Box Score

GLASSBORO, N.J. (Jan. 25, 2017) – The Rowan University men's basketball team raced to a 21-point lead in a high-scoring first half and went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 105-85, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night.
 
The Profs improve to 12-7 overall and 7-5 in the NJAC, while the Scarlet Raptors fall to 4-14 and 1-11. Rowan has won its last three games against Rutgers-Camden and leads the all-time series, 92-32.
 
In a high-paced opening half, the Profs took an early 4-0 lead and never were caught as they rolled up a 62-41 advantage at the break. By halftime, Rowan sophomore guard Nick DePersia (Cherry Hill, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) had 12 points and a pair of senior guards, Joey Montalvo (Columbus, NJ/Northern Burlington) and Josh Borrelli (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) had tallied 10 points apiece. For the Scarlet Raptors, sophomore forward/center Isaac Destin (Woodlynne, NJ/Collingswood) had 15 points at the break.
 
Rutgers-Camden quickly whittled down the lead by scoring 10 straight points to open the second half. Junior guard Shafeek Taylor (Philadelphia, PA/Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School) scored five points during that stretch, opening the run with a jumper and ending it with a free throw that made it a 62-51 game.
 
Rowan junior forward TJ Booth (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) ended the Raptor streak with a jumper, sparking the Profs on an 11-2 run that put the game out of reach, stretching the margin back to 20 points (73-53).
 
Nick DePersia finished with 29 points and five steals for the Profs, shooting 11-for-16 from the floor, including 6-for-7 from three-point range. Junior center/forward Teirique Robinson (Willingboro, NJ/Willingboro) added 20 points for Rowan, while senior forward Shawn Wilson (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) netted 13. Borrelli and sophomore guard Rob DePersia (Cherry Hill, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) both added 10 points.
 
Rutgers-Camden received career highs of 24 points, 19 rebounds and four assists from Shafeek Taylor. His 19 boards were the most by a Scarlet Raptor since Chinedu Ibeh had 21 against Centenary College on Jan. 7, 2002.
 
Destin finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore guard Elijah Robles (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) added 12 points and six rebounds.
 
First-year Raptor senior forward Dior Johnson (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) collected career-high totals of 10 points and six rebounds. Freshman guard Keith Washington Jr. (Clementon, NJ/Monsignor Bonner) added nine points and five rebounds.
 
Rowan shot 39-for-81 (48.1 percent) from the floor, including 14-for-40 (35.0) from three-point range. Rutgers-Camden shot 31-for-80 (38.8) from the floor, 3-for-13 from beyond the arc (23.1) and had a 60-42 advantage in rebounds. The Raptors also had 20 turnovers, compared to Rowan's 10.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday with an 8 p.m. game at NJAC sister school Rutgers-Newark.