NEWARK, NJ - The Rutgers-Newark women's basketball team fell to visiting Rowan University, 73-57, this afternoon at The Golden Dome.
Rowan had entered the weekend on a two-game win streak and tied for third in the league standings, while the Scarlet Raiders are still in search of their first conference win.
In the opening quarter, Rowan put together a 19-13 performance to get out to an early lead after the first quarter. The Profs used a mixture of three-pointers and layups to score the majority of their points. Rutgers-Newark gathered its points at the free throw line and inside the arc.
The Raiders battled back in the second quarter, outscoring Rowan, 19-16. Tracey Ilderis was the first Raider to get the offense jump started again as she scored the first-four points for Rutgers-Newark in the quarter. The Raiders closed out the second quarter scoring six consecutive points thanks to a made free throw by Zoe Francis-Bunkley, a layup by Ilderis, and a three-pointer by Quanajah Felder at the buzzer. It sparked a fire for the Raiders as they cut the Prof's lead to 35-32 at the break.
The third quarter was tough on the Raiders as they were held to just 11 points in the quarter. Rowan managed to squeeze out 19 points and it was enough to create an 11-point lead for the visitors.
In the final quarter, there just wasn't enough time to overcome the deficit. The Raiders connected on three field goals, while the Prof's were able to hit twice as much.
Rutgers-Newark (3-123, 0-9 NJAC) was led in scoring by Felder who had 18 points on 6 of 17 shooting, seven rebounds, and four steals. Ilderis finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Sanaa Brodie just missed a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Kate Herlihy led Rowan (11-5, 7-2 NJAC) in scoring with 23 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Kelli Kuenzel chipped in 12 points, while Shayla Johnson had 18 rebounds for Rowan.
The Scarlet Raiders will travel to Rutgers-Camden on Wednesday, Jan. 22 to play the Scarlet Raptors in game one of the doubleheader with the men beginning at 6 p.m.
For the latest news, updates, and information on Rutgers-Newark sports, visit rutgersnewarkathletics.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Scarlet Raiders news by following Rutgers-Newark Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
