WAYNE, N.J. (Jan. 18, 2025) – The Rutgers University-Camden men's basketball team went on a 10-point run early in the first half to take the lead for good and went on to defeat William Paterson University, 71-57, for its first New Jersey Athletic Conference win of the season.
 
The win snapped a nine-game losing streak for the Scarlet Raptors and raised their record to 6-9 overall. The Pioneers fell to 5-11 with their fifth straight loss. Both teams are 1-8 in the NJAC.
 
The Scarlet Raptors have won three straight games and four of their last five against William Paterson, although the Pioneers lead the all-time series, 68-11.
 
The Raptors scored the first three points of the game on a trey by senior forward Jordany Pierre, and after the Pioneers tied the game at 3-3, Rutgers-Camden went on a 10-point run to take the lead for good. Junior guard Eric Benjamin scored the first seven points of that run, including the go-ahead layup, and Pierre tacked on a trey for the final three points.
 
By halftime, Rutgers-Camden had built a 42-29 lead and the Pioneers never came closer than eight points (47-39) the rest of the way.
 
Benjamin and junior forward Cameron Downs paced the Scarlet Raptors with 17 points apiece, while junior guard Jordan Trusty-Smith added 16. Downs added 12 rebounds for a double-double, while tying teammate Javon Gordon, a graduate student guard, for a game-high four steals. Benjamin, Gordon and Trusty-Smith tied for game-high honors with four assists apiece.
 
Junior forward Cherif Kanoute collected two blocked shots, along with seven rebounds, four points and two assists.
 
Senior guard Andre Wells led the Pioneers with 14 points, while senior guards Neftali Valentin and David Martinez both added 13 points.
 
Rutgers-Camden held a 44-37 advantage off the boards, shot 27-for-60 (45.0 percent) from the floor and was 9-for-13 (69.2) from the foul line. William Paterson shot 21-for-60 (35.0) from the floor and 8-for-17 (47.1) from the foul line.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Rutgers-Newark in an 8 p.m. NJAC game.