NEWARK, N.J. (Nov. 15, 2024) – Freshman forward Courtney Edmundo scored a career-high 18 points and the Rutgers University-Camden women's basketball team improved to 3-0 for the first time since the 2019-20 season as the Scarlet Raptors defeated Cairn University, 70-47, on the opening night of the John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic Friday at Rutgers-Newark.
 
The Scarlet Raptors are off to their best start since tying the program record of a 4-0 start in 2019-20. Rutgers-Camden, which has had 4-0 starts on four occasions in its program history, can tie that mark on Sunday when it faces FDU-Florham at 2 p.m. in its final game at the John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic.
 
Cairn falls to 1-2 and is now 0-4 against Rutgers-Camden in the occasional series starting from 2012-2024.
 
With the game tied at 12-12 in the opening quarter, Rutgers-Camden ran off eight straight points, beginning with a trey by freshman guard Mya Patino. A layup by senior guard Na'Caia Jackson and a trey by senior guard Rahzirah Blocker followed as the Scarlet Raptors took a 20-12 lead. They led, 23-13, after one quarter.
 
Rutgers-Camden increased its lead to 41-21 by halftime and led, 60-29, after three quarters.
 
Edmundo, who was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Rookie of the Week last Monday after her first collegiate game and raised her young career high to 15 points on Tuesday night, set her new high against Cairn. Her 18 points included 7-for-13 shooting from the floor, including 2-for-6 from three-point range. She went 2-for-4 from the foul line, grabbed eight rebounds and added three assists and three steals.
 
Another talented freshman, Patino, notched a new career high of 14 points, aided by 4-for-5 shooting from three-point range. Senior forward Taylor Hinson, in her first year with Rutgers-Camden after three seasons at Cairn, collected her first Raptor double-double against her old team, producing 10 points and 10 rebounds. She also added five steals to tie for game-high honors.
 
Rutgers-Camden received a team-high five assists from senior guard Lanae Johnson-Kleinpeter, while Jackson added four assists and five points.
 
Cairn sophomore forward Dezaray Bright collected a double-double with 12 points and game highs of 11 rebounds and seven assists. She also tied the Raptors' Hinson for game-high honors with five steals.
 
The Highlanders also received 12 points from sophomore guard Ella Quince and 10 from senior guard Kailee Sobrino.
 
Rutgers-Camden shot 28-for-79 (35.4 percent) from the floor, including 8-for-29 (27.6) from three-point range. Cairn went 18-for-56 (32.1) on field goal attempts, with only 1-for-12 (8.3) hitting from three-point range. From the line, Rutgers-Camden went 6-for-8 (75.0) and Cairn went 10-for-15 (66.7).
 
Cairn had 30 turnovers and Rutgers-Camden made 20.

The Scarlet Raptors held a 50-42 advantage off the boards.