EWING, NJ – The Rowan University women's basketball team was defeated by host The College of New Jersey, 87-77 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Wednesday night.
The Profs are 11-9 overall and 8-6 in the conference. The Lions improve to 16-5 with an 11-3 NJAC record. TCNJ forward Jen Byrne (so. Medford, NJ/Shawnee) totaled 30 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Forward Nikki Schott (sr. Washington, NJ/Warren Hills) produced 20 points and 11 boards while forward Shannon Devitt (fr. Westfield, NJ/Westfield) tallied 12 points and 18 rebounds. Schott and Devitt added three blocks apiece. Forward Samantha Famulare (jr. Freehold, NJ/Freehold Twp.) contributed with 10 points and seven rebounds.
For Rowan, guards Alex Raring (sr. Linwood, NJ/Mainland Reg.) and Dominique Peters (so. Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) each scored 19 points. Peters added eight boards. Guard Summer Crilley (sr. Galloway, NJ/Holy Spirit) recorded 10 points. Center April Szymczyk (sr. Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) and guard Samantha Tello (so. Elmwood Park, NJ/St. Mary's) chipped in with nine and eight points respectively.
The Lions took a 7-0 lead (7:48) after a jumper by guard Charlotte Schum (sr. East Hanover, NJ/Morris Catholic), a layup by Byrne and a Schott three-pointer. Crilley's jump shot made the score 15-8 with 5:03 left in the first. TCNJ had a 10-2 run to increase the margin to 15 (25-10) with 9:19 to go in the second. Devitt registered five points, Schott hit a three and Byrne added a layup.
The Profs rallied for 10 straight points to trail by five (25-20) at 7:21. Szymczyk totaled four points and forward Taylor Gardner (fr. Plainfield, NJ/Union Catholic) and Peters added three apiece. The score was 29-22 after a pair of free throws by Peters (5:30). The Lions had their largest lead of the contest (42-25) after a 13-3 surge that ended at 1:42. Famulare led the charge with six points and TCNJ took a 42-27 advantage into the break.
Rowan began the third with an 8-2 run to get within nine (44-35) at 8:07. Szymczyk scored four points and Raring and Peters each had two. Tello posted four consecutive points to close the gap to five (54-49) with 1:30 on the clock. Forward Paige Caldwell (fr. Bridgeton, NJ/Woodstown) drilled a three (0:39) and the Profs were down 58-54. The Lions opened up a 10-point margin (64-54) with six straight points that ended at 9:06 in the fourth. Schott recorded four points and Byrne had two. Raring's three (2:16) made it a five-point game (76-71) but Rowan was not able to get any closer in the final minutes.
Next, the women's basketball team visits New Jersey City University on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 1 p.m.