Ramapo’s women’s basketball team fell 74-68 to The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) this past Saturday in the Bradley Center. The Roadrunners now sit at 15-9 overall and 11-6 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).
The Roadrunners played a tight game against the Lions, taking a 19-15 lead in the second quarter with senior Jackie Ventricelli making two baskets. The first was assisted by Shannon Burns, and the second, almost immediately after, was assisted by Olivia Johnstone.
The third quarter saw the Lions and the Roadrunners go neck and neck until the Lions took a four-point lead with them to the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, TCNJ was barely able to edge the Roadrunners in the score column, cementing a six-point victory.
Leading in points for Ramapo was Ventricelli, accumulating 27 over the course of the game with four steals and five assists. Karly Wittenbauer followed up, securing 11 points for the Roadrunners with two steals and six assists. For TCNJ, Nina Branchizio led with 14 points and four assists, while Kaitlyn Deiter added nine points and 10 rebounds.
The Roadrunners shot 47% (28-59) from the field, 29% (5-17) from the three-point line and 87% (7-8) from the free throw line. In addition, Ramapo secured six second chance points and 17 points off of turnovers.
Despite this loss, the Roadrunners had an impressive season, finishing 15-10, which placed them fifth in the NJAC. They now look forward to the NJAC playoffs, where they will be the No. 5 seed facing off against No. 4 Stockton University. The Roadrunners will travel to Galloway to face the Ospreys in the first round of the tournament on Feb. 17 at 1 p.m.
jhammer@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Ramapo Athletics