Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. (Nov. 15, 2017) – Junior guard/forward Ariel Robinson (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) collected her second career double-double with career highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds and sophomore guard Fatimah Williams (Camden, NJ/Timber Creek) notched a game-high 19 points as the Rutgers University-Camden women's basketball team opened its season with an 83-54 victory over Wilkes University in a non-conference game here Wednesday night.
 
The Scarlet Raptors placed four players in double figures as they overcame an early 14-12 deficit midway through the first quarter and finished out the half with a 30-13 run. Senior guard/forward Cara Racobaldo (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) finished with 12 points for the Scarlet Raptors, while junior guard Gabby Greene (Howell, NJ/Howell) added 10.
 
With the Colonels clinging to a two-point, 14-12, lead in their season opener, the Raptors' sophomore forward Kirsten Flournoy (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) cut the gap to 14-13 with a foul shot. A layup by Racobaldo put Rutgers-Camden ahead to stay, 15-14, with 2:04 remaining in the first quarter and the Raptors continued an eight-point run to close out the quarter with a 20-14 lead.
 
Rutgers-Camden opened the second half with a jumper by Racobaldo before Wilkes ended the Raptors' run and cut the gap to 22-16, but the visitors never came closer the rest of the night. By halftime the Raptors held a 42-27 lead and they stretched the margin to as many as 36 points in the second half (72-36).
 
Rutgers-Camden forced 28 Wilkes turnovers, with Robinson (pictured above) adding six steals for another career high. Offensively, she finished 8-for-12 from the floor, including 1-for-1 on three-point attempts. Williams, meanwhile, shot 8-for-16 from the floor and 3-for-5 from the foul line on the way to her 19 points, one shy of her career high.
 
Williams and senior forward/center Michelle Obasi (Camden, NJ/Camden Catholic) both added eight rebounds to help the Scarlet Raptors hold a 54-41 advantage off the boards. Obasi also added nine points.
 
Racobaldo dished off a game-high four assists, padding her career total to 356. She is only five assists shy of tying the program's career record set by Karla Robinson (1990-94).
 
Wilkes received nine points apiece from a trio of players: guards Emily Sofranko (Jim Thorpe, PA/Marian Catholic) and Alyssa Alfano (Dunmore, PA/Holy Cross) and forward Catey McFadden (Doylestown, PA/Archbishop Wood). Sophomore forward Gianna Roberts (Nanticoke, PA/Nanticoke) had a team-high 10 rebounds and added eight points.
 
Rutgers-Camden will travel to Frostburg State University over the weekend to compete in the Jim Crawley Tournament. The Scarlet Raptors will face the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford in their first game Friday at 8 p.m. The consolation and championship games will be played Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
 
Last season the Scarlet Raptors won the Jim Crawley Tournament, beating Pitt-Bradford in their first game (73-58) and topping host Frostburg State in the title game (81-70). Racobaldo was named the tournament MVP and joined Williams on the all-tournament team.
 
The Raptors return home Tuesday for a 6 p.m. New Jersey Athletic Conference opener against The College of New Jersey.