Box Score

GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rutgers-Newark women’s basketball team defeated Rowan University 62-50 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) contest on Monday night.

The Scarlet Raiders improve to 13-6 overall and 6-2 in the conference. The Profs are 8-12 overall and 1-7 in NJAC play.

Guard Olabimpe Fageyinbo (so. Morris Plains, NJ/Parsippany Hills) provided a spark off the bench for Rutgers-Newark with 13 points and five rebounds. Forward Courtney Vacca (fr. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) had eight points, five rebounds, and four assists. Guard Nerlande Nicolas (jr. Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) and forward Toni Roselli (jr. Garfield, NJ/St. Mary’s) added nine points each. Nicolas also had five steals.

Forward Ashley Cieplicki (so. Hawoth, NJ/Dumont) led Rowan with 12 points. She was 4-7 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line. Forward Lauren Byrne (sr. Paulsboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and guard Susan Massara (jr. Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) each had 10 points and six rebounds.

Rutgers-Newark was ahead 30-29 at halftime. Rutgers-Newark built its lead to six (40-34) 4:48 into the second half following a layup by Nicolas. Two free throws by Cieplicki cut the lead back to four (40-36). The Scarlet Raiders outscored the Profs 11-6 over the next 5:54 to stretch their lead to 51-42. Rutgers-Newark took a 10 point lead (54-44) with 4:53 left on a Fageyinbo layup. The Profs answered, eventually cutting the lead to six (56-50) following a layup by Byrne with 3:40 to play. Neither team scored again from the field. Rutgers-Newark converted six free throws over the final 3:12 to seal the victory.

Rowan started the game with an 11-4 run with six points from Massara and five from guard Brynn DeGroff (so. Wildwood Crest, NJ/Wildwood). Rutgers-Newark responded with seven straight points to tie the game at 11 with 14:10 remaining in the first half. After trading baskets, the Scarlet Raiders scored six unanswered points to take a 19-13 advantage at 10:27. Down 23-17 with 8:20 left in the half, the Profs scored five straight to cut the deficit to one (23-22). Rowan took a 29-28 lead when Cieplicki converted a three-point play with 1:52 to go in the half. Fageyinbo gave Rutgers-Newark the lead heading into the halftime with a layup at 0:32 (30-29)

This weekend, Rowan hosts conference opponent Montclair State University on Saturday, February 3 at
1 p.m.