Wednesday, January 19, 2011 (Women's Basketball)

GARCIA'S 18 NOT ENOUGH AS RAMAPO DEFEATS NJCU WOMEN, 79-44

MAHWAH, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University senior guard CAROLINA GARCIA (Plainfield, NJ/Franklin) scored 18 points including four three-pointers and moved into 10^th place in school history with 821 points, but Ramapo College shot 54.4 percent from the floor and posted a 79-44 win over NJCU in a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball game on Wednesday evening at the Bill Bradley Center.

Ramapo improves to 11-6 overall (2-4 NJAC) while the Gothic Knights drop to 3-13 (0-6 NJAC). Ramapo has a narrow 30-26 lead in the all-time series; NJCU still has won seven of the last meetings.

Garcia, who played a full 40 minutes in a game for the 18^th time in her career during her 86^th game as a Gothic Knight, eclipsed Norma Gonzalez who had 817 points in 95 games from 1991-95. Garcia shot 7-of-21 and 4-of-10 from three-point distance with three steals and two assists.

Freshman guard/forward MARIA SUAREZ (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) notched her fourth double-double of the season with 14 points (6-17 FG), 10 rebounds (six offensive) and two assists off the bench. Freshman forward ALNISA HERNAIZ (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) collected seven rebounds.

Ramapo received a game-high 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting from sophomore guard Alexa Ryan (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan). Junior forward Lindsey Gripenburg (Bloomingdale, NJ/Butler) added 17 points and four steals, shooting 7-of-11 overall and 3-of-4 from three-point territory.

Also for the Roadrunners, freshman guard Alayna Donadio (Wantage, NJ/High Point) finished with 14 points, converting all seven shots she attempted, while grabbing three steals. Senior center Danielle Beam (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North) was close to a triple-double, finishing with eight rebounds (six defensive), eight assists, six points and three steals.

There were three lead changes in the first half and NJCU trailed by just four, 19-15 with 10:07 left after Garcia drained a triple. But Ramapo responded with a 9-1 run to gain a 28-16 margin, which increased to 16 at halftime, 42-26. Ramapo twice led by as many as 37 in the second half and were not challenged in the period, outscoring NJCU, 37-18.

Ramapo shot 18-of-34 in the first half (.529) and 13-of-23 in the second half (.565), finishing at 31-of-57 overall and 6-of-11 (.545) from three-point range. NJCU made 19-of-67 field goals (.284) and 5-of-22 from deep (.227).

NJCU visits Glassboro, NJ on Saturday, January 22 at 1 p.m. when it meets Rowan University in an NJAC contest.

—www.njcugothicknights.com—