The Ramapo College men’s basketball team played two close matchups, resulting in one loss and a win. Despite a tough 60-56 loss to New Jersey City University in an New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opener, the Roadrunners regrouped to earn a 75-64 victory over Sarah Lawrence College. These two games pushed Ramapo’s overall record to 4-2.
NJCU held off a late comeback from the Roadrunners to secure a 60-56 victory. NJCU improves to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the NJAC, while Ramapo drops to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Ramapo took a 17-11 lead, but NJCU responded with an 8-1 run to briefly take a 19-18 lead. Ramapo regained the advantage after a layup from senior Shane Rooney, but NJCU pushed ahead 21-20. The Gothic Knights extended their lead to four with a three-pointer from Jaheim Lewis, 27-23, but Ramapo tied the game at 27 heading into the break.
NJCU took a 37-31 lead with 16:00 left. Ramapo fought back to cut the lead to three after a 9-2 run, 49-46. A critical three-pointer from Isa Johnson-Williams and a tip-in from Bakh Rogers-Robinson extended NJCU’s lead to 58-50 with 4:08 remaining. Ramapo scored the next six points, including an and-one play by senior Jordan Myers, to make it 58-56 with 1:22 remaining. However, Ramapo couldn’t convert late, and NJCU sealed the game with free throws, winning 60-56.
For the Roadrunners, senior Peter Gorman led with 13 points, seven rebounds, and two steals. Corbo and Myers each added 10 points. Junior Tim Linton came off the bench to score eight points and record two blocks. Ramapo shot 40% from the floor but struggled from the three-point line, hitting just 9% of their attempts. They shot 60% from the free-throw line and forced 17 NJCU turnovers.
NJCU was led by Jaheim Lewis with 19 points and nine rebounds. Gilbert added 13 points and four rebounds. Rogers-Robinson contributed 10 points and five rebounds.
The Roadrunners’ next match was on the road against Sarah Lawrence College. The Gryphons jumped out to an early 16-2 lead in the first half. However, the Roadrunners quickly worked their way back into the game. Ramapo cut the Gryphons’ lead to 23-29. Junior Elijah Barlow contributed seven points during this stretch, while Corbo added four points. The Roadrunners were able to close the gap to just five points by halftime, trailing 38-33.
Ramapo opened the second half with a 21-7 run that lasted over eight minutes. The Roadrunners took their first lead of the game at 39-38, with a four-point play from Gorman, who converted a three-pointer and a free throw after being fouled. Gorman finished with 20 points, including five three-pointers.
With 6:32 left on the clock, the Gryphons had a 56-55 lead, but Ramapo quickly regained control. Over the next several minutes, the Roadrunners went on a 14-0 run, including four three-pointers, to take a 69-64 lead.
Corbo, who finished the game with 11 points and a team-high 12 rebounds for a double-double, had a couple of key free throws to ensure the win. The Roadrunners held on for a 75-64 victory, outscoring Sarah Lawrence 42-26 in the second half.
“I definitely think we started off slow, but we knew we had to pick it back up at halftime when we were down by 5. We knew we had to be more aggressive and play better defense,” Barlow said in an email to Ramapo News. “This was definitely a good win before we start to pick back up conference play again because the games only get tougher from here on out.”
Along with Gorman’s 20 points and Corbo’s double-double, Barlow played a crucial role in the win, scoring 19 points on an efficient 8-11 shooting. Sophomore Branden Moore and Linton both recorded six points, with Linton adding two blocks and three rebounds.
The Roadrunners return to action on Saturday, Dec. 7 on the road against Rutgers-Camden in NJAC conference action at 3:00 p.m.
lkelyman@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @@katierygielgraphics, Instagram
