Box Score MONTCLAIR, N.J. (Feb. 6, 2016) – The Rutgers University-Camden women's basketball team was staging a comeback for practically the entire game against Montclair State University here Saturday.
When the Scarlet Raptors finally caught and passed the Red Hawks, however, they didn't quite have enough left in the tank to close out the game as Montclair State survived with a 54-51 victory in a New Jersey Athletic Conference contest.
The Red Hawks improved to 16-6 overall and 12-3 in the conference with their fifth straight win. The Scarlet Raptors fell to 12-9 overall and 7-8 in the NJAC.
Rutgers-Camden has lost 20 straight games against the Red Hawks, who lead the all-time series, 40-15.
The Raptors fell into a quick 16-5 hole in the first quarter and trailed, 19-9, entering the second period. Behind six points from freshman guard
Gabby Greene (Howell, NJ/Howell) and four from senior guard/forward
Kamari Talley (Camden, NJ/Creative Arts), the Raptors closed the gap to 22-19 midway through the second quarter before trailing, 32-25, at the break. By the end of the third quarter, the Scarlet Raptors had sliced their deficit to 45-40.
Rutgers-Camden scored the first four points of the fourth quarter and finally took the lead, 47-46, on a three-point play by junior forward/center
Caroline Santiago (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional) with 4:04 remaining. The teams traded the lead two more times before Montclair State took the lead for good, 50-49, on a layup by junior forward
Sage Bennett (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow) with 1:34 remaining.
A missed Raptor shot, a Red Hawk rebound and a Rutgers-Camden foul put MSU sophomore guard/forward
Katie Sire (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) on the line, and she hit one of two shots to make it 51-49 with 53 seconds left. She added another foul shot with 26 seconds remaining, but Talley hit a jumper six seconds later, making it a 52-51 game.
Coming down the stretch, the Red Hawks rebounded one of their missed shots, got fouled and watched junior guard
Zoe Curtis (Little River, NJ/Red Bank Regional) hit a pair of free throws with seven seconds left. The Raptors' attempt at a game-tying three-pointer missed at the buzzer.
Junior guard
Rachael Krauss (Farmingdale, NJ/Colts Neck) led Montclair State with 15 points. Sire added a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Bennett canned 10 points. Curtis had a game-high four steals, while sophomore guard
Kate Tobie (Elizabeth, NJ/Roselle Catholic) led all players with seven assists.
The Scarlet Raptors receive a game-high 25 points from Talley, who added 10 rebounds to collect her 16th double-double in 18 games this season. Greene added 13 points, including a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from three-point range, while sophomore guard/forward
Cara Racobaldo (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) dished off four assists and added six points and three boards.
Montclair State held a 41-37 edge off the boards, while both teams made 16 turnovers.
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Wednesday when they host sister school and NJAC rival Rutgers-Newark at 6 p.m.
