GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University women's basketball team remains perfect in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) (9-0) after a 72-59 win over Rutgers-Newark on Saturday afternoon.
The Profs are off to their best start in the NJAC since the 1996-97 season when they were 16-0. Rowan is 15-1 overall. The Scarlet Raiders have an overall mark of 5-11 and they are 1-8 in the NJAC.
Guard/forward Kaitlin Schullstrom (gr. Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck) scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and had three assists and two steals. Forward Kate Matthews (gr. Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 12 points and 17 rebounds. She became the 15th Prof to surpass the 1,000-point plateau. Matthews is also just the fourth player with over 1,000 points and 800 rebounds. Guard Anyssa Sanchez (jr. Stratford, NJ/Sterling) tallied 10 points.
For Rutgers-Newark, guard Maria Simmons (jr. Irvington, NJ/Irvington) collected 21 points. Guard Arianna Williams (sr. Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Reg.) had 19 points. Guard Shala Glenn (jr. Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) chipped in with 10 points. Guard Nicole Skelly (so. Belleville, NJ/Immaculate Conception) compiled eight points and eight boards.
Rowan scored the first four points of the opening quarter and led 8-2 at the 7:39 mark. The Profs held a 17-10 advantage after a layup by Matthews (3:37). Rutgers-Newark scored the next six points to draw to within one (17-16) with 1:35 remaining. The Profs tallied the final six points of the quarter, including a triple by guard Summer Crilley (so. Galloway, NJ/Holy Spirit) (0:07) and held a 23-16 lead after one.
In the second quarter, the Scarlet Raiders trimmed the deficit to four points (28-24) after a three-point play by Simmons with 5:53 on the clock. The Profs tallied the next five points on a layup by guard Valerie Garofalo (jr. Ventnor, NJ/Holy Spirit) (5:36) and a three-pointer by guard Olivia Rulon (fr. Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood Catholic) (5:07) to extend the cushion to nine (33-24). Sanchez nailed a three-pointer (1:40) and hit a free throw (0:17) to build the lead to 11 (41-30). Skelly converted a layup (0:01) to make the halftime tally 41-32.
The teams exchanged baskets to start the third and the score was 46-37 with 6:40 remaining. The Profs then used a 15-4 run to extend the lead to 20 points (61-41) at the end of the stanza. Schullstrom collected six points and four other Profs scored.
In the fourth, Rowan continued to hold a double-digit advantage and went ahead by as many as 21 on a layup by guard/forward Ashanti Bishop (jr. South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) at the 9:09 mark. Rutgers-Newark could only get as close as 13 points which was the final margin of victory.
Rowan travels to Stockton University on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m.