Photo by Steve Fallon
After a disappointing 81-56 loss to Rowan in their NJAC home opener, the Roadrunners looked to rebound at home against William Paterson on Nov. 25. They could not get it done, losing to WPU at the Bradley Center in their second NJAC conference game of the season, 74-57.
Coach Mike Eineker liked his team’s effort, even though the Roadrunners were unable to pull out a win.
“Our team played hard and really fought for most of the game,” he said. “WPU really hurt us on the boards getting a lot of second chances. Their dominance in rebounding was really the difference in the game.”
William Paterson had a 24-11 advantage in offensive rebounds and total rebounds, 58-42 in the game.
Eineker remains optimistic of the Roadrunners chances in the young season. “Hopefully, we can get a little healthier for some real tough NJAC opponents coming up,” he said.
The Roadrunners’ season started off great, as they won their first three games against St. Joseph’s Long Island, Washington College of Maryland and Centenary College, scoring 68, 62 and 78 points, respectively. Their offensive output the past two games has not been as prolific, as the team has averaged only 56.5 points.
The game started out fairly even, with both teams trading baskets until the score was 17-13 in favor of William Paterson. The Pioneers responded with an 8-0 run, maintaining a five-point lead for the rest of the game. The Pioneers led at halftime, 38-30, even after a buzzer-beating three-pointer from the Roadrunners appeared to give them some momentum. That momentum never came through for Ramapo, as William Paterson scored the first six points of the second half and never looked back.
Sophomore Kellie Lane led the way for the Roadrunners with 15 points while fellow sophomore Bintou Berete was right behind with 13 points of her own, while going an impressive 11-13 from the free throw line. Sophomore I'india Davenport grabbed 10 rebounds to go along with five blocks.
Senior captian Jackie Jerkovich struggled from the three-point line in the game, going 1-11; however, she still made an impact in all offensive categories, with six assists, six rebounds, two steals and eight points. Sophomore Doris Ilic contributed nine points, while senior Kerrie Kosakowski added six points of her own in the losing effort.
The Roadrunners (3-2) play next against NJAC rival Kean in Union on Dec. 3.
jstewar1@ramapo.edu
