CAMDEN, N.J. (Feb. 6, 2019) – Few players in the history of the Rutgers University-Camden women's basketball program have played a role in as many games as seniors
Gabby Greene and
Ariel Robinson.
The Scarlet Raptors expressed their gratitude to the pair of four-year seniors with a key New Jersey Athletic Conference victory, 68-52, over Ramapo College on Senior Night here Wednesday.
The Scarlet Raptors' final home game of the regular season – and possibly the campaign, unless they secure a home NJAC playoff contest – came in fitting fashion: Greene became only the fifth player in program history to appear in 100 career games, a mark in which she has started all 100. Robinson, meanwhile, appeared in her 97th career contest and can reach the century mark if the Scarlet Raptors qualify for the NJAC playoffs.
Senior Night photo gallery
Rutgers-Camden continued to make a run toward that post-season berth, improving to 14-9 overall and 9-7 in the NJAC. With a pair of regular-season road games remaining, the Scarlet Raptors are locked in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference standings with Kean and Rutgers-Newark. All three teams own 9-7 NJAC records, barely ahead of seventh-place William Paterson (8-8 in conference play). The top six teams make the NJAC playoffs, with the third- and fourth-place teams earning a first-round home game Feb. 16 against the fifth and sixth seeds.
Ramapo, meanwhile, falls to 9-14 overall and 4-12 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden has defeated Ramapo in its last four games of the series and has won ninth of the last 10. The Scarlet Raptors lead the all-time series, 40-22.
The Scarlet Raptors didn't wait long to take control of the game, never trailing and being tied only once, at 2-2. From there, Rutgers-Camden rattled off 12 straight points, including five apiece by Robinson and sophomore guard
Shane Holmes. The Raptors led, 19-11, after one quarter and 39-28 at halftime. Ramapo sliced the margin to single digits only once in the second half, at 39-30, and the Raptors led by as many as 22 points (59-37) in the game.
Freshman guard
Wykira Johnson-Kelly led five Raptors in double figures with 17 points. Robinson collected her second double-double of the year with 11 points and 15 rebounds, tying her career rebounding high set against Ramapo in the first meeting of the season on Dec. 12 in Mahwah.
Holmes scored 14 points, Greene netted 12 and junior guard
Fatimah Williams collected 11 points and a game- and career-high seven assists. Holmes added a game-high four steals, while freshman forward
Tamara Johnson grabbed nine rebounds to help the Scarlet Raptors control the boards, 49-37.
Junior forward Jenna Harsh collected a game-high 26 points for Ramapo, while leading the Roadrunners with eight rebounds. Senior center Tia Solomon had a game-high six blocked shots and sophomore guard Amber Sagan paced the Roadrunners with five assists.
Rutgers-Camden shot 23-for-71 (32.4 percent) from the floor and Ramapo shot 20-for-52 (38.5), but the Raptors forced 21 turnovers by the Roadrunners.
Rutgers-Camden closes its season with a pair of NJAC road games. The Scarlet Raptors play a 1 p.m. game Saturday at New Jersey City University and finish the campaign Wednesday with an 6 p.m. contest at Montclair State University.