GALLOWAY, N.J. (December 12, 2015) – Stockton University defeated Rutgers University-Newark by a score of 70-50 Saturday afternoon in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) men's basketball game at The Sports Plex, snapping a six-game winning streak for the Scarlet Raiders.
Rutgers-Newark drops to 7-3 overall and 3-2 in the conference, while Stockton moves to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the NJAC.
The game swung early in the second half when Stockton opened the period with a 20-4 run to turn a 26-22 halftime lead into a 20-point margin with 13:36 left in the game. From that point, that Scarlet Raiders were able to get within 17 following a three-pointer from freshman guard/forward Tariq Baker, and within 18 at several other junctures in the second half, but could get no closer, before falling by the 70-50 final.
The Rutgers-Newark defense played well in the first, holding the Ospreys to 10-for-28 shooting (35.7 percent) and just 26 points. Stockton finished the contest shooting 45.6 percent (26-for-57) from the field, 7-for-23 (30.4 percent) from three-point range and 11-for-15 at the line.
R-N shot 32 percent (16-for-50) from the floor, 3-for-10 from deep and converted 15 of their 22 attempts at the line. Leading the Scarlet Raiders was senior forward Jordan McDaniel who had 14 points and sophomore guard Tyler Ofray who had eight points and five rebounds. Senior guard John Snow had six points and 10 rebounds, and senior forward David Azoroh had eight points and a pair of thefts. Baker led the Raider reserves with seven points.
Sophomore forward Darius Jerkins went 6-for-6 from the field and scored a game-high 15 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds to pace the Ospreys. He was joined in double figures by junior forward Maurice Hart, junior forward Jaymere Hayden and senior guard Armin Cane in double figures.
An early McDaniel three-pointer tied the game at 3-all in the early going, with a three-pointer from senior guard Vik Singh giving the Scarlet Raiders an early 9-8 lead, and two free throws from Ofray propelled Rutgers to an 11-10 lead 7:22 into the action.
Stockton came back to open a 23-15 edge late in the first half, but Rutgers-Newark closed period on a 7-3 rally to get within four at the break (26-22). Snow (1), Ofray (2), junior forward Olumide Onajide (2) and McDaniel (2) all sunk foul shots for the Scarlet Raiders.
Rutgers-Newark will look to get back to its winning ways on Saturday, December 19 in The Golden Dome Arena when it hosts Drew University in a non-conference battle to close out play in 2015. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. in Newark.