Box Score

MAHWAH, N.J. (Feb. 13, 2016) – The drought is over.
 
The last time the Rutgers-Camden women's basketball team played in the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs, members of the current team had barely started attending school. On Saturday afternoon here at Ramapo College, however, the Scarlet Raptors added a new chapter to the program's post-season history.
 
Rutgers-Camden stormed back from a six-point first-quarter deficit to defeat the host Roadrunners, 43-38. Coupled with William Paterson University's 61-57 victory over The College of New Jersey, the Scarlet Raptors clinched at least sixth place for the upcoming six-team NJAC playoffs. Rutgers-Camden improves to 9-8 in conference play, one game ahead of 8-9 TCNJ with one game to play, but the Scarlet Raptors own the first tie-breaker by virtue of their sweep over the Lions in the two-game season series.
 
Rutgers-Camden improves to 14-9 overall and trails fifth-place William Paterson by one game in the NJAC standings. The Raptors could finish fifth in the NJAC standings, based on tie-breakers, if they beat New Jersey City University Wednesday night while Paterson loses to Rowan University.
 
The first round of the NJAC playoffs begins Saturday, Feb. 20. The last time the Raptors went to the NJAC playoffs, at the end of the 2002-03 season, they won their lone conference championship and earned the first NCAA tournament berth of any sport in school history.

 
Ramapo falls to 5-19 overall and 3-14 in the NJAC, losing its fourth straight game against Rutgers-Camden. The Scarlet Raptors lead the all-time series, 35-21.
 
With their 14th victory, the Scarlet Raptors have now won more games than any Rutgers-Camden women's basketball team since that 2002-03 team went 22-7. Their nine NJAC victories, meanwhile, are only one shy of the total amount of conference wins for the last four years combined. The team has made a meteoric rise in the NJAC standings under third-year Head Coach Annette Reiter, whose inherited team went 0-18 in the conference during her first year, improved to 5-13 last season and earned a playoff berth this season.
 
Trailing, 16-10, entering the second quarter, the Scarlet Raptors opened the period with a 10-point run, taking their first lead since the opening field goal on an offensive rebound and jumper by junior forward Caroline Santiago (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional) to make it 18-16. Santiago had six points in the run, while senior guard/forward Kamari Talley (Camden, NJ/Creative Arts) added four.
 
Rutgers-Camden outscored Ramapo, 13-3, in the second quarter to take a 23-19 halftime lead. Santiago had eight points in the opening half, while Talley and sophomore forward/center Michelle Obasi (Camden, NJ/Camden Catholic) both added six.
 
The Raptors increased their lead to 35-27 after three quarters and led by as many as 12 points (40-28) in the final frame.
 
Talley finished with her 18th double-double in 20 games this season, collecting game-high totals of 14 points and 15 rebounds. The 15 boards pushed her Rutgers-Camden career total to 409 in her brief 35-game Raptor career (11.7 rpg).
 
Santiago tallied 13 points and added eight boards, while Obasi netted 12 points and added eight rebounds. Sophomore guard/forward Cara Racobaldo (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) grabbed a game-high seven steals, while adding a game-high three assists.
 
Ramapo received 11 points from junior guard Shelby Ringer (Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro). Junior forward Kellie Lane (Ridgefield Park, NJ/Ridgefield Park) hauled down 11 rebounds, while junior forward Bintou Berete (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) added 10.
 
Ramapo held a 42-39 edge off the boards, but the Roadrunners also made 26 turnovers to the Raptors' 17.
 
Rutgers-Camden closes out the regular season with a Senior Night home game at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The Raptors will host New Jersey City University and honor Talley, their lone senior.