Box Score KINGS POINT, N.Y. – The Rutgers University-Camden women's basketball team went on a 14-point run midway through the first half to wipe out a two-point deficit and went on to defeat the United States Merchant Marine Academy, 62-50, in a non-conference game here Friday night.

The Scarlet Raptors improve to 2-4, snapping a three-game losing streak.

The Mariners fall to 2-7 with their seventh loss in eight games.

Rutgers-Camden opened the game with a six-point run, four of them from junior guard Monica Burch (Lawnside, NJ/Sterling). USMMA rallied, however, and took its lone lead of the night, 12-10, on a three-pointer by junior guard Demi VanDerWal (Springfield, IL/Springfield).

The Scarlet Raptors bounced back on consecutive jumpers by sophomore forward Michele Onu (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) and sophomore guard Nairobi Colon (Brooklyn, NY/Medgar Evers College Prep School) to grab a 14-12 lead and start a 14-point run that put them ahead, 24-12.

By halftime, Rutgers-Camden held a 36-21 advantage, with Burch leading the way with 11 points. Junior guard Alex Gravinese (Audubon, NJ/Audubon) added nine first-half points and three steals, while Onu collected nine rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.
Forwards Rebecca Resor (Bay St. Louis, MS/Bay) and Kristina Walz (Monona, IA/Central Community), a junior and senior, respectively, notched six first-half points for the Mariners.

USMMA shot only 5-for-28 from the floor (17.9 percent) in the opening half and was out-rebounded, 26-16. Rutgers-Camden shot 14-for-29 (48.3) from the floor.

The Scarlet Raptors opened up leads as large as 25 points (57-32) in the second half before settling for a 12-point victory. Gravinese and Burch scored 17 and 15 points, respectively, with Gravinese tying her career high set against New Jersey City University Jan. 9, 2013. Gravinese also collected a game-high four steals to set her Raptor career high in that category.

Colon notched nine points, six rebounds and four assists, setting career highs in all three categories. Her four assists tied for game-high honors.

Onu added seven points, 11 rebounds and a game-high five blocked shots to set a career high.

For the game, the Raptors shot 23-for-62 (37.1) from the floor, including 6-for-18 (33.3) from three-point range. Merchant Marine shot 13-for-53 (24.5) from the floor, including 6-for-14 (42.9) from three-point range.

Rutgers-Camden had 21 turnovers to USMMA's 11, but the Scarlet Raptors held a commanding 57-33 advantage off the boards and blocked seven shots as a team.

The Scarlet Raptors are idle until Jan. 4, when they play a 3 p.m. New Jersey Athletic Conference game at Montclair State University.