CAMDEN, N.J. (Nov. 19, 2024) – The Rutgers University-Camden and Alvernia University men's basketball teams both entered their early-season non-conference showdown with a 3-0 record Tuesday night.
 
After 40 tight minutes of trading leads, it was the Scarlet Raptors who outlasted the Golden Wolves, 69-64, to raise their record to 4-0 for the first time since a program-best 5-0 start during the 1974-75 season.
 
Nothing came easy for either team, as they battled to 13 ties and 12 lead changes, including a 28-28 deadlock at halftime. Alvernia held its biggest lead in the opening half at 25-20, while Rutgers-Camden's largest lead of 54-46 came late in the second half.
 
The Scarlet Raptors built that lead by scoring 10 of 12 points to break a 44-44 deadlock with 9:23 remaining, Graduate student guard Javon Gordon started that run with a three-pointer, while junior forward Cameron Downs scored the next seven points on his way to a game-high 24 points.
 
As quickly as that lead developed, it nearly vanished, as a flagrant foul led to a pair of free throws by Alvernia freshman guard Robert Cottrell and on the Golden Wolves' possession, graduate student forward Jakob Kelly sunk a trey to make it a 54-51 game. Cottrell stole the Raptors' next possession and finished with a layup, making it a 54-53 game with 5:54 remaining.
 
Rutgers-Camden sophomore guard Lamar Davis stopped Alvernia's momentum with a layup and junior forward Cherif Kanoute scored on a dunk for a 58-53 lead. The Golden Wolves countered with five straight points to tie the game with 3:59 remaining. Two possessions later, it was a 60-60 tie before a pair of foul shots by Cottrell gave Alvernia its last lead, 62-60.
 
Downs tied the game again at 62-62 with a pair of foul shots and then was fouled hauling down a defensive rebound. He hit one shot to give Rutgers-Camden the lead for good, 63-62. Moments later, Davis canned a huge three-pointer for a 66-62 lead, and after Alvernia cut the cap to 66-64, Davis iced the game with a pair of foul shots. Downs put the finishing touch on the big win with a foul shot as he ended up shooting 9-for-11 from the foul line, one game after going 8-for-8 from the charity stripe in a win over Saint Elizabeth. He also had a game-high seven rebounds.
 
Downs' 24 points hiked his career scoring output to 872.
 
Davis finished with 12 points, Kanoute netted 10 and both Gordon and junior guard Eric Benjamin added nine points. Benjamin also had five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
 
Cottrell led Alvernia with 20 points, five assists and six steals. Freshman guard Janye Stanley scored 12 and both Kelly and freshman forward Elijah Hamilton added 11 points.
 
Rutgers-Camden shot 24-for-52 (46.2 percent) from the floor and 12-for-14 (85.7) from the foul line, while Alvernia went 23-for-52 (44.2) and 15-for-19 (78.9), respectively. The Scarlet Raptors held a 36-25 advantage off the boards, but also made five more turnovers (17-12).
 
The Scarlet Raptors will play their first road game of the season on Thursday as they try to tie their program-record undefeated start when they face Hunter College at 6 p.m.