NEWARK, N.J. (Feb. 5, 2021) – With a young team that features only one player back from last season, the Rutgers University-Camden Scarlet Raptors opened their shortened season on a tough note here Friday night, falling to Rutgers-Newark, 67-48, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game.
 
Although the Scarlet Raptors clung to a 28-27 halftime lead, the home team went on a 40-20 second-half run to win its season opener. Rutgers-Newark has won its last three games and 10 of its last 11 against Rutgers-Camden. The Scarlet Raiders own a 55-36 lead in the all-time series.
 
The Scarlet Raptors led by as many as eight points (13-5 and 17-9) in the opening half before the Scarlet Raiders cut the gap to one at intermission. Newark scored on a layup by sophomore forward Jamir Patterson at the first-half buzzer, making it a 28-27 Raptor lead.
 
A layup by Mann-Barnes started out the second half, padding the Raptors' lead to 30-27, before junior guard Abe Kromah scored five straight points to give Newark its first lead of the night at 32-30. The Raptors regained a 34-32 lead on a layup by freshman forward Tristan Cornish with 16:22 remaining in the game, but the but the Scarlet Raiders scored the next 16 points to take the lead for good, 48-34. A pair of foul shots by Kromah broke a 34-34 tie.
 
Rutgers-Newark led by as many as 21 points (63-42 and 67-46) late in the game.
 
Patterson led three players in double figures for Newark, netting 15 points. Junior guard Quincy Rutherford netted 13 points. Freshman forward Raymond Mundrick added 10 points and completed a double-double in his first collegiate game, hauling in a game-high 10 rebounds. Kromah finished with nine points and seven boards.
 
Freshman guard/forward Sam Dolphin led the Scarlet Raptors with 10 points and seven rebounds. Freshman guard Gavin Henry added nine points and sophomore guard Tyree Mann-Barnes canned seven.
 
The two teams return to action Saturday at 2 p.m. in Camden as the back end of their NJAC home-and-home series.