Box Score

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (March 5, 2016) – It was the finest season for the Rutgers University-Camden women's basketball team in 13 years, but at the end, it had a tough finish.
 
The third-seeded College of Staten Island broke the eighth tie of the game on a three-pointer with 2:45 remaining and the Dolphins hung on to edge the second-seeded Scarlet Raptors, 65-63, in the ECAC Division III Metro/Upstate semifinals Saturday night at Brooklyn College.
 
In Saturday's first game, top-seeded host Brooklyn College (19-8) defeated No. 4 seed Centenary College (14-13), 65-40. Brooklyn, which won the ECAC Metro title last year, will look to defend that crown when it hosts the College of Staten Island (19-8) Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Rutgers-Camden, meanwhile, closes its season at 15-11, the most wins for the program since the 2002-03 team went to the NCAA tournament and finished with a 22-7 record.
 
The game marked the first ECAC contest for Rutgers-Camden since the Scarlet Raptors lost in the ECAC Division III Metro NY/NJ championship game, 78-66, against New York University on March 3, 2002.
 
Rutgers-Camden is now 8-4 in six ECAC tournament appearances, including Metro NY/NJ titles in both the 1991-92 and 1994-95 seasons.
 
In a game that had nine lead changes in addition to eight ties, the Scarlet Raptors took their final lead, 60-59, with 3:35 remaining on a foul shot by junior forward/center Caroline Santiago (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional). After Dolphins sophomore guard Christina Pasaturo (Brooklyn, NY/Notre Dame Academy) put CSI back in front on her third three-pointer of the night, Santiago's layup tied the game at 62-62 with 2:53 remaining.
 
Moments later, the Dolphins took the lead for good on a trey by senior guard Victoria Gallinaro (Staten Island, NY/St. John Villa). The Scarlet Raptors cut the gap to 65-63 on a foul shot by Santiago with 2:11 remaining, but neither team scored the rest of the way. The Raptors missed three shots and had three turnovers down the stretch, while the Dolphins had three turnovers and two missed shots. Rutgers-Camden had a pair of missed layups with 15 and 12 seconds remaining.
 
Pasaturo finished with game-high totals of 16 points and seven assists for the Dolphins, while sophomore forward Samantha Flecker (Staten Island, NY/St. John Villa) added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Gallinaro scored 12 points for CSI, which shot 25-for-62 (40.3 percent) from the floor and 9-for-10 (90.0) from the foul line.
 
Rutgers-Camden also shot 25-for-62 from the floor, but was only 6-for-13 (46.2) from the foul line. Although the Raptors held a 47-31 advantage off the boards, they also made 27 turnovers to the Dolphins' 18.
 
Santiago finished with a double-double of 15 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for the Scarlet Raptors, her sixth double-double of the season.
 
Sophomore forward/center Michelle Obasi (Camden, NJ/Camden Catholic) nearly added a double-double, finishing with 15 points and nine boards, while freshman guard Gabby Greene (Howell, NJ/Howell) collected 15 points and tied sophomore teammate Cara Racobaldo (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) with a team-high five assists. Racobaldo added a game-high four steals.