NEW YORK, N.Y. (Nov. 26, 2016) – The Rutgers University-Camden women's basketball season is only four games old, but already the Scarlet Raptors have made their mark on the program's record book.
Rutgers-Camden exploded to a 28-8 first-quarter lead and went on to rout John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 105-49, in a non-conference game here Saturday afternoon. In raising their record to 4-0, the Scarlet Raptors tied a program record to open the season. Both the 1991-92 and 1981-82 Rutgers-Camden teams also opened the year with four straight wins to share the mark for a program that started during the 1974-75 winter.
Rutgers-Camden will try to set a new mark when it plays its home opener Wednesday night, hosting Rowan University in a 6 p.m. New Jersey Athletic Conference game.
The 105 points were the most for the Scarlet Raptors since a 115-58 victory over SUNY-Westbury on Jan. 6, 1997. The 56-point victory was the most since a 59-point 83-24 win at Valley Forge Christian on Nov. 21, 2006.
The Scarlet Raptors took the lead for good, 3-0, on an early three-pointer by sophomore guard Gabby Greene (Howell, NJ/Howell). Leading, 9-4, they went on a 16-point run to hike their advantage to 25-4, on the way to their 28-8 lead after one quarter. By the end of the first 10 minutes, junior co-captain Michelle Obasi (Camden, NJ/Camden Catholic) had eight points, while Greene and junior co-captain Cara Racobaldo (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) had six apiece.
By halftime, the Scarlet Raptors had increased their lead to 52-22, with Racobaldo, Obasi and freshman guard Fatimah Williams (Camden, NJ/Timber Creek) leading eight players in the scoring column with 10 points apiece. Obasi also had six first-half rebounds, while Racobaldo added four assists.
Freshman center Uju Nwaigwe (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream South) had six points in the opening half for the Bloodhounds, who fall to 0-4. Nwaigwe and sophomore center/forward Karen Rosario (Brooklyn, NY/Sunset Park) both finished with 12 points for John Jay.
The Scarlet Raptors finished with 11 players in the scoring column, led by Racobaldo, who had 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Williams finished with 15 points, while Obasi and Greene added 14 points and four assists apiece. Obasi also had a game-high three blocks and a team-high eight rebounds as Rutgers-Camden held a 47-33 advantage off the boards. The Raptors also shot 40-for-75 (53.3) percent from the floor.
Rutgers-Camden shot 10-for-21 from three-point range (47.6), led by three treys apiece from Greene and freshman guard Kacie Walton (Columbus, NJ/Northern Burlington). Walton went 3-for-3 from three-point range. Both Walton and freshman guard Kelsey Kruger (Sweetwater, NJ/Cedar Creek) nearly gave the Raptors six players in double figures, finishing with nine points apiece.
Rutgers-Camden also went 15-for-25 from the foul line, with both Obasi (4-for-4) and Williams (3-for-3) hitting all of their free throws.