NEWARK, N.J. — On New Year's Eve, Rutgers-Newark earned an 83–72 victory over Centenary at The Golden Dome.

Rutgers-Newark fell behind early, opening the game in a 9–2 hole, but quickly settled in and responded with strong play on both ends of the floor. The Scarlet Raiders chipped away at the deficit with improved ball movement and defensive intensity, allowing them to take control as the half progressed. Rutgers-Newark closed the opening 20 minutes on an impressive 10–2 run to head into halftime with a 39–28 advantage. Steven Rodriguez paced the Scarlet Raiders with 10 points in the first half, while Zahkai Sylvester provided a key spark off the bench, contributing eight points.

In the second half, the Scarlet Raiders quickly extended their advantage, pushing the lead to 15 within the first five minutes. Rutgers-Newark received strong minutes off the bench from Fred Adeil, who scored six points in the half after Will Ndio was sidelined with foul trouble. Past the halfway mark, Centenary mounted a run and cut the deficit to four, capitalizing on transition opportunities created by Rutgers-Newark turnovers.

Rutgers-Newark responded by locking in defensively and reestablishing control, pushing the lead back to double digits behind timely baskets from Raheem Murray, Ayden Brown, and Ndio to take the game 83-72. 

Brown, Rodriguez, and Ndio each finished with 16 points, while Murray added 15 points and six assists. Freshman Zahki Sylvester delivered a breakout performance off the bench, scoring a career-high 14 points to help secure the Scarlet Raiders' victory.

The Scarlet Raiders will jump right back into conference play as they travel to Rutgers-Camden on Saturday for a NJAC matchup against their Southern Jersey rivals.