MAHWAH, NJ – Junior guard
Martyna Ruminska had 16 points, six rebounds and two assists to lead Rutgers-Newark, but Ramapo bumped the Scarlet Raiders out of a New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament play-in berth with a 63-41 season-ending decision in the Bradley Center.
Ramapo 63, Rutgers-Newark 41
The Raiders (8-17, NJAC 2-11) failed to make the league championship playoffs for the first time in six years while the Roadrunners (11-14, NJAC 4-9) punched their ticket to the six-team tourney for the first time since the 1993.
Rutgers-Newark entered the game needing a win over Ramapo plus a William Paterson defeat of New Jersey City to force a three-way tie for the third and final NJAC tournament berth in the league's North Division. Rutgers-Newark would have played NJCU in Jersey City tomorrow night if things had gone the Raiders way with the winner hosting Ramapo on Friday to gain entry into the championship on Saturday. William Paterson pounded NJCU, 86-40, to come through with one half of the necessary ingredients, but the Raiders could not down the Roadrunners.
Ruminska knocked down three of nine shots from beyond the arc while sophomore
Jared Tactuk connected on two of five 3-point shots, but the Raiders made just five of 22 treys on the night and shot just 30.4% from the field. Tactuk notched 11 points, two rebounds, a steal and an assist.
Rutgers-Newark senior forward
Courtney Vacca, who averaged a double-double this season, was limited to just six points and seven rebounds in her collegiate finale. Sophomore guard
Samantha Grippo came off the bench to score five points, but Ramapo’s reserves out-scored their Raider counterparts, 38-5.
Freshman forward Meghan Reilly had a game-high 13 rebounds and 11 points for the Roadrunners who completed a regular-season sweep of the Raiders. Freshman guard Alexa Ryan and junior guard Stephanie Cannizzaro came off the bench to score 14 points apiece. Reserve junior center Danielle Beam totaled 10 points as depth proved to be the ultimate weapon for Ramapo.
Ramapo broke away from the Raiders with a 21-8 spurt capped by a 3-point jumper by Ryan with 1:31 left in the opening half. That made it 35-20, allowing Ramapo to take a 37-22 lead into the locker room at the half.
The Raiders never got closer than 11 points in the second half before the Roadrunners pulled away to lead by 22 twice in the final minutes.