MAHWAH, N.J. (Dec. 12, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Camden men's basketball team gave powerful Ramapo College all it could handle for most of its New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night.
With the Scarlet Raptors trailing by only two points, however, Roadrunner junior guard Connor Romano went to work in a 1:08 stretch midway through the second half. Romano nailed three consecutive three-pointers to give Ramapo a cushion for good and the Roadrunners went on to post an 86-74 victory.
Ramapo raised its record to 8-2 overall and 4-2 in the NJAC, winning its seventh straight game against the Scarlet Raptors to lead the all-time series, 50-15. Rutgers-Camden fell to 1-10 overall and 1-5 in the NJAC.
After trailing by 11 points, 53-42, in the second half, the Scarlet Raptors rattled off seven consecutive points as a pair of layups by senior guard
Trai Greer were sandwiched around a trey by junior guard
Robbie Brosh. The Raptors added a 6-4 run on treys by sophomore guards
Tyrell Russell and
Ian McCarthy to slice their gap to 57-55 with 9:49 remaining in the game.
Romano answered with his first of three consecutive treys, interrupted only by a pair of Russell foul shots. Senior forward Rob Lewis added a layup on his way to a game-high 29 points, giving the Roadrunners a 68-57 lead. The Scarlet Raptors never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.
Lewis added 14 rebounds to his 29 points to notch a double-double for the Roadrunners. Romano finished with 16 points, while freshman guard Jason Battle notched 15 points and a game-high six assists. Senior guard Kashaun Barnes scored 14 points and junior guard Rob McWilliams added 10 for Ramapo.
The Roadrunners shot 28-for-63 (44.4 percent) from the floor, including 9-for-23 from three-point range (39.1). Romano had four of those treys in seven attempts.
Ramapo also won the battle of the boards, 43-31.
Rutgers-Camden shot 24-for-57 (42.1) from the floor and 14-for-32 (41.2) from three-point range, led by McCarthy, who collected a career-high 24 points. His old high of 19 was accomplished twice this season, coming against Rowan University (Nov. 20) and The College of New Jersey (Dec. 5). McCarthy,
pictured above, hit a career-high six treys, to break his previous career high of five, accomplished three times this year. He also led the Raptors with eight rebounds and tied Brosh for the team lead with five assists.
Sophomore guard
Terrance Harris hit five treys, on his way to tying a career high with 15 points, set against Gwynedd Mercy University Monday.
Greer notched 14 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Rutgers-Camden plays its last contest before the holidays with a 1 p.m. non-conference game Saturday at Bryn Athyn College.
