Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. (Jan. 20, 2016) – The Rutgers University-Camden women's basketball team built a 17-point lead and survived a furious comeback by The College of New Jersey as the Scarlet Raptors posted a 65-61 victory here Wednesday night in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game.
 
Both teams entered the game having won seven of their previous eight contests and were tied for fourth place in the NJAC standings with William Paterson University entering the game. The victory was the fourth straight for Rutgers-Camden, raising its record to 11-5 overall and 6-4 in the NJAC. The last time the Scarlet Raptors won more conference games was the 2002-03 season, when they went 12-6 on the way to their only NJAC title.
 
TCNJ falls to 9-8 overall and 5-5 in the NJAC. Although the Lions lead the all-time series, 54-10, the Scarlet Raptors have won the last three meetings. Wednesday's victory gave Rutgers-Camden a sweep of the season series for only the second time ever, with the first coming during the 1991-92 campaign.
 
That sweep wasn't easy. The Raptors built a 59-42 lead with only 7:12 remaining in the game, only to watch the Lions come roaring back. A 13-point run cut the gap to 59-55 with 4:14 remaining, led by five points from junior guard Kim Dana (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) and four by sophomore forward Nikki Schott (Washington, NJ/Warren Hills).
 
With 51 seconds remaining, a pair of foul shots by Dana made it a 62-61 Raptor lead. Rutgers-Camden, however, was able to close out the game from the foul line with a big assist by freshman guard Gabby Greene (Howell, NJ/Howell). The Scarlet Raptors shot only 11-for-25 from the foul line in the game, but Greene was a huge 5-for-6 in the fourth quarter, including a pair of free throws with 19 seconds remaining to pad the Raptor lead to 64-61. Greene finished her night 6-for-8 from the line on the way to 18 points, while adding four steals.
 
Rutgers-Camden received the 11th double-double of the season from senior guard/forward Kamari Talley (Camden, NJ/Creative Arts), who collected game-high totals of 22 points, 16 rebounds and five steals. The 22 points gave Talley 504 in her brief 28-game Rutgers-Camden career and hiked her overall collegiate total to 1,232.
 
Sophomore guard/forward Cara Racobaldo (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) completed her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while also adding a team-high six assists. The point total lifted her over the 300-point plateau for her career, giving her 310, while the assists put her in prestigious company, lifting her to 201 in her young career. She becomes only the seventh player in program history to reach 200 career assists.
 
Junior forward/center Caroline Santiago (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional), meanwhile, added 10 rebounds as the Scarlet Raptors held a 52-34 advantage off the glass.
 
The Lions received 12 points apiece from Schott and senior guard Angelica Esposito (Lincroft, NJ/St. John Vianney).  Dana added nine points and a game-high seven assists.
 
The Raptors shot 26-for-64 from the field (40.6 percent), while the Lions shot 22-for-60 (36.7). TCNJ also was aided by its 11-for-15 (73.3) shooting from the foul line.
 
Both teams return to NJAC action with 1 p.m. games Saturday, weather permitting. TCNJ hosts Montclair State University, while Rutgers-Camden travels to William Paterson University.