CAMDEN, N.J. (Feb. 4, 2023) – The Rutgers University-Camden men's basketball team found a perfect way to celebrate Senior Day here Saturday, and its lone graduating player, guard Jaymes Savage, had a big hand in that celebration.
 
Rutgers-Camden snapped a five-game losing streak as it held off Ramapo College, 61-58, on the day where the Scarlet Raptors honored Savage for his fine three-year career with the program.
 
Senior gallery
 
The win snapped the Raptors' five-game losing streak and lifted Rutgers-Camden to 4-18 overall and 2-13 in the NJAC. Ramapo fell to 9-13 and 5-10.
 
It was Rutgers-Camden's first win over Ramapo since Feb. 14, 2015, when the Scarlet Raptors won in Camden by an 80-72 score. Ramapo, which had won the last 13 games against Rutgers-Camden, now leads the all-time series, 56-16.
 
Rutgers-Camden trailed only once in the game, at 19-18, and was tied once at 2-2. The Scarlet Raptors rattled off 11 straight points from the tie score to grab a quick 13-2 lead before a 17-5 run gave the Roadrunners their lone lead of the night. After sophomore forward Shane Rooney's layup gave Ramapo that brief lead, Rutgers-Camden regained the lead for good on a layup by Savage, assisted by junior guard Ethan Tarte.
 
Rutgers-Camden led, 32-28, at halftime and went on a 10-2 lead midway through the second half to open up its biggest lead of the night at 52-38 with 9:52 remaining. The Roadrunners stormed back to cut the gap to 60-58 with 20 seconds remaining before the Scarlet Raptors collected a huge foul shot by freshman guard Qua'meer Amin to make it a 61-53 game. Ramapo missed a potential game-tying three-point attempt at the buzzer.
 
Freshman forward Cameron Downs paced Rutgers-Camden with 17 points, while sophomore guard Jordan Trusty-Smith netted eight. Tarte and Amin both scored seven points and both Savage and sophomore guard Eric Benjamin canned six points. Savage also had a team-high seven rebounds and added four assists, one shy of Tarte's game-high total of five.
 
Ramapo received 17 points from sophomore guard Peter Gorman, while sophomore center Jordan Myers had 13 points and sophomore guard Justin Bladen added 12. Rooney paced the Roadrunners with a game-high eight rebounds, while Myers added six.
 
Rutgers-Camden shot 25-for-55 (45.5 percent) from the floor and Ramapo was 21-for-51 (41.2). The Scarlet Raptors held a 37-30 advantage off the boards.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Wednesday when they play their final home game of the season. They will entertain Kean University at 8 p.m. in the second half of a Scarlet Raptors Rally night.