WAYNE, N.J. (Jan. 13, 2024) – Sophomore guard Jordan Trusty-Smith hit a pair of free throws with 2:56 remaining in overtime, breaking a 68-68 deadlock and leading the Rutgers University-Camden men's basketball team over William Paterson University, 76-73, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday.
 
It was the first overtime game for the Raptors since losing a double-OT 99-94 decision at William Paterson on Feb. 11, 2023. It was the Raptors' first overtime win since a 92-90 home victory over Arcadia on Nov. 19, 2014.
 
With the victory, the Scarlet Raptors improved to 9-7 overall and 4-5 in NJAC play. The nine wins are the most for the Scarlet Raptors since they finished the 2014-15 season with a 14-12 record. The four wins in the NJAC are the most since they went 4-14 during the 2019-20 season.
 
William Paterson fell to 6-10 overall and 1-8 in conference play with its third straight loss.
 
Rutgers-Camden has won five of its last six games, with three of those wins coming in conference play. Saturday's win, however, extended the Scarlet Raptors beyond regulation. Leading, 59-50, late in the second half, Rutgers-Camden saw Paterson score 11 straight points to grab a 61-59 lead with 1:13 remaining. Junior forward Jordany Pierre had a pair of free throws to tie the game at 61-61, but Paterson senior guard Shawn Summers Jr. countered with two foul shots, giving the Pioneers a 63-61 lead with 22 seconds remaining. The Scarlet Raptors tied the game with 12 seconds left in regulation on a layup by sophomore forward Cameron Downs.
 
Paterson drew first blood in overtime on a trey by junior guard Neftali Valentin, but a layup by Downs and a three-pointer by junior guard Eric Benjamin put the Raptors ahead, 68-66. After a layup helped Paterson tie the game, Trusty-Smith put the Raptors ahead to stay with his two foul shots. Downs added a layup with 1:47 remaining in overtime and grad student guard Javon Gordon tacked on a layup with 38 seconds left as the Raptors took a 74-68 lead. Paterson collected a pair of field goals, one of them a trey at the buzzer, in the final few seconds, sandwiched around another pair of foul shots by Trusty-Smith.
 
The Scarlet Raptors led most of the way in a tight first half, including a 30-24 lead late in the period before William Paterson scored the final 11 points to take a 35-30 lead at the break. The Pioneers went ahead, 32-30, on a three-pointer by senior guard Patrick Monahan.
 
Downs finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Pierre notched 14 points, while Gordon scored 11 and Trusty-Smith finished with 10. Gordon added a team-high three assists.
 
Summers scored 21 points for Paterson, while grad student forward MJ Moncrieffe notched a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. Valentin scored 10 points.
 
The Raptors shot 22-for-55 (40.0 percent) from the floor, while the Pioneers went 27-for-62 (43.5). Rutgers-Camden held a 41-32 advantage off the boards
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Wednesday when they host The College of New Jersey at 8 p.m. as the second half of a Scarlet Raptor Rally doubleheader. The women will play TCNJ at 6 p.m.