CAMDEN, N.J. (Jan. 27, 2024) – Sophomore forward Cameron Downs scored a game-high 29 points to tie his own career high as the Rutgers University-Camden men's basketball team defeated Rutgers University-Newark, 64-51, here Saturday in a key New Jersey Athletic Conference game.
 
With the victory, the Scarlet Raptors tied the Scarlet Raiders for seventh place in the NJAC standings at 6-7, one game behind the fifth-place deadlock between 7-6 Kean and Ramapo. The top six teams qualify for the NJAC playoffs, with five regular-season games remaining.
 
The win lifts Rutgers-Camden to 11-9 overall, snapping a 10-game losing streak against Rutgers-Newark in the all-time series the Scarlet Raiders lead, 61-37. The last Rutgers-Camden win in the series before Saturday came in Newark on Jan. 5, 2019, by a 62-60 score
 
Rutgers-Newark, which beat the Raptor on its court earlier this year, fells to 10-10 overall.
 
With the Scarlet Raiders holding an early 11-9 lead, Downs tied the game with a layup and junior guard Eric Benjamin drilled a three-pointer to put the Raptors ahead to stay, 14-11. Shortly thereafter, Rutgers-Camden went on a 10-point run to expand its lead from 18-15 to 28-15, on the way to a 41-21 halftime lead.
 
Rutgers-Camden never fell under a double-digit lead the rest of the night and built its biggest lead, 62-37, with 7:25 remaining.
 
Downs shot 11-for-19 from the floor, including 3-for-6 from three-point range, and hit four of his seven foul shots as he tied his career high of 29 points, set against Kean Jan. 4, 2023. The 29 points also vaulted him over the career 700 plateau to 727.
 
Benjamin added 13 points for the Scarlet Raptors.
 
Sophomore forward Cherif Kanoute and junior forward Darnell Demby Jr. tied for game-high rebounding honors with seven. Kanoute also had a game-high five assists and Benjamin led all players with four steals.
 
Newark received 13 points from junior guard Levi Holton and 10 from junior forward Travis Miles.
 
Rutgers-Camden shot 27-for-56 (48.2 percent) from the floor, including 6-for-19 (31.6) from three-point range, with Downs and Benjamin both going 3-for-6 on attempted treys.
 
Newark shot 18-for-49 (36.7) from the floor, including 2-for-10 (20.0) from beyond the arc.
 
Rutgers-Camden held a 37-31 advantage off the boards.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Saturday when they host Rutgers-Newark at 1 p.m.