CAMDEN, N.J. (Feb. 15, 2020) – Entering their New Jersey Athletic Conference showdown here Saturday afternoon, the Rutgers University-Camden women's basketball team had its playoff hopes on life-support, while New Jersey City University was on the verge of program history.
 
The Gothic Knights made history, earning their first NJAC playoff berth since 1989. In the process, they eliminated Rutgers-Camden from a post-season berth with a 54-49 victory.
 
NJCU, which started the day two games ahead of Rutgers-Camden with two remaining in the fight for the final NJAC playoff berth, improved to 11-13 overall. The Gothic Knights are 8-9 in NJAC play with one game remaining before heading into their first conference playoff game in 31 years.
 
Rutgers-Camden fell to 12-12 overall and 5-12 in the NJAC. The Scarlet Raptors have lost their last three games against the Gothic Knights, although they lead the all-time series, 39-27.
 
Prior to the game, the Scarlet Raptors celebrated Senior Day, honoring four-year star Fatimah Williams, their lone senior. Williams will play her final collegiate game Wednesday when Rutgers-Camden hosts Montclair State University at 6 p.m.
 
NJCU led for the entire first half, taking a 24-17 lead into halftime. Rutgers-Camden scored the first seven points of the third quarter, tying the game at 24-24 on a three-point field goal by junior guard Shane Holmes.
 
Once again, the Gothic Knights took the lead and didn't relinquish it until a pair of foul shots by Williams gave the Raptors a 36-34 advantage with 1:53 left in the third quarter. Entering the final frame, Rutgers-Camden held a 40-38 advantage.
 
With the Raptors leading, 42-40, junior guard/forward Dayjah Anderson hit a three-pointer to give NJCU the lead for good. The Gothic Knights built their margin to seven points (54-47) late in the game.
 
Freshman forward Sarah Edmond and senior guard Aaliyah McCrae both scored 11 points for the Gothic Knights, with Edmond completing an impressive double-double with 18 rebounds. Anderson added nine points and eight rebounds for NJCU, which held a 54-49 advantage off the boards.
 
Williams collected 20 points to lead the Scarlet Raptors, jumping over the 1,200-point milestone for her career and vaulting into eighth place on the all-time scoring list. She passed both Michelle Obasi (1,193 points from 2014-18) and Brittany Turner (1,195 from 2009-13).
 
Freshman guard/forward Jalissa Pitts added 15 points for the Raptors. Both Pitts and Williams barely missed double-doubles, finishing with nine rebounds apiece.
 
NJCU shot 13-for-50 (26.0 percent) from the floor and Rutgers-Camden shot 16-for-56 (28.6), but the Gothic Knights went 21-for-35 (60.0) from the foul line, while the Raptors made were 13-for-18 (72.2) and made 21 turnovers.