EWING, N.J. (Nov. 22, 2016) – Junior forward/center Michelle Obasi (Camden, NJ/Camden Catholic) scored a career-high 28 points and junior guard Jovan Childers (Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton) scored 18 in her first game at Rutgers University-Camden to lead the Scarlet Raptors over The College of New Jersey, 81-76, in the New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both women's basketball teams here Tuesday night.
Rutgers-Camden improves to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the NJAC with its fourth consecutive win in the series against TCNJ. The Lions, who still lead the all-time series, 54-11, fall to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
Entering the fourth quarter in a 53-53 deadlock, the teams swapped the lead four straight times before the Scarlet Raptors finally took the lead for good, 59-58, on a layup by Childers. Obasi and freshman guard Fatimah Williams (Camden, NJ/Timber Creek) both added a pair of foul shots to boost the Scarlet Raptors to a 63-58 advantage.
After TCNJ scored the next four points to cut its deficit to one, Rutgers-Camden went on a seven-point run, sparked by a foul shot from senior forward/center Caroline Santiago (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional) and completed by three-pointers from sophomore guard Gabby Greene ((Howell, NJ/Howell) and junior guard/forward Cara Racobaldo (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic). The closest the Lions came the rest of the way was five points, on three occasions.
In a tight first half, the Lions took a 33-32 lead before the Scarlet Raptors scored the last three points of the half on a field goal by Obasi and a foul shot by freshman guard Kirsten Flournoy (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek).
The second half remained more of the same, with the score tied at 53-53 entering the final period after the teams were deadlocked at 47-47, 49-49, 51-51 and 53-53.
Obasi notched her final two points of the night from the foul line late in the fourth quarter, giving her the career-high performance. She passed her previous high of 27 points, set against Bryn Mawr College on Nov. 18, 2015. Obasi also added eight rebounds and a game-high four steals.
Childers, a transfer from Cumberland County College, finished with 18 points, three assists and a team-high nine rebounds. Greene, meanwhile, notched 14 points, aided by four treys, and added three assists and two steals.
Racobaldo finished with eight points and eight rebounds, while tying Williams with a team-high four assists.
TCNJ received a double-double from junior guard Charlotte Shum (East Hanover, NJ/Morris Catholic). She had 19 points and a game-high 17 rebounds to help TCNJ hold a 43-42 edge off the glass. Freshman forward Jen Byrne (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) scored 18 points for the Lions, while junior forward Nikki Schott (Washington, NJ/Warren Hills) added 13.
Rutgers-Camden took advantage of 17 Lion turnovers, while making only nine itself. The Raptors also shot 20-for-26 (76.9 percent) from the foul line, led by a 6-for-6 performance from Obasi and an 8-for-12 from Childers.
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Saturday when they play a 12 p.m. non-conference game at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.