NEWARK, N.J. (Dec. 11, 2021) – The Rutgers University-Camden women's basketball team roared back from an eight-point halftime deficit with a 20-8 third-quarter run and battled down the stretch to hold off Rutgers-Newark, 61-52, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday night.
 
The victory was the first of the season for the Scarlet Raptors, who improved to 1-8 overall and 1-4 in the NJAC. Newark fell to 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the conference with its fourth straight loss.
 
The win snapped the Raptors' three-game losing streak against the Scarlet Raiders and cut Newark's lead in the all-time series to 42-32. It also was the Scarlet Raptors' first win since a 64-55 victory at Ramapo College on Feb. 12, 2020, snapping a 16-game two-plus year losing streak.
 
Down, 39-33, in the third quarter, the Raptors rallied to tie the game at 39-39 on a foul shot by junior guard/forward Jalissa Pitts. Moments later, they took their first lead since a 1-0 edge on a field goal by senior guard/forward Tiazha Jackson, making it a 41-39 game. Rutgers-Camden took a 43-39 lead into the wild fourth quarter and held the advantage until late in the frame when Newark junior guard Samiyah Horton hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 49-49.
 
Freshman guard Rahzirah Blocker helped the Raptors regain the lead at 51-49 with a jumper, but three foul shots by the Scarlet Raiders put Newark back on top at 52-51. Rutgers-Camden took the lead back for good on a jumper by Jackson, followed by a layup from Jalissa Pitts to make it a 55-52 game.
 
With 30 seconds remaining, Horton missed a three-pointer and the Raptors closed out the game on a layup by Blocker, single foul shots by sophomore forward Carleigh Galasso and Jackson, and a pair of foul shots by sophomore guard Jania Pitts.
 
It was a long road back for the Scarlet Raptors, who scored the first point of the game, gave up the next nine and were trailing, 31-23, at halftime. With their 20-8 third-quarter run, Rutgers-Camden turned that deficit into a four-point lead entering the final frame.
 
Jalissa Pitts finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Blocker had 16 points, six boards, five steals and four assists. Galasso and Jackson tied for team-high honors with nine rebounds apiece. Jackson, Jania Pitts and freshman guard Zhoei Travis scored seven points apiece, while Galasso added five.
 
Newark received 17 points from Horton, while senior guard Elisha India Cross netted 12 and freshman forward Tracey Ilderis collected 11 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Ebony Odom Barnes grabbed 13 rebounds.
 
Camden shot 23-for-62 from the floor (37.1 percent) and 11-for-19 from the foul line (57.9), while Newark went 21-for-65 (32.3) from the floor and 5-for-15 from the charity stripe (33.3). Both teams had 21 turnovers and the Scarlet Raiders held a slim 47-45 edge off the boards.
 
Rutgers-Camden will play a pair of non-conference games to close out the month of December.  On Tuesday, the Raptors play a 7 p.m. game at Bryn Athyn College. They close the month on Dec. 30 with a 5 p.m. game at Arcadia University.