raiders up with a lay-up at the 15:54 mark.

That basket was the start of a wild back-and-forth finish as the teams traded the lead an incredible 15 times to go along with six ties.

Rutgers-Newark's largest lead of the game would be three points, which the Scarlet Raiders held on three different occasions. The first came on a Rutherford jumper with 11:03 to go that had the visitors up 43-40. An Isiofia-Thomas bucket made it 45-42 and a Rutherford lay-in had Newark in front by 47-44 at the 9:54 mark.

Still, Ramapo scored the next five points to reclaim a brief lead, beginning an 81-second stretch that featured four lead changes. Barneys knocked down a trifecta to get the Raiders back on top before Rob Lewis responded only for Ofray to drain a jumper that had the visitors up by one with 7:12 on the clock.

A pair of free throws on separate trips down the court had the Roadrunners up one but Barneys converted a lay-up to make it 54-53 in favor of R-N.

Kashaun Barnes put Ramapo in front from the charity stripe once again however Barneys drilled a shot from way downtown to send his team ahead until the next possession when Barnes hit a 3-pointer of his own that had the Roadrunners leading 58-57.

Unfortunately for the Scarlet Raiders, the final swings of momentum would come less than a minute later. Ofray slashed through the paint before dishing to Rutherford for an uncontested lay-in that made it 59-58 but that would be the visitors' last advantage at the 4:14 mark.

Just 10 seconds later, Jason Battle dribbled to the top of the key and pulled up to swish a straightaway trifecta that put Ramapo ahead for good.

Barnes would knock down all four of his free throws on the next two offensive trips to make it 65-59 in favor of the hosts with 2:38 to play.

While late treys from Ofray and Barneys forced the Roadrunners to sweat the closing minutes out, they eventually iced the game from the charity stripe as Rutgers-Newark suffered a tough 77-72