Box Score

GALLOWAY, N.J. (Jan. 31, 2018) – Throughout most of their New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night, the Rutgers University-Camden and Stockton University women's basketball teams were about as close as any teams could be.
 
Yet after nine tie scores and 11 lead changes, the Scarlet Raptors took charge in the decisive fourth quarter as they pulled away for a 61-53 victory in a key New Jersey Athletic Conference game.
 
With their fourth consecutive victory, the Raptors raised their record to 12-8 overall and 9-5 in the NJAC, climbing up into a third-place tie in the conference standings. Stockton falls to 13-8 overall and also is 9-5 in the crowded NJAC standings after watching its six-game winning streak get snapped. Both teams are one game ahead of the 8-6 duo of Rowan University and William Paterson University.
 
Rutgers-Camden now owns the NJAC tie-breaker over Stockton, should the two teams finish in a two-way tie in the standings, due to a sweep of the regular-season series. For the Scarlet Raptors, who had edged the Ospreys in overtime, 67-66, in Camden on Dec. 6, it was their first regular-season series sweep over Stockton since the 1996-97 season.
 
The win also was Rutgers-Camden's first victory at Stockton since a 73-64 decision on Feb. 13, 2002. That 2001-02 season was the last time the Raptors won a pair of games against the Ospreys, going 2-1, with one of the wins coming in the ECAC semifinals after a regular-season series split.
 
Stockton leads the all-time series, 59-21.
 
Wednesday's victory wasn't easy for Rutgers-Camden, despite the Raptors taking an early 22-13 lead. By halftime, the teams were deadlocked at 32-32 and they went into the fourth quarter tied at 43-43.
 
Stockton took its last lead of the game, 45-43, on a jumper by senior forward Najha Treadwell (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) to open the final quarter. Rutgers-Camden countered with a three-pointer from junior guard Gabby Greene (Howell, NJ/Howell) to grab the lead for good, 46-45. A pair of foul shots by sophomore forward Kirsten Flournoy (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) made it a 48-45 game and, following a foul shot by Stockton senior center Sasha Williams (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West), the Scarlet Raptors rattled off the next six points. The run was started by a layup and a foul shot from senior guard/forward Cara Racobaldo (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) and capped by a trey from freshman guard Shane Holmes (Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape), making it a 54-46 game.
 
Stockton never came closer than five points (56-51) the rest of the way.
 
Racobaldo, pictured above, finished with her first double-double of the season and seventh of her career, notching 20 points and 10 rebounds to tie for game-high honors in both categories. She nearly added her second career triple double, finishing with a game-high seven assists.
 
Greene finished with 16 points, while Holmes and senior forward/center Michelle Obasi (Camden, NJ/Camden Catholic) both added six points. Obasi also added six rebounds to hike her career total to 751, moving her to within 10 of tying for sixth place on the program's all-time list with Kate Cranston (1997-01).
 
Treadwell and Williams both notched double-doubles for Stockton, including 10 rebounds apiece to help the Ospreys hold a 36-31 edge off the boards. Treadwell scored 20 points, while Williams added 18.
 
Rutgers-Camden forced 20 Stockton turnovers, while making 15 itself.
 
The Scarlet Raptors shot 25-for-61 (41.0 percent) from the field, including 8-for-16 (50.0) from three-point range. Greene had four of those treys and Holmes added two.
 
Stockton shot 22-for-52 (42.3) from the field, but only 3-for-15 (20.0) from three-point range.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday when it hosts Kean University in a 1 p.m. NJAC game.