NEWARK, N.J. (Nov. 26, 2024) – Senior guard Levi Holton scored 13 first-half points to lift the Rutgers University-Newark men's basketball team to a 20-point halftime lead and the Scarlet Raiders went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 81-64, in the New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both teams here Tuesday night.
Rutgers-Newark, which held a 42-22 lead at halftime, improved to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden fell to 5-2 and 0-1.
The Scarlet Raiders lead the all-time series, 62-37, and have won 11 out of the last 12 meetings.
After Raptor senior forward
Jordany Pierre opened the scoring with a three-pointer only 11 seconds into the contest, Newark tied the score on a three-point play by senior guard Pascal Dodard. The Scarlet Raiders took the lead for good at 5-3 on a pair of foul shots by senior forward Travis Miles.
Following a foul shot by the Raptors' junior forward
Cherif Kanoute to make it a 5-4 Newark lead, the home team held the visitors scoreless for the next 5:02 as it built a 13-4 advantage. The closest the Scarlet Raptors came after that was 15-9.
Rutgers-Newark led, 42-22, at halftime with Holton scoring 13 points and Dodard adding 11. Dodard finished with a game-high 21 points, while Holton netted 19 points and junior guard Shy'Heed Jenkins-Floyd added 15. Senior forward Travis Miles collected 12 points for Rutgers-Newark.
Holton completed a double-double with 10 rebounds.
Rutgers-Camden received 11 points and seven rebounds from junior forward
Cameron Downs. Freshman guard/forward
Ryan Senft collected nine points and four assists, while junior guard
Eric Benjamin added eight points. Pierre, Kanoute and sophomore guard
Lamar Davis all scored seven points.
The Scarlet Raptors shot 23-for-51 (45.1 percent) from the floor, while the Scarlet Raiders went 25-for-64 (39.1). Camden went 14-for-31 (45.2) from the foul line, while Newark was 29-for-42 (69.0).
Newark held a 46-37 advantage off the boards and forced 20 Camden turnovers, while committing 11.
The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action on Wednesday with a 5:30 p.m. game at Rowan University.
