Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College Roadrunners earned a 62-49 victory tonight, behind 12 points from Will Sanborn, over the Pioneers of William Paterson University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men's basketball match-up at the Bradley Center in Mahwah to clinch the North Division Title.
Sanborn hit 4-9 from the field including 2-5 from behind the arc, as the team combined for 24 field goals on 50 attempts hitting 48% of their shots in the 13-point victory. Ahmad Hassan chipped in 11 points and LaQuan Peterkin added ten, while Demetrius Boards pulled down a team high ten rebounds in the win. AJ LoRusso dished out five assists on the night. Joey Castro and Gabriel Paul recorded 15 and 12 points respectively to lead William Paterson sinking nine of the team's 17 field goals. WPU went 17-51 (33%) from the field. Shaun Canty pulled down 14 rebounds and Castro dished out five assists.
After Canty hit a basket at the 15:24 minute mark to give the Pioneers a 7-6 advantage, the Roadrunners took over the lead with a jump shot from LoRusso and continued to spread the gap working their way to a 17-10 edge with a three-pointer from Hassan with 10:33 to go in the half. In the 16th minute, Castro hit a three-point basket of his own to put William Paterson up, 20-19. Two free throws from Sanborn gave Ramapo a 21-20 edge and a basket from Elgin Brown and another from Sanborn put Ramapo up, 25-20 heading into the locker room. The Roadrunners combined for nine field goals on 18 attempts (50%) while the Pioneers hit seven field goals on 30 total attempts shooting 27% in the half. Paul of William Paterson was the lone player in double-digit points netting ten in the first half, while Sanborn led Ramapo with a team leading six. Canty pulled down nine rebounds as WPU out rebounded Ramapo, 20-15 in the first 20 minutes of play.
The Pioneers hit back-to-back baskets in the opening minute of the second half to close the gap, 24-25, before the Roadrunners went on a 12-0 run, sparked by Peterkin and capped off by a three-point basket from Sanborn, to go up, 37-24 with 14:31 on the clock. Three straight Ramapo fouls would give the Pioneers six free throws opportunities, five of which they sank, to put them within eight, 31-39. But four different Roadrunners would trade basket opportunities to help Ramapo to a 17-point lead, 48-31, with just over 11 minutes to go. Ramapo's biggest lead came under a minute later when Stephon Treadwell laid the ball in to spread the gap to 18 points, 51-33. Castro sparked an 8-0 run for the Pioneers to come within ten, 53-43, but Ramapo would again push to get ahead by 17, 62-45, with just 1:54 to play, the basket, a three, coming from LoRusso. The Pioneers scored the final four points of the game falling short, 62-49 in the NJAC match-up. Peterkin put away eight points in the second half and Hassan and Sanborn each added six, while the team netted 15-32 (47%) from the field. Castro led the Pioneers with 11 points while the team shot 9-21 (43%).
The two teams will face off again on Wednesday, February 16th at 8pm in Wayne, NJ in the final regular seaso match-up of the season. WIth the victory, the Roadrunners will receive a 1st round bye in the NJAC post-season tournament and will play at home on February 22nd at 7pm.