CAMDEN, N.J. (Jan. 31, 2024) – The Rowan University women's basketball team broke open a tight game with a 36-14 run over the middle two quarters and the Profs went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 68-54, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night.
 
Rowan improved to 10-11 overall and 7-7 in the NJAC with its 10th straight win in the all-time series against the Scarlet Raptors. Rutgers-Camden fell to 1-20 and 1-12.
 
The teams traded the lead eight times in the opening quarter and were tied on four occasions before the Profs finally broke a 16-16 deadlock on a layup by sophomore guard Jes Mastriano with 36 seconds left in the quarter. The Profs led, 18-17, after the first quarter before outscoring the Scarlet Raptors, 17-7, in the second quarter to grab a 35-24 halftime lead.
 
Although the Scarlet Raptors were able to slice that gap to 35-27 opening the second half, Rowan scored the next 18 points to establish its biggest lead of the game at 53-27. The closest Rutgers-Camden got to Rowan after that was 14 points on three occasions, including the final score.
 
Senior guard/forward Kristina Johnson scored a game-high 14 points to lead nine Profs in the scoring column. Junior guards Sabrina Araujo and Kate Herlihy added 11and nine points, respectively.
 
Araujo also collected a game-high three steals and was one of three Profs to notch six rebounds, as Rowan held a 48-43 edge off the boards. Senior guard Nicole Mallard dished off a game-high four assists.
 
Rutgers-Camden received 12 points apiece from senior guard Rahzirah Blocker and freshman forward A'yanna Morton. Freshman guard Maniya Simon collected a career-high 11 points, passing the output of 10 she scored against Kean University on Dec. 13.
 
Sophomore forward Taja Brown scored 10 points and senior guard Jania Pitts added nine.
 
Blocker grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds – one shy of her career high – as she completed her eighth double-double of the season. She also led the Raptors with three assists. Morton, Simon and Brown paced the team with two steals apiece.
 
Rowan shot 26-for-67 (38.8 percent) from the floor, while Rutgers-Camden shot 17-for-53 (32.1).
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Saturday at Ramapo College for a 3 p.m. game.