CAMDEN, N.J. (Dec. 1, 2021) – The College of New Jersey men's basketball team outscored Rutgers University-Camden, 37-18, in the second half as the Lions roared back for a 66-49 victory in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night.
The win lifts TCNJ to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the NJAC, while Rutgers-Camden falls to 0-7 and 0-2.
The Lions have won their last 14 games against the Scarlet Raptors and lead the all-time series, 72-18.
Rutgers-Camden played possibly its best half of the season in the opening 20 minutes as it roared back from an early 12-3 deficit to grab a 31-29 lead at the break. The Raptors took their first lead of the game at 21-20 on a three-pointer by sophomore forward
Jordan Carter, who scored 18 of his game-high 23 points in the opening half.
Carter followed with another trey and, after TCNJ cut the deficit to 24-22, Carter added a layup for a 26-22 lead. The Lions forged back ahead with a three-pointer by sophomore guard Justin Carbone and a layup by junior forward Jim Clemente, but the Scarlet Raptors answered with a trey by sophomore forward
Tristan Cornish to take the lead, 29-27. They led, 31-29, at the half.
The second half was a different story. After Rutgers-Camden junior guard
Jaymes Savage opened the half with a layup to make it 33-29, TCNJ went on a 21-2 run, forging into a 50-35 lead. The Lions took the lead for good on a three-pointer by junior guard Trevor Covey to make it a 36-33 game.
Stellar junior point guard Anthony DiCaro led TCNJ with 19 points, while dishing out nine assists and adding seven rebounds. Carbone scored 16 points and Clemente added 12. The Lions' 6-9 senior Danny Bodine had nine points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
In addition to Carter's 23 points, freshman guard
Devin Williams netted 11 points for Rutgers-Camden. Sophomore guard
Jaelin Keels notched a team-high five rebounds.
TCNJ held a 38-34 edge off the boards and shot 24-for-58 (41.4 percent) from the floor. The Raptors shot 17-for-50 (34.0).
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Saturday with a 3 p.m. NJAC game at New Jersey City University.
