Box Score

GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University men’s basketball team came from behind to defeat Rutgers-Camden, 81-69 in the final New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game of the regular season.

The Profs improve to 16-8 overall and 7-6 in the conference. Rowan is the second seed from the South Division in the NJAC Championship Tournament and will host the third seed from the North Division, Ramapo College in a first round game on Saturday, February 20 at 4 p.m. The Scarlet Raptors finish the season with a 6-19 record and a 1-12 conference mark.

Rowan trailed 41-31 after the first period. Rutgers-Camden led 43-31 after a layup by forward Tarik Hanton (sr. Philadelphia, PA/Kensington) at 19:19. Guard Joshua Askew’s (sr. Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Twp.) basket at 16:36 made the score, 49-38. Rowan scored the next 13 points to go ahead, 51-49 with 13:01 on the clock. Guard Sean Hughes (jr. Pt. Pleasant, NJ/Pt. Pleasant Boro) and forward Steve Secula (so. Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Reg.) each scored four points, center Derek Piccini (sr. Ridgefield, NJ/Ridgefield Mem.) had three and guard Kendall White (fr. Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Reg.) added two.

Scarlet Raptors’ guard Joe Bush (so. New Brunswick, NJ/Somerset County Vo-Tech) sunk two free throws at 11:46 to tie the game at 53. Rowan went back up by four (57-53) after two layups by Gary Foster at 10:40 and 10:38. Rutgers-Camden scored five consecutive points for a one point advantage (58-57) at 8:35. Forward Alex Rislin (jr. Union, NJ/Union) recorded four points and Askew had a foul shot. Foster’s layup at 7:32 gave Rowan a one point lead (61-60). He added a free throw (6:53) and guard Laud Anderson (jr. N. Brunswick, NJ/N. Brunswick Twp.) had a tip-in (6:15) to make the score 64-60.

Rutgers-Camden forward Chris Clahar (sr. Philadelphia, PA/Robert Lamberton) made a foul shot at 4:33 to cut the deficit to two (65-63). Rowan closed the game out with a 16-6 run. Guard Allen Pritchett (sr. Camden, NJ/Woodbury) nailed two three-pointers in the surge. The Profs connected on 10 of 12 free throws over the final 1:33.

Foster led Rowan with 15 points and six rebounds. Piccini followed with 13 points, while forward Tyson Hartnett (sr. Medford, NJ/Shawnee) had 10. Secula scored nine points and Hughes dished eight assists.

For the Scarlet Raptors, Hanton posted a game-high 17 points. Clahar and guard Rory Thornton (sr. Vauxhall, NJ/Union) compiled 16 and 12 points respectively. Askew totaled eight points and nine assists.

In the first half, Rutgers-Camden jumped out to a 15-4 lead over the first 4:36. Askew and Thornton each registered five points in the run. Hinton’s layup at 12:59 made the score, 20-10. Rowan had a 7-1 surge to pull within four (21-17) at 10:13. Piccini, Anderson and Foster each had two points, while White made a free throw. Rutgers-Camden stretched the lead to nine 32-23 following a layup by center Mike Melon (jr. Palmyra, NJ/Burlington Co. Inst. of Tech.) at 5:34. Secular’s foul shot at 4:15 cut the deficit to eight (32-24). Clahar nailed a three-pointer (3:22) and a jumper (2:47) to increase the advantage to 13 (37-34). Foster’s layup with 33 seconds remaining brought Rowan within 10 (41-31) at the intermission.