Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College men's basketball team, ranked 20th in the nation, remains undefeated in the conference as they defeated the Gothic Knights of New Jersey City University, 77-76 tonight at the Bradley Center in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up. The Roadrunners get the win behind 23 points from Ahmad Hassan to improve to 15-3 overall, 6-0 in the conference. NJCU falls to 7-7 overall, 2-3 in the NJAC.

It came down to the final seven seconds with Ramapo down, 75-76 with the ball at NJCU's end of the court; AJ LoRusso drove the ball down the court and shot the layup which rolled over the rim, but Peterkin crashed the boards and tipped the ball in to take a 77-76 lead. NJCU had a last second opportunity but a missed shot from James Livingston gave Ramapo the close, come-from-behind victory in NJAC basketball action.

Hassan led Ramapo shooting 10-20 from the field while the team combined hitting 29-64 (45%). Will Sanborn netted 19 points and LaQuan Peterkin chipped in 12 while Elgin Brown recorded a double-double with ten points and 11 boards. Peterkin grabbed nine rebounds in the win. Five Gothic Knight players scored double digit points, Da'Shon Barrino leading the way with 16 shooting 7-16 from the field. Keith Williams netted 12, Josh Hosang added 11, and Walik Albright and Ashmere Wilson each recorded ten points. The Gothic Knights combined hitting 28-66 (42%) from the field.

The two teams traded baskets in the opening ten plus minutes and the lead changed five times before Hosang sparked a 16-1 Gothic Knight run with 9:10on the clock. The run was capped off with 4:56 to play with an and-one play from Barrino to go up 30-18 over the Roadrunners. After Keith Williams hit back-to-back free throws with just under two minutes to go in the half, Ramapo strung together five points to come within six, 26-32, but the Gothic Knights responded with a 7-3 run of their own to head into the intermission with a ten point, 39-29 advantage over the Roadrunners. The Gothic Knights combined hitting 16-38 (42%) from the field behind a team leading seven points each from Barrino and Hosang. Ahmad Hassan led the Roadrunners with eight first half points hitting 3-8 from the field as his team combined hitting 36% (11-31) of their shots.

Ramapo opened the second half on a 12-3 run to come within one, 41-42 after Hassan sank five points and Will Sanborn netted three of his own. NJCU sunk a jump shot to go up, 44-43 before Sanborn tipped in a basket and Hassan followed with another two-point goal to take a 47-44 lead. After the game's seventh tie, 53-53 with 10:43 on the clock, the Gothic Knights strung together six points to Ramapo's one, to take a six-point, 60-54 lead with 9:28 to play. Barrino netted five of the team's six points in the run. The Roadrunners again responded with a 6-0 run, four points from Elgin Brown and two from Sanborn, to tie the game for the eighth time, 60-60 with just over seven minutes to play. In the final seven minutes of play, the lead changed nine times with Ramapo on top, 77-76 at the buzzer. Hassan put away 15 second half points and Sanborn added 14 while the team shot 18-33 (55%). LoRusso dished out five assists and Brown grabbed five boards to lead the team in the final 20 minutes of play. Barrino led the Gothic Knights with nine points as the team shot 12-28 (43%) from the field.

The Roadrunners return to action on Saturday, January 22nd when they travel to NJAC rival Kean University for a 3pm tip.