2007-08 Men's Basketball News

Rutgers-Camden’s Banks earns
NJAC Honorable Mention

CAMDEN (Feb. 28, 2008) – Junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) produced an outstanding season in his first year with the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball program, and the rest of the New Jersey Athletic Conference noticed.

Banks, a transfer from Camden County College, captured All-NJAC Honorable Mention recognition today when the conference named its 2007-08 all-star teams.

Banks, who played in all 25 of the Scarlet Raptors’ games, starting 22, led the team in scoring (12.8 points per game) and three-point field goals (60). He had 17 games scoring in double figures, including five games scoring over 20 points.

Banks set his Rutgers-Camden high with 23 points against Ramapo College Dec. 8, going 9-for-12 from the floor including 5-for-8 from three-point range. He tied that high on Jan. 16 against Richard Stockton College, when he shot 9-for-11 from the floor (2-for-3 from three-point range).

In his second game at Rutgers-Camden, Banks scored 22 points as the Scarlet Raptors defeated Penn State Berks, 64-59, in the consolation game of the Days Inn East Blue Jay Classic Nov. 17 at Elizabethtown College. He shot 6-for-10 from three-point range in that game, leaving him only two treys shy of the single-game program record.

Banks captured a berth on the all-tournament team at the Days Inn East Blue Jay Classic, one of his two all-tourney honors during the year. He also was named to the team at the Sheraton New Year’s Tournament (Jan. 4-5), which was held at Albright College.

Banks had a sensational two-year career at Camden County College, where he earned First Team All-Region 19 and First Team Garden State Athletic Conference honors during both the 2005-06 and the 2006-07 seasons. He also was named to the all-tournament team at Gloucester County College’s invitational tournament and was a pre-season All-American Second Team player during his sophomore season after averaging 16.3 points, 2.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals as a freshman.

In two years at Camden County College, Banks scored 909 points, setting the stage for another one of his highlights during the 2007-08 Rutgers-Camden campaign. With 21 points at Brooklyn College Dec. 1, Banks went over the 1,000-point milestone for his combined collegiate career. He finished his Raptor season with 321 points, giving him a career total of 1,230 points through three seasons.

In addition to his scoring average, Banks averaged 2.5 rebounds and contributed 27 assists, 23 steals and one blocked shot to the Raptors’ season. With a 4-for-7 performance from three-point range on Feb. 13, he finished with 17 points and was instrumental in the Raptors’ 87-74 upset over NJAC South Division champion Richard Stockton. That win ended Rutgers-Camden’s 46-game, 24-year losing streak to the Ospreys.

Banks’ 60 treys tied for seventh on the Rutgers-Camden single-season charts. He was 10th in three-point field goal attempts (139) and his .432 field goal percentage was the sixth-highest at Rutgers-Camden among all players with a minimum of 50 attempts. That percentage would rank him second among the school’s career leaders when he qualifies for that chart next season – he needs 11 more attempts to hit the minimum of 150.

A two-year basketball letterman at Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, Banks also was a scholastic Honors student with a 3.5 grade point average. He is a History major at Rutgers-Camden
.
Bill is the son of Jeff and Kim Banks of Berlin.

Rislin’s overtime basket helps
Rutgers-Camden edge TCNJ

CAMDEN (Feb. 23, 2008) – Sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) scored on a layup, was fouled and tacked on a foul shot with 20.9 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball team past The College of New Jersey, 80-77, in the final game of the season for both New Jersey Athletic Conference teams.

The victory allowed the Raptors (6-19 overall and 3-10) to edge past the Lions (6-19/2-11) for fourth place in the final NJAC South Division standings, marking the first time since the 2001-02 season that Rutgers-Camden has climbed out of the NJAC cellar. It also gave Rutgers-Camden a sweep of the home-and-home series against TCNJ this season, the first time that has happened since the teams started playing a pair of games in 1983-84. TCNJ, which now leads the all-time series, 52-11, had won 40 of the last 41 games in the rivalry entering this season.

The game also was the final contest for senior guard Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep), who ended his Raptor career with 10 points, seven rebounds, one assist and four steals. He tied for game-high honors in steals with Raptor sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township).

The Lions, who roared back from a 10-point deficit (42-32) early in the second half, appeared headed for the win in regulation. They led, 73-70, when the Raptors’ freshman guard Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) canned a game-tying three-pointer with 4.7 seconds left in the second half.

In overtime, the two teams were tied at 75-75 and 77-77 before Rislin scored the winning basket. The Lions missed a pair of foul shots in the last second, including the second one intentionally, and Canty grabbed the rebound to clinch the victory.

With the win, Rutgers-Camden matched its record last season in the first year under Head Coach Brian Wischusen. The 12 victories in two seasons are the most since the team went a combined 13-36 over the 2002-03 and 2003-04 campaigns.

Rutgers-Camden was sparked by a sterling effort from Askew, who scored 18 points, added five rebounds and tied for game-high honors with both three assists and four steals.

Canty finished with 14 points for the Raptors, while adding a team-high nine rebounds. Rislin notched 10 points, including the decisive three.
TCNJ received a game-high 19 points from sophomore guard Jay Frank (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial), while senior forward Mark Aziz (Hackettstown, NJ/West Morris) added 16 points and junior guard Jeff Molinelli (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) notched 15. The 16 points and five rebounds allowed Aziz to finish his career with 815 points and 341 rebounds.

Senior guard Corey Gilmore (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) added 10 points for the Lions, while senior guard Jeff Warner (Jackson, NJ/Jackson) had a game-high 16 rebounds.

Junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) finished his first year at Rutgers-Camden with seven points, going 1-for-3 from three-point range to hit his 60th trey of the season. He tied Tyrone Rucker (2003-04) and Brian O’Donnell (1989-90) for seventh place on the single-season list of three-pointers. His three-point percentage of .432 was the sixth-highest single-season three-point percentage in program history for anybody with a minimum of 50 attempts.

Askew, meanwhile, finished with 59 steals for the second straight season. Halfway through his Rutgers-Camden career, he has 118 steals, only 45 shy of the career mark of 163 by Dane Nicholson (2003-07).

The contest was a thrilling way to end the Raptors’ second season under Wischusen. That campaign included three NJAC wins for the first time since the 2002-03 team finished 3-15 in the conference. Not only the Scarlet Raptors beat TCNJ twice, but they also notched an 87-74 victory against Richard Stockton College on Feb. 13 in Camden, ending the Ospreys’ amazing 46-game winning streak against Rutgers-Camden dating back to 1984.

The first win over TCNJ, meanwhile, was a 58-53 win in Ewing on Jan. 30, snapping the Lions’ 10-game winning streak against the Raptors.
Individually, Banks was named to a pair of all-tournament teams during the season, coming at the Days Inn East Blue Jay Classic (Nov. 16-17) and the Sheraton New Year’s Tournament (Jan. 4-5). He also scored 21 points at Brooklyn College Dec. 1 to pass the 1,000-point barrier for his combined careers at Camden County College and Rutgers-Camden, and finished his junior season with 1,230 points.

Canty was recognized as the NJAC Rookie of the Week Feb. 18 after averaging 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in two games the previous week. Included in his week was a career-high 26 points as the Scarlet Raptors stunned South Division champion Richard Stockton College.

For the season, Banks led the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and with his 60 treys, while Rislin had a team-high rebounding average of 4.4.
Askew’s 59 steals and 53 assists led the Raptors, while Canty finished with a team-high 10 blocked shots. He entered the week ranked 43rd nationally in Division III with 2.4 steals per game, and finished the season with a 2.5 average, so the sophomore guard will rank among the top players in steals per game when the NCAA’s final stats are released after the season.

Rutgers-Camden’s Blackwell, Canty
sweep NJAC Rookie of the Week honors

CAMDEN (Feb. 18, 2008) – Freshmen Karima Blackwell (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) and Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) turned in outstanding performances for their Rutgers University-Camden basketball programs last week, and their efforts were recognized Monday by the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Blackwell was named the NJAC Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week Monday, while Canty made it a Scarlet Raptor sweep by earning honors as the NJAC Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week. The freshmen were recognized for their performances in a pair of games against Richard Stockton College (Feb. 13) and Rowan University (Feb. 16).

It was the third NJAC Rookie of the Week honor this season for Blackwell, who also won the award on Dec. 10 and Jan. 21.

Canty, a 6-foot-2 guard, collected a game-high 26 points to set his career high as Rutgers-Camden stunned visiting Richard Stockton, 87-74, to snap a 46-game, 24-year losing streak against the Ospreys. Rutgers-Camden hadn’t defeated Stockton since Jan. 25, 1984.

Canty went 8-for-12 from the floor against Stockton, including 4-for-7 from three-point range. He also shot 6-for-8 from the foul line, had one blocked shot and collected three rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Later in the week, Canty added a team-high 13 points and three assists at Rowan, while tying for game-high honors with two blocked shots and two steals.

Over his two games, Canty averaged 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks. He shot 54.2 percent (13-for-24) from the floor, including a blistering 63.6 percent (7-for-11) from three-point range.

Blackwell started her week with seven points, three rebounds and a steal in a 60-58 loss to Richard Stockton, but followed that game with one of the top all-around performances in program history. In a 68-65 victory at Rowan University, she led the Lady Raptors back from a 17-point first-half deficit with a double-double of career highs, scoring 30 points and grabbing 19 rebounds.

Blackwell’s performance marked her sixth double-double of the season and shattered her previous career highs of 21 points, against both Valley Forge Christian (Jan. 17) and Drew University (Nov. 20), and 17 rebounds in the game against Drew.

Blackwell’s three-point play with 44 seconds remaining – a layup and a foul shot – gave the Raptors the lead for good at 66-65.

Not only did Blackwell shoot 9-for-15 from the floor in the game, but she also went 12-for-12 from the foul line, setting a program single-game record for the best perfect shooting from the foul line. She broke the mark of 10-for-10, accomplished three times.

In her two games last week, Blackwell averaged a double-double of 18.5 points and 11.0 rebounds. She shot 55 percent (11-for-20) from the floor and 93.8 (15-for-16) from the foul line.

For the season, Blackwell is averaging 11.4 points (second on the team) and leads Rutgers-Camden in rebounding with an 8.5 average. She has started all 24 of the Lady Raptors’ games and has added 22 assists and 27 steals.

Canty has appeared in 22 of the Scarlet Raptors’ 24 games, averaging 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds. He is third on the team in both assists (37) and steals (24).

The Rutgers-Camden basketball teams close their season Saturday with a home doubleheader against The College of New Jersey. The women play at 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3 p.m.

Darby, Byrnes power Rowan
past Rutgers-Camden, 88-58

GLASSBORO (Feb. 16, 2008) – The Rowan University men’s basketball team went on a nine-point run to open the second half, turning a five-point lead into a 14-point margin, and the Profs went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 88-58, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.

Rowan improves to 16-7 overall and 5-6 in the NJAC with its third win in the last four games. The Profs have won 12 straight games and 37 of the last 38 against Rutgers-Camden to grab a 79-27 lead in the all-time series.

Rutgers-Camden falls to 5-19 overall and 2-10 in the NJAC.

Clinging to a 38-33 lead at the half, the Profs opened things up quickly in the second half by holding the Scarlet Raptors scoreless for 4:04, while running off nine straight points. Freshman guard Michael Farrow (Whitesboro, NJ/Middle Township) scored four points in the run, while senior guard Dwayne Reevey (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) added three.

Junior guard Kevin Darby (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) paced the Profs with a game-high 21 points, including 9-for-12 shooting from the floor and 3-for-3 from three-point range. Senior guard Matt Byrnes (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest) added 20 points for Rowan, shooting 7-for-14 from the floor.

Rowan built a 38-33 halftime lead after the two teams had been tied at 2-2 and 4-4. Darby broke the 4-4 tie with a three-pointer, sparking Rowan on a nine-point run to take the lead for good. The Profs led by as many as 11 points in the opening half, at 18-7 and 21-10, before Rutgers-Camden trimmed the margin. The Scarlet Raptors narrowed the gap to as little as four points, 31-27, before settling for the five-point halftime deficit.

Darby notched 15 points to lead all players in the opening half, while Rowan Byrnes added 11. For the Scarlet Raptors, freshman guard Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) scored 11 first-half points. Freshman center Jared Meredith (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Burlington County Tech) added nine points in the opening half, passing his previous career high of seven against New Jersey City University Feb. 9.

Canty finished with 13 points for Rutgers-Camden, while Meredith finished with the nine points and a team-high six rebounds.

Reevey scored 15 points to give the Profs three players in double figures. He also added a game-high 10 rebounds to complete a double-double.

Rowan returns to action Wednesday with an 8 p.m. NJAC game at The College of New Jersey.

Rutgers-Camden is idle until Saturday, Feb. 23, when it hosts The College of New Jersey at 3 p.m. in its season finale. That game will include feature a Senior Day presentation to the Scarlet Raptors’ lone senior, Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep).

Canty helps Rutgers-Camden snap
24-year losing streak to Stockton

CAMDEN (Feb. 13, 2008) – Freshman Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) scored a career-high 26 points to help the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball team snap their longest losing streak against New Jersey Athletic Conference opponent as they defeated Richard Stockton College, 87-74, here Wednesday night.

The win snapped the Scarlet Raptors’ 46-game losing streak against the Ospreys. Rutgers-Camden hadn’t won in the rivalry since it was known as the Pioneers and posted an 84-79 victory at Stockton on Jan. 25, 1984. Stockton now leads the all-time series, 54-8, including an 82-54 win in Pomona earlier this season on Jan. 16.

The victory lifted the Raptors to 5-18 overall and 2-9 in the NJAC this season, snapping a three-game losing steak.
Stockton, which had won seven of its last eight games entering the contest, falls to 15-6. The Ospreys, who have already clinched the regular-season title in the NJAC South Division, fall to 8-3 in conference play.

Rutgers-Camden bolted to a 34-23 halftime lead to put the streak in jeopardy, but Stockton roared out of the gates in the second half with a 17-3 run to grab a 40-37 lead. After four lead changes, sophomore guard Josh Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) hit a three-pointer to put the Raptors ahead to stay, 47-45.

Rutgers-Camden increased its lead to 11 points, 73-62, before the Ospreys’ senior forward Jon Greene (Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood) hit a foul shot with 3:47 remaining to make it a 10-point game. Stockton managed to cut the gap to 78-70 on a three-pointer by senior guard Mario Lancioni (Runnemede, NJ/Triton Regional) with 1:49 remaining, but the Scarlet Raptors’ hot shooting from three-point range and the foul line clinched the victory down the stretch.

Rutgers-Camden went 7-for-10 from three-point range in the second half (70 percent) and 16-for-21 (76.2 percent) from the foul line in the final 20 minutes. Leading the second-half surge was Canty, who scored 15 of his 26 points in the second half, including 6-for-8 from the foul line, and junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern), who scored 10 points after halftime, including 3-for-4 shooting from three-point range. Banks finished with 17 points.

Askew also scored 10 points in the second half, including 4-for-4 from the foul line and 2-for-2 from three-point range, to finish with 14 points. He also notched six rebounds – tying freshman center Jared Meredith (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Burlington County Tech) for team high – and three steals.

Another Scarlet Raptor hit double-digits in scoring as junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) had 10 points. Eight came in the second half, including 4-for-5 from the foul line.

Both Banks and Canty went 4-for-7 from three-point range in the game as the Raptors shot 12-for-19 from behind the arc (63.2 percent). Canty’s 26 points broke his season and career high of 15, set against The College of New Jersey Jan. 30.

Mario Lancioni paced the Ospreys with 18 points, including 15 in the second half. Greene canned 16 and added a game-high 10 rebounds, while sophomore Omar Smith (Newark, NJ/Central) scored 15 points and junior Jerome Hubbard (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) added 10.

The Ospreys’ Mario and Santini Lancioni (Runnemede, NJ/Paul VI) tied Askew and Canty for game-high honors with three steals apiece.

Stockton held a 34-29 advantage off the boards and shot 41.7 percent (25-for-60) from the floor on the night. Rutgers-Camden, aided by its big night from three-point range, shot 58.0 percent (29-for-50) from the floor.

Both teams return to play Saturday in NJAC action. The Scarlet Raptors play a 1 p.m. game at Rowan University, while the Ospreys host The College of New Jersey at 4 p.m.

NJCU’s John scores 27 to power
70-55 win over Rutgers-Camden

CAMDEN (Feb. 9, 2008) – Senior guard Dana John (Hillside, NJ/Pocono Mountain East, PA) scored a game-high 27 points to power the New Jersey City University men’s basketball team over Rutgers University-Camden, 70-55, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.

The Gothic Knights improved to 14-8 overall and 6-4 in the NJAC North Division while clinching their 33rd straight winning season, the second-longest streak in Division III history. They trail only the current 39 by Wittenberg University.

Rutgers-Camden falls to 4-18 overall and 1-9 in the NJAC South Division with its third straight loss.

The Gothic Knights have won 10 straight games and 38 of the last 39 against Rutgers-Camden to lead the all-time series, 48-4.

NJCU opened up a 38-24 halftime lead behind 16 points from John, who shot 7-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-3 from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes. He finished the night 10-for-14 from the floor (3-for-6 from three-point range) and 4-for-5 from the foul line as he raised his career scoring output to 1, 226 points. He needs only four more points to tie John Celentano (1971-74) for 15th place on the program’s all-time list.

NJCU stretched its lead to 17 points early in the second half (42-25) before Rutgers-Camden cut the gap to 49-40 with 11:50 remaining on a foul shot by junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin NJ/Eastern Regional). John came right back to bury a three-pointer, and the Gothic Knights led by double digits the rest of the way.

In addition to his 27 points, John added three steals.

Junior guard Kevin Tucker (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) notched 13 points for the Gothic Knights and added a game-high five steals, while senior forward/center Marques Hill (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) added 10 points. Hill also had a team-high six rebounds for NJCU, which held a 31-30 edge off the boards.

Banks scored 15 for Rutgers-Camden, while senior guard/forward Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) added 13, tying his career high set against Albany Pharmacy on Jan. 5, 2008. Sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) added nine points and three assists.

Freshman center Jared Meredith (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Burlington County Tech) grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to set his career high. His previous high was six against Penn St-Berks on Nov. 17, 2007. Meredith also passed his previous career scoring high of six points (accomplished twice), as he scored seven.

Junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) added five rebounds to lift his career total to 302.

Both teams return to NJAC action Wednesday night. NJCU plays a 7:30 p.m. game at Rutgers-Newark, while Rutgers-Camden hosts Richard Stockton College at 8 p.m.

Wright powers Kean men
past Rutgers-Camden

UNION (Feb. 6, 2008) – Kean University senior guard Lamar Wright (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) scored a game-high 15 points to lead three players in double figures as the Cougars defeated Rutgers University-Camden, 65-41, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s basketball game here Wednesday night.

The Cougars improve to 7-14 overall and 2-7 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, with both NJAC wins coming against Rutgers-Camden. Kean’s victory snapped a four-game losing streak.

The Scarlet Raptors fall to 4-17 and 1-8 with a big blow to their hopes of claiming the third and final playoff spot in the NJAC South Division. The Raptors now trail both The College of New Jersey (2-6 in the NJAC) and Kean (2-7) for the last spot.

Kean holds a 43-19 lead in the all-time series, including seven wins in the last eight games.

Kean took control midway through the opening half, using a 15-2 run to erase a one-point deficit and take a 24-12 lead with 3:27 left in the first half.  The Scarlet Raptors cut the deficit back to six points on a pair of occasions before the Cougars took a nine-point lead into halftime with the 29-20 advantage. 

After a Scarlet Raptor layup by junior Phil Thompson (Wildwood, NJ/Millville) trimmed the deficit to seven with the first basket of the second half, the Cougars scored 15 unanswered points to build a 22-point advantage (44-22) less than five minutes into the second half.  They extended the margin to as many as 26 points.

In addition to Wright, Kean received 12 points apiece from freshmen Keith Williams (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) and Jonathan Jones (Linden, NJ/Linden). Jones added a game-high six rebounds for the Cougars, who held a 34-23 advantage off the boards.

Kean shot 54.8 percent (23-for-42) from the floor, including 46.2 percent from three-point range (6-for-13). Rutgers-Camden, meanwhile, was 17-for-47 (36.2 percent) from the floor and 0-for-9 from three-point range.

Freshman Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) notched nine points and sophomore Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) added six for the Raptors. Canty and Askew also had four steals apiece, tying Kean’s Wright for game-high honors.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday when it hosts New Jersey City University in a 3 p.m. NJAC game.

Dudley’s late foul shots help
MSU edge Rutgers-Camden, 75-73

CAMDEN (Feb. 2, 2008) – Montclair State sophomore guard Ken Dudley (Willingboro, NJ/Burlington Tech) hit a pair of foul shots with 3.4 seconds remaining here Saturday afternoon as the Red Hawks rallied to beat Rutgers University-Camden, 75-73, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s basketball game.

Montclair State, which trailed by as many as 13 points (58-45) with six minutes remaining, improves to 12-8 overall and 5-3 in the NJAC. The Red Hawks have won three straight games and eight of their last 11. They also have won six straight games against Rutgers-Camden and 29 of the last 30 to hold a 39-8 advantage in the all-time series.

Rutgers-Camden, which falls to 4-16 overall and 1-7 in the NJAC, built a 34-28 halftime lead and stretched the margin to 58-45 before the Red Hawks came roaring back, aided by five three-pointers in the last six minutes, including three by freshman guard Chris McCann (Sparta, NJ/Sparta).

A trey by McCann tied the game at 68-68 with 1:45 remaining before the Raptors took a 71-68 lead on a layup and a foul shot by junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) with 1:11 remaining. Dudley came down to hit another trey, tying the game with 1:01 remaining.

A layup by Miller gave the Raptors their last lead at 73-71 with 11 seconds remaining before the Red Hawks again tied the game with 10.4 seconds left on a pair of foul shots by freshman guard Tom Bonard (Westfield, NJ/Westfield).

In the closing seconds, the Raptors missed a pair of foul shots, with junior center Ryan Washington (Edison, NJ/JP Stevens) grabbing the rebound off the second miss.

Dudley was fouled with 3.4 seconds remaining and made both shots to give the Red Hawks the win.

Rutgers-Camden’s halfcourt desperation shot fell short at the buzzer.

McCann and Dudley each finished with 16 points for Montclair State, while junior forward Carlos Pena (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) added 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for a double-double.

Rutgers-Camden placed five players in double figures, led by Miller’s 13 points. Junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional), sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) and sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) each added 12 points, while freshman forward Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) scored 11.

Askew and Rislin each had six rebounds to lead the Raptors.

Montclair State shot 41.7 percent (25-for-60) from the floor for the game, including 7-for-15 (46.7 percent) from three-point range in the second half.

Rutgers-Camden shot 46.7 percent for the game (21-for-45) from the floor and held a 36-31 advantage in rebounds.

Both teams return to NJAC action with road games Wednesday. Montclair State plays a 7:30 p.m. game at Rutgers-Newark, while Rutgers-Camden visits Kean University for an 8 p.m. contest.

Rutgers-Camden men snap
losing streak against TCNJ

EWING (Jan. 30, 2008) –  The College of New Jersey has been a nightmare for the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball team over the years, but the Scarlet Raptors re-wrote the traditional script here Wednesday night.

Junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) scored a game-high 21 points and freshman forward Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) added a career-high 15 as the Scarlet Raptors edged the Lions, 58-53, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night.

The victory was the Raptors’ first over TCNJ since a 95-80 overtime win in Camden on Jan. 30, 2002, snapping a 10-game losing streak against the Lions. It was only Rutgers-Camden’s second win against TCNJ/Trenton State in the last 42 games of the series, which the Lions now lead, 52-10.

The Raptors’ victory snapped a six-game losing streak on the season, raising Rutgers-Camden’s record to 4-15 overall and 1-6 in the conference. TCNJ falls to 5-13 overall and 1-6 in the NJAC with its fifth straight loss.

The Scarlet Raptors trailed only twice in the game, with first-half deficits of 12-10 and 19-18. They held a 25-22 margin at halftime and, despite a few second-half ties and narrow leads, were never passed down the stretch.

TCNJ pulled to within one point, 51-50, with 1:15 remaining before Canty hit a three-pointer for his final points of the night. He passed his previous career high of 11 points, set against Elizabethtown on Dec. 15, 2007.

The Lions bounced back with a three-pointer from sophomore Jay Frank (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial), cutting the Raptors’ lead to 54-53 with 24.5 left to play, but the Raptors closed out the game from the foul line. Sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) and Banks each hit a pair of foul shots in the closing seconds.

Banks went 5-for-7 from three-point range on his way to 21 points, two shy of his Raptor high. Junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), meanwhile, added a game-high 10 rebounds. That total was one shy of his Rutgers-Camden career high, also against TCNJ on Feb. 1, 2006.

Canty added a career-high five assists to his personal high of 15 points.

Frank paced the Lions with 15 points and eight rebounds.

Rutgers-Camden shot only 33.9 percent from the floor (20-for-59), but was 7-for-16 (43.8 percent) from three-point range. The Raptors held TCNJ to 35.1 percent shooting from the floor (20-for-57) and 27.3 percent (6-for-22) from three-point range.

Rutgers-Camden also held a 41-36 advantage off the boards.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday when it hosts Montclair State University in a 3 p.m. NJAC game. TCNJ travels to New Jersey City University for a 7 p.m. conference game.

Baptist Bible outlasts
Rutgers-Camden men

CLARKS SUMMIT, Penn. (Jan. 28, 2008) –  Sophomore forward Travis Wash (Newport News, VA/Denbigh Baptist Christian) scored on a layup with 1:57 remaining, breaking a tie score and sparking a six-point run that led the Baptist Bible College men’s basketball team over Rutgers University-Camden, 61-57, in a non-conference game here Monday night.

The contest was the makeup of a postponed game from Dec. 11, when Rutgers-Camden’s transportation broke down on the way to Baptist Bible College.

The Defenders improve to 10-8. The Scarlet Raptors lost for the sixth straight game, falling to 3-15.

Wash’s layup snapped a 54-54 deadlock and helped the Defenders take the lead for good. Baptist Bible continued a six-point run to grab a 60-54 lead, wrapping up its fifth win in six games.

Baptist Bible placed four players in double figures scoring, led by 12 points apiece from senior forward Josh Workman (Akron, OH/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) and junior guard Justin Cook (Brownsburg, IN/Bethesda Christian School). The Defenders also received 11 points from senior forward/center Tim O’Keefe (Perry, OH/Perry) and 10 points from senior forward Nathan Penley (Willis, MI/Calvary Christian Academy).

Rutgers-Camden received a game-high 13 points from sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union), who set his Scarlet Raptor career high. His previous high was 12 points against Gwynedd-Mercy College on Dec. 5, 2007. Rislin scored most of his output from the foul line, shooting 7-for-10 from the charity stripe.

A pair of guards, sophomore Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) and junior Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) each scored 10 points for the Raptors. Rislin and senior guard/forward Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) tied for game-high rebounding honors with six apiece.

Rutgers-Camden held a 29-24 edge off the boards and shot 45.7 percent (21-for-46) to the Defenders’ 46.7 percent (21-for-45).

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Wednesday night with an 8 p.m. New Jersey Athletic Conference game at The College of New Jersey.

Rutgers-Newark men survive
NJAC battle with Rutgers-Camden

NEWARK (Jan. 26, 2008) – Senior point guard Angel Collado (Jersey City, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) hit a three-point field goal with 40.1 seconds remaining to lift the Rutgers-Newark men’s basketball team past Rutgers-Camden, 44-43, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday night.

Trailing, 41-36, Rutgers-Camden rattled off seven straight points to grab a 43-41 lead before Collado’s trey put the Scarlet Raiders ahead to stay. In the closing seconds, a missed shot at the foul line and a Newark turnover gave the Scarlet Raptors a chance, but a driving layup at the buzzer rolled off the rim as the Scarlet Raiders escaped with the win.

Rutgers-Newark improves to 11-7 overall and 4-2 in the NJAC, while Rutgers-Camden falls to 3-14 overall and 0-6 in the NJAC.

Trailing the five points down the stretch, the Scarlet Raptors rallied as sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) had a layup and junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern) hit a trey to tie the game at 41-41 with 2:10 remaining. The Raptors took a two-point lead, 43-41, on a jumper by junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) with 1:12 remaining before Collado notched the game-winning three-pointer.

Sophomore forward Phil Barnes (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) collected a double-double for the Scarlet Raiders with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Junior center Afolabi Ajumobi (Roselle, NJ/Roselle Catholic) had a career-high seven blocked shots and added eight rebounds for Rutgers-Newark.

Banks notched a game-high 16 points for the Scarlet Raptors, including 13 in the first half as Rutgers-Camden held a 22-21 lead at the break.

Rislin notched eight points for Rutgers-Camden, while sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) had a game-high three steals to hit 100 for his young career. He is the 13th player in program history to reach the century mark in steals.

Rutgers-Camden shot 32.2 percent from the floor (19-for-59) and Rutgers-Newark was 33.3 (18-for-54), but the Scarlet Raiders held a commanding 49-28 advantage on the boards.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Monday, Jan. 28, when it travels to Baptist Bible College for a 7 p.m. non-conference game.

Quick start sparks Rowan
past Rutgers-Camden men

CAMDEN (Jan. 19, 2008) – The Rowan University men’s basketball team grabbed a quick 22-3 lead and went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 72-57, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.

The Profs, who have won two straight games, improve to 11-4 overall and 1-3 in the NJAC. They have won their last 11 games against Rutgers-Camden and lead the all-time series, 78-27.

The Scarlet Raptors fall to 3-13 overall and 0-5 in the NJAC.

With junior guard Kevin Darby (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) scoring four points, Rowan raced to an 8-0 lead, and then increased the margin to 22-3 by the time Darby ended the run with a jumper at 11:43. Darby scored 11 points in that run, while senior guard/forward Matt Byrnes (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest) scored five and junior forward Rahim Shiver (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) added four.

By halftime, Rowan held a 39-19 advantage, with 13 points from Darby and 10 from Byrnes.

Byrnes finished with a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds, while Darby added 17 points and five boards.

Rowan shot 56.3 percent (27-for-48) from the floor and held a 36-24 advantage in rebounds.

For Rutgers-Camden, sophomore guard Mark McCloskey (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) collected a career-high 20 points, including 8-for-10 shooting from the floor (3-for-4 from three-point range). His previous career high was 10 against Curry College, Nov. 18, 2006.

McCloskey also tied his career high of three rebounds in a fine performance off the bench.

Sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) paced the Raptors with five rebounds and added three steals and a game-high four assists. He scored seven points.

Rowan returns to action Wednesday when it hosts The College of New Jersey in an 8 p.m. NJAC game.

Rutgers-Camden is idle until Saturday, Jan. 26, when it travels to NJAC rival Rutgers-Newark for a 7:30 p.m. game.

Balanced attack leads Stockton
past Rutgers-Camden men

POMONA (Jan. 16, 2008) – Senior forward Jon Greene (Wildwood, NJ/ Wildwood) scored 18 points to lead three Richard Stockton College players in double figures as the Ospreys defeated Rutgers University-Camden, 82-54, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s basketball game here Wednesday night.

The Scarlet Raptors fall to 3-12 overall and 0-4 in the NJAC, while the Ospreys improve to 9-4 and 3-1. Stockton has now won 46 straight games against the Scarlet Raptors, dating back to the last Rutgers-Camden win on Jan. 25, 1984 (an 84-79 victory at Richard Stockton College).

The Ospreys are 53-7 in the all-time series.

Rutgers-Camden led only twice in the contest, at 2-0 and 4-2, as the Ospreys built a 31-26 halftime lead. After the break, Rutgers-Camden cut the margin to 35-34 before Richard Stockton broke away behind the play of Greene and the scoring of senior guard Mario Lancioni (Runnemede, NJ/Triton Regional) and junior forward Chad Davis (Millville, NJ/Sacred Heart). Lancioni finished with 13 points, while Davis added 10.

Greene also had a game-high seven rebounds as Stockton held a 30-25 edge off the boards.

Rutgers-Camden received a game-high 23 points from junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional), tying his Raptor career high set against Ramapo College on Dec. 8. Banks went 9-for-11 from the floor, including 2-for-3 from three-point range. He also hit three of his four foul shots.

Stockton shot 50.8 percent from the floor (31-for-61), while Rutgers-Camden shot 43.2 percent (19-for-44). The Ospreys also forced the Raptors into 25 turnovers.

The Scarlet Raptors return to action Saturday when they host Rowan University in a 3 p.m. NJAC game.

William Paterson men
topple Rutgers-Camden

WAYNE(Jan. 12, 2008) – The William Paterson men’s basketball team pulled away during the second half for a 62-42 victory against visiting Rutgers-Camden in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday.

The victory lifts the Pioneers to 10-3 overall and 2-0 in the NJAC. The Scarlet Raptors fall to 3-11 and 0-3. 

The two teams combined for 22 turnovers (11 each) during the first half when the Pioneers scored the game’s first eight points, then watched the Scarlet Raptors roar back to build a 21-17 lead with 6:26 remaining in the half.  With the score knotted at 24-24 (3:38), the Pioneers scored the final four points of the period thanks to a Gabriel Paul (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) jumper and a pair of Abdoulaye Ouedraogo (Newark, NJ/Newark Science) free throws, giving William Paterson a 28-24 halftime edge.

The Pioneers opened the second stanza with a 14-3 spurt to take a 42-27 lead with 13:49 remaining in the game. That run was capped by eight consecutive points from Bobby Dunn (Garwood, NJ/Johnson Regional) and a Paul steal and layup.  Rutgers-Camden never came closer than eight points for the remainder of the contest.

Paterson forced 10 more turnovers in the second half, when it held Rutgers-Camden to 5-for-20 shooting (.250).  The Pioneers, who began the week as the Division III national leader in scoring defense (52.9 ppg) and ranked third in field-goal percentage defense (.352), allowed the Scarlet Raptors to shoot just .333 (14-42) from the field overall.

Ouedraogo scored 10 of his team-high 12 points during the first half, adding 11 rebounds for the Pioneers.  Senior Seve Cousins (Haledon, NJ/St. Joseph-Metuchen) contributed nine points and four assists, while Paul and Dunn each chipped in with eight tallies.

Rutgers-Camden sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) led all scorers with a career-high 20 points, shooting 5-for-7 from the floor including 5-for-6 from three-point range. His previous career high was 16, accomplished twice, most recently against Elizabethtown College, Dec. 16, 2006.

Junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern) added nine tallies for the Scarlet Raptors, while notching four assists to tie with teammate Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) and Paterson’s Cousins for game-high honors.

The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Wednesday night with an 8 p.m. game at Richard Stockton College.

Williams powers Kean men
over Rutgers-Camden, 48-43

CAMDEN (Jan. 9, 2008) –  Freshman guard Keith Williams (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) scored the last seven points of the game, including a three-pointer with 2:01 remaining to give Kean University the lead for good as the Cougars rallied to a 48-43 victory over Rutgers University-Camden in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s basketball game here Wednesday night.

The Cougars improve to 5-8 overall and 1-1 in the NJAC with their second straight win. They have won 15 of the last 19 games against Rutgers-Camden and now hold a 42-19 lead in the all-time series.

The Scarlet Raptors fall to 3-10 and 0-2.

Rutgers-Camden led by as many as nine points, at 33-24, early in the second half before Kean started its comeback. The game was tied on three occasions late in the second half, including 41-41, before the Scarlet Raptors took their final lead of the night, 43-41, on a layup by freshman guard Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside).

Williams sank the last of his trio of three-pointers with 2:01 remaining to give the Cougars the lead for good at 44-43. He added a pair of foul shots with 12.7 seconds remaining and two more with 0.9 seconds left for the final margin on his way to a game-high 19 points. Williams, who earned his second NJAC Rookie of the Week honor on Monday, also had six rebounds, one assist and three steals for Kean.

The Cougars also received nine points from freshman forward Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, NJ/Florence) and seven rebounds from freshman guard Dean Hughes (Pemberton Township, NJ/Pemberton Township).

Rutgers-Camden was paced by eight points from junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern), while sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) added seven. Askew and junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) tied for game-high rebounding honors with eight.

Askew had a game-high four steals, while Canty notched a game-high four assists.

Kean shot only 31.1 percent from the floor (19-for-61), while Rutgers-Camden was only 33.3 percent (16-for-48).

The Cougars held a slim 40-39 rebounding advantage, but made five fewer turnovers than the Scarlet Raptors (19-14).

Both teams return to NJAC action Saturday. Rutgers-Camden plays a 1 p.m. game at William Paterson University, while Kean hosts New Jersey City University at 3 p.m.

Rutgers-Camden men snap skid
with win over Albany Pharmacy

READING, Penn. (Jan. 5, 2008) –  The Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball team found the right medicine to snap its losing streak.
The Scarlet Raptors scored the first eight points of the game and never trailed as they raced past Albany College of Pharmacy, 83-62, in the consolation game of the Sheraton New Year’s Tournament here Saturday. The victory lifts the Raptors to 3-9, snapping a seven-game losing streak.

In the championship game, host Albright College (8-2) defeated Rutgers-Newark (7-5), 83-71.

The Raptors’ 8-0 start included four points from sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union), who scored eight points in the opening half as the Raptors grabbed a commanding 49-27 halftime lead. Rislin finished with 10 points as one of a quartet of Scarlet Raptors to reach double figures.

Junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) led Rutgers-Camden with 15 points, including 11 in the opening half, while senior guard Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) added eight first-half points on his way to a Rutgers-Camden career high of 13. His previous high of nine points came against Penn State-Berks Nov. 17, 2007.

Banks was named to the all-tournament team, joining Rutgers-Newark’s Chadd Barnes and David Cherry and three members of champion Albright – Tom Murphy, Andre Murphy and tourney MVP Albert Medoro.

The Raptors also saw junior guard Phil Thompson (Wildwood, NJ/Millville) set his Rutgers-Camden career high with 10 points. Thompson, in his first year with the Scarlet Raptors, went 4-for-4 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the foul line.

Holding a 22-point lead at halftime, the Raptors maintained a big lead throughout the final 20 minutes against the Panthers, who fall to 5-9. Albany Pharmacy never got closer than 14 points (51-37) the rest of the way, despite a game-high 22-point performance by senior guard Vartan Balian. Junior guard/forward Bryan Jones added 13 points for the Panthers.

Rutgers-Camden shot 58.5 percent from the floor (31-for-53), while Albany Pharmacy was 20-for-49 (40.8 percent). The Scarlet Raptors also held a 32-27 edge off the boards, led by a game-high seven boards from Robinson.

Robinson also had a team-high four steals to set his Raptor career high.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Wednesday, when it entertains Kean University in an 8 p.m. New Jersey Athletic Conference game.

Host Albright tops Rutgers-Camden men
at Sheraton New Year’s Tournament

READING, Penn. (Jan. 4, 2008) – Senior forward Albert Medoro (Exton, PA/West Chester Henderson) collected 12 points and nine rebounds in the first half, staking Albright College to a 23-point lead, and the host Lions went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 75-52, on the opening night of the Sheraton New Year’s Tournament here Friday.

In Friday’s other game, Rutgers-Newark defeated Albany College of Pharmacy, 70-34.

Albright (7-2) and Rutgers-Newark (7-4) will play for the tournament title Saturday at 4 p.m., following the 2 p.m. consolation game between Rutgers-Camden (2-9) and Albany College of Pharmacy (5-8).

Rutgers-Camden, which has lost seven straight games, scored the first two points of the game, but the Lions bounced back with five straight. They took the lead for good, 5-2, on a three-pointer by sophomore guard Andre Murphy (Philadelphia, PA/Engineering & Science).

Holding a 7-6 lead, Albright went on a 28-5 run, capped by 16 straight points, to grab a 35-11 lead late in the first half. Albright held a 37-14 lead at halftime as Medoro was one rebound shy of a double-double in the first 20 minutes. He completed his double-double in the second half, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) had five of the Scarlet Raptors’ 14 first-half points and finished with eight on the night.

Senior forward Tom Murphy (Royersford, PA/Spring-Ford) tied Medoro with 12 points to lead Albright, while freshman forward Andrew Pomager (Philadelphia, PA/North Catholic) netted 10.

Rutgers-Camden junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) tied for game-high honors with 12 points, while sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) finished with nine points and four rebounds.

Albright held a 41-27 advantage off the glass and shot 29-for-56 (51.8 percent) from the floor. Rutgers-Camden shot only 34.5 percent (19-for-55) from the floor.

Marywood outlasts
Rutgers-Camden men

SCRANTON, Penn. (Dec. 29, 2007) – Freshman Matthew Medici (Princeton, NJ/Notre Dame) scored 11 of his game-high 21 points in the first half to power the Marywood University men’s basketball team over Rutgers University-Camden, 78-65, in a non-conference game here Saturday afternoon.

Rutgers-Camden, which has lost six straight games, falls to 2-8. Marywood improves to 3-4, snapping a two-game losing streak.

The Pacers built a 41-29 halftime lead behind the strong inside play of Medici and sophomore Chadli Charlot (Lake Worth, FL/Lake Worth), who finished with three blocked shots and added six points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Tyler Reinhard (Highlands, NJ/Henry Hudson Regional) added 10 of his 15 points in the opening half, including a pair of three-pointers.

Rutgers-Camden stormed back in the second half, aided by a 12-2 run, to tie the game at 54-54 with 9:27 remaining, but the Pacers answered moments later. Sophomore Karl Anderson (Northampton, PA/Notre Dame) hit a three-pointer to put Marywood ahead for good.

Medici finished with a double-double with game-high totals of 21 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore Jerome Gosney (Binghamton, NY/Seton Catholic Central) also had a double-double for the Pacers with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Rutgers-Camden received 11 points apiece from junior Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern) and sophomore Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union), while junior Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) added seven points and a team-high eight rebounds. The seven points raised Miller over 500 for his career, leaving him at 504.

Sophomore guard Tony Normil (Pemberton, NJ/Pemberton) collected his Rutgers-Camden career-high of eight points, while sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) notched eight points and added a game-high six assists.

Marywood shot 49.1 percent (28-for-57) for the game, including 9-for-20 (45.0 percent) from three-point range. Rutgers-Camden went 22-for-63 (34.9 percent) from the floor and 12-for-30 (40.0 percent) from three-point range.

The Pacers held a 46-30 advantage off the boards.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Friday night when it plays host Albright College in the 8 p.m. game at the Sheraton New Year’s Tournament.

Undefeated Elizabethtown tops
Rutgers-Camden men

ELIZABETHTOWN, Penn. (Dec. 15, 2007) –  The undefeated Elizabethtown College men’s basketball team scored the first six points of the game and never trailed as the Blue Jays went on to post a 79-51 victory over Rutgers University-Camden in a non-conference game here Saturday afternoon.

Elizabethtown, which received four votes toward the latest d3hoops.com national Top 25 poll, improved to 9-0 as it hiked its all-time record against Rutgers-Camden to 2-0. The Scarlet Raptors, who were playing their last game for two weeks, fall to 2-7 with their fifth straight loss.

After Elizabethtown jumped to a 6-0 lead, Rutgers-Camden cut the gap to 8-6 before the Blue Jays reeled off the next 10 points. Elizabethtown doubled the Raptors’ score by halftime, 38-19, and led by as many as 32 points (61-29) in the second half.

Senior guard Mike Schatzmann (Paradise, PA/Pequea Valley) scored a game-high 18 points for the Blue Jays, while senior guard/forward Chad Piersol (Elverson, PA/Owen J. Roberts) added 16. Schatzmann also had a game-high four steals as the Blue Jays forced the Scarlet Raptors to commit 28 turnovers.

Blue Jays junior guard Phil Schaffer (Marmora, NJ/Ocean City) dished off a game-high seven assists.

Elizabethtown shot 56.9 percent from the floor (29-for-51), while Rutgers-Camden was only 16-for-50 (32.0 percent).

For the Scarlet Raptors, freshman guard Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) collected a team-high 11 points, establishing a high for his short collegiate career. Sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds – one more than his previous career high against Valley Forge Nov. 26 – and barely missed a double-double by scoring nine points.

Canty added a team-high three assists and tied for team-high honors with two steals.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Dec. 29 when it plays a 3 p.m. game at Marywood University.

Transportation breakdown postpones
Rutgers-Camden at Baptist Bible

CLARKS SUMMIT, Penn. (Dec. 11, 2007) –  The non-conference basketball game between Rutgers University-Camden and Baptist Bible College, scheduled for tonight, was postponed due to the Scarlet Raptors’ transportation breaking down en route to the contest. The game has been rescheduled for Jan. 28 at Baptist Bible, beginning at 7 p.m.

Rutgers-Camden, 2-6, returns to action Saturday with a non-conference game at Elizabethtown College. The 3 p.m. contest is the Scarlet Raptors’ last game before the holidays.

Ramapo tops Rutgers-Camden
in NJAC men’s basketball opener

MAHWAH (Dec. 8, 2007) –  The Ramapo College men’s basketball team went on a 12-0 run early in the game to take the lead for good and the Roadrunners went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 87-64, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.
The contest was the NJAC opener for both teams, leaving Ramapo with a 5-3 record overall and a 1-0 conference mark. Rutgers-Camden falls to 2-6 and 0-1.

Trailing, 7-5, the Roadrunners scored 12 straight points to grab a 17-7 advantage, sparked by a pair of foul shots by senior center Omar Alston (Carteret, NJ/Carteret). Alston finished the game with a double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds.
After a Rutgers-Camden timeout with 13:16 left in the half, junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) broke the Roadrunners’ run with a jumper, starting a streak in which the Scarlet Raptors forged back into the game. With 8:34 remaining in the half, junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) hit a jumper to close the gap to three points at 22-19.

Ramapo responded by scoring the next 13 points and the Roadrunners built their halftime lead to 50-32. The Roadrunners held their biggest lead of the game, at 87-54, with 2:12 remaining in the contest.

Junior guard/forward Tim Wesley (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) paced the Roadrunners with 18 points, while Alston had 17 and freshman guard Ahmad Hassan (Edgewater, NJ/Leonia) added 16.

Ramapo shot 34-for-65 (52.3 percent) from the floor and held a 36-29 advantage off the boards. The Roadrunners also forced the Raptors to commit 35 turnovers.

Banks finished with a game-high 23 points, which also was his single-game high for his brief career with the Scarlet Raptors. Banks, in his first year at Rutgers-Camden after a two-year career at Camden County College, had his previous Raptor high of 22 points against Penn State-Berks Nov. 17.

Banks went 5-for-8 from three-point range on the day, and 9-for-12 overall from the floor.

Sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) added nine points and a team-high eight rebounds for the Raptors, who shot 21-for-46 (45.7) from the floor.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Tuesday with a 7 p.m. non-conference game at Baptist Bible College.

Johnson sparks quick start to lead
Gwynedd-Mercy over Rutgers-Camden

CAMDEN (Dec. 5, 2007) –  Sophomore guard Matt Johnson (Philadelphia, PA/Strawberry Mansion) scored all 12 of his points in the first half to spark the Gwynedd-Mercy College men’s basketball team to a 14-point halftime lead and the Griffins went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 90-72, in a non-conference game here Wednesday night.

Gwynedd-Mercy improves to 6-1 with its fourth straight win, while Rutgers-Camden falls to 2-5, losing for the third straight game.
Gwynedd-Mercy took a 4-0 lead and never trailed, building its margin to 43-29 at halftime aided by the 12 points from Johnson and eight from junior forward Dave Smith (Cape May Court House, NJ/Middle Township).

After the Scarlet Raptors had cut the Griffins’ early lead from 11-2 to 11-7, Johnson hit three straight treys to build the margin back to 20-7, and the closest the Raptors came after that was a pair of six-point deficits in the first half, 29-23 and 33-27. In the second half, the closest the Raptors came was 43-32 when Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) opened the scoring for the Raptors with a three-pointer.

Gwynedd-Mercy placed five players in double figures scoring, led by senior forward Tom Keenan (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge), who finished with a game-high 14 points. Smith added 13 points and game-high totals of seven rebounds and two blocked shots, while Johnson and freshman guard Dan DelConte (Blue Bell, PA/Wissahickon) each scored 12 points. Junior forward Haven Wroten (Philadelphia, PA/Prep Charter) added 11 points for the Griffins, who placed 12 players in the scoring column.

Gwynedd-Mercy shot 58.3 percent from the floor (28-for-48) and 75 percent (24-for-32) from the foul line, aided by the 6-for-6 free throw shooting of freshman guard Jon Crabtree (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville).

Rutgers-Camden had a trio of players scoring 12 points apiece in junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) and Rislin.

The Scarlet Raptors shot 38.5 percent from the floor (25-for-65) and 81.3 from the foul line (13-for-16).

Gwynedd-Mercy held a 35-32 edge off the boards.

Rutgers-Camden plays its first New Jersey Athletic Conference game of the season on Saturday when it travels to Ramapo College for a 3 p.m. start.

Gwynedd-Mercy returns to action Monday when it hosts Rowan University in a 7 p.m. non-conference game.

Banks passes 1,000-point milestone,
but Rutgers-Camden falls at Brooklyn

BROOKLYN, N.Y.(Dec. 1, 2007) –  The Brooklyn College men’s basketball team weathered a second-half rally that sliced its lead from 15 to seven points and went on a run of its own to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 71-55, in a non-conference game here Saturday afternoon.

The Bridges, who have won four straight games, improve to 4-1, while the Scarlet Raptors fall to 2-4.

Brooklyn’s win spoiled an individual milestone for Scarlet Raptor junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern). Banks collected 21 points, including the 1,000th point of his collegiate career early in the second half. Banks, who had 909 points in two years at Camden County College before transferring to Rutgers-Camden, now owns 103 points in his first season with the Raptors, hiking his career total to 1,012 points.

The Bridges scored the final five points of the opening half to take a 27-19 halftime lead, and then opened up the game by scoring the first eight points of the second half, making it 35-19. The Scarlet Raptors closed the gap to seven points, at 52-45, with 7:43 remaining before Brooklyn outscored Rutgers-Camden, 19-10, the rest of the way.

Brooklyn sophomore forward Richard Jean-Baptiste (Queens, NY/St. John’s Prep) collected a game-high 24 points, including 10-for-14 shooting from the floor and 3-for-4 marksmanship from three-point range. He added six rebounds, four assists, one block and three steals for the Bridges.

 Sophomore Thomas Guerin (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) added 15 points for the Bridges, while sophomore Daniel Nisbett (Staten Island, NY/Michael J. Petrides) notched 14. Senior Corey McFarlane (Brooklyn, NY/Transit Tech) also scored in double figures, netting 12 points while adding a team-high six assists and a game-high nine rebounds.

In addition to Banks, junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) also hit double figures for the Raptors, collecting 17 points. Senior guard Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, passing his previous career high of six set against Keystone College Nov. 28.

The Raptors’ sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) also had a career high with eight assists. His old high was six against Kean University on Feb. 17, 2007. Freshman forward Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside), meanwhile, set highs for his young career with seven rebounds and three assists, while tying his high of four points.

Brooklyn held a 36-29 advantage off the boards and shot a sizzling 81.8 percent from the foul line (18-for-22).

Rutgers-Camden plays its final home game of the calendar year Wednesday when it hosts Gwynedd-Mercy College in a 7 p.m. non-conference contest.

Keystone places five in double figures
in 82-73 win over Rutgers-Camden

LA PLUME, Penn. (Nov. 28, 2007) – Sophomore guard Spencer Lunger (Lake Winola, PA/Tunkhannock Area) collected a game-high 23 points to lead five players in double figures as the Keystone College men’s basketball team defeated Rutgers University-Camden, 82-73, in a non-conference game here Wednesday night.

The Giants, who improve to 2-1, also received a double-double from sophomore forward James Marable (Columbia, TN/Columbia Central), who had 10 points and game-high totals of 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Rutgers-Camden, which falls to 2-3, received 20 points from junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) and 19 from junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern).

The Giants built a 40-36 halftime lead, but the Scarlet Raptors came back midway through the second half to take a lead as large as four points, at 60-56. Keystone, however, scored the next seven points, including the final three on a basket and foul shot by freshman forward Arthur Miller (Oakland, CA/Moreau Catholic), to take the lead for good at 63-60.

Senior guard Sherrick Belt (Norfolk, VA/Coastal Christian Prep) finished with 15 points for the Giants, while Arthur Miller notched 12 and freshman guard Anthony Namias (Kingston, NY/Kingston) added 11.

For the Scarlet Raptors, sophomore guards Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) and Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union) each added 11 points to the output by Antoine Miller and Banks.

The 19 points by Banks left him nine points shy of 1,000 career points for his combined collegiate career. He had 909 points in two years at Camden County College and owns 82 points in his first year with the Raptors.

Keystone shot 54.7 percent (29-for-53) from the floor and 78.9 (15-for-19) from the foul line, while Rutgers-Camden went 27-for-59 (45.8 percent) from the floor and 12-for-14 (85.7) from the line. The Giants held a 29-24 advantage off the boards.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday with a 3 p.m. non-conference game at Brooklyn College.

Miller’s big night lifts Rutgers-Camden
to win over Valley Forge Christian

CAMDEN (Nov. 26, 2007) – Junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) scored a game-high 17 points, including 10 in the second half, and added six rebounds to lead the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball team over Valley Forge Christian College, 61-48, in a non-conference game here Monday night.

The Scarlet Raptors evened their record at 2-2, while the Patriots suffered their first defeat, falling to 7-1.

With Valley Forge clinging to a 39-37 lead midway through the second half, Rutgers-Camden junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern) drained a three-pointer to lift the Raptors ahead, 40-39. After the Patriots’ senior forward Zachary Housand (Columbus, GA/Hardaway) hit a jumper to give Valley Forge a 41-40 lead, Banks came right back with another three-pointer. That shot, with 10:47 remaining in the game, gave the Raptors the lead for good at 43-41. Rutgers-Camden built its lead to as many as 15 points, at 61-46, down the stretch.

Banks and sophomore forward Tim Skroski (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) each canned 13 points for the Raptors, while sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) led Rutgers-Camden’s strong play off the boards with a team-high nine rebounds.

Banks’ 13 points give him 972 for his combined career between Camden County College (two years, 909 points) and Rutgers-Camden (63 in his first season). He needs only 28 more to hit the 1,000-point milestone in his collegiate career.

Rutgers-Camden held a 45-35 advantage off the boards despite a game-high 11 rebounds by Valley Forge Christian’s senior forward Stephen Pierantozzi (Lansdale, PA/North Penn).

Pierantozzi and junior forward Nate Stoner (Waynesburg, PA/Waynesburg) each collected eight points to lead the Patriots’ attack. Valley Forge had entered the game averaging 104 points in its previous three outings.

Sophomore guard Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) had a game-high five steals for the Raptors, while Stoner made four for the Patriots.

Rutgers-Camden shot 41 percent (25-for-61) from the floor and 77.8 (7-for-9) from the foul line. Valley Forge Christian was only 20-for-60 (33.3 percent) from the floor. The Patriots hit six of their eight foul shots (75.0 percent).

Rutgers-Camden plays a 7 p.m. non-conference game at Keystone College Wednesday.

Valley Forge Christian plays the host team Thursday at 8 p.m. in the first round of the Multnomah Bible College Classic.

Oliver, Smith lead Penn State-Abington
to non-conference win at Rutgers-Camden

CAMDEN (Nov. 20, 2007) – Junior forward Jamal Oliver (Samuel Fels High School) and freshman guard Timothy Smith (Cardinal Dougherty) collected 19 points apiece to power the Penn State University-Abington men’s basketball team to its first victory of the season with a 68-51 non-conference win at Rutgers University-Camden here Tuesday night.

The result leaves both the Nittany Lions and the Scarlet Raptors with 1-2 records.

Penn State-Abington raced to a 15-2 lead and was ahead, 17-5, before Rutgers-Camden roared back with 12 straight points, tying the game with 5:14 remaining in the first half on a three-pointer by junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern).

The Nittany Lions, however, forced three straight turnovers to rattle off seven straight points, sparked by a trey from sophomore guard Tyrone Young (IMHOTEP). Smith added a pair of layups during the run which sparked Penn State-Abington to the lead for good at 24-17.
Smith collected 14 of his 19 points in the opening half, while Oliver notched 10 points after the break. Senior forward Scott Brandt (Council Rock South) scored all 11 of his points in the second half for the Nittany Lions, who shot 51.2 percent from the floor (22-for-43).

Junior forward Joey Gauthier (Kensington) and Oliver tied with a game-high eight rebounds for Penn State-Abington, which held a 33-29 advantage in rebounds. Oliver added a game-high six steals.

Rutgers-Camden received 16 points from Banks and 14 from sophomore forward Tim Skroski (Stratford, NJ/Sterling). Junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) notched seven rebounds and tied his career high of six assists, which he set against Valley Forge Christian College on Nov. 28, 2005.

Valley Forge Christian College is next up for the Scarlet Raptors, as Rutgers-Camden plays that team in a non-conference home game Monday at 7 p.m.

Banks’ 22 points leads Rutgers-Camden
past Penn State-Berks in consolation game

ELIZABETHTOWN, Penn. (Nov. 17, 2007) – Junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern) collected a game-high 22 points and junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) added 10 as the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball team rallied to defeat Penn State-Berks, 64-59, in the consolation game of the Days Inn East Blue Jay Classic Saturday afternoon at Elizabethtown College.

Trailing, 33-25, at halftime and 35-27 early in the second half, Rutgers-Camden rattled off eight straight points to tie the game at 35-35. After Penn State-Berks regained a six-point bulge at 58-52, the Scarlet Raptors scored eight of the next nine points. They grabbed the lead for good, 60-59, on a three-pointer by Banks with 1:32 remaining in the game.

Banks earned a berth on the all-tournament team, averaging 17 points and 2.5 rebounds in the two contests, while going 10-for-15 from three-point range. He added three steals and three assists.

Host Elizabethtown College won the tournament, 86-76, over Methodist University, with the Blue Jays’ Chad Piersol earning MVP honors. Joining Banks on the All-Tournament Team were Elizabethtown’s Mike Schatzmann and Mike Church and Methodist’s AB Lehmann and Billy McDade.

A layup by senior guard Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) and a pair of foul shots by Banks in the last few seconds sealed the first win of the season for Rutgers-Camden.

The Raptors even their record at 1-1, while Penn State-Berks falls to 0-2.

Robinson finished with nine points for the Raptors, while collecting a team-high three steals. Sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) had a game-high five assists for Rutgers-Camden, while Miller added four. Freshman center Jared Meredith (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Burlington County Tech) paced the Raptors with six rebounds.

Penn State-Berks was led by a pair of sophomore guards. Adam Fusco (Norristown, PA/Norristown) collected 19 points, while Rashad Allen (Philadelphia, PA/Cardinal Dougherty) added 10. 

Rutgers-Camden shot 36.7 percent (22-for-46) from the field, while Penn State-Berks shot 47.8 percent (22-for-46), but the Raptors forced their opponents into 29 turnovers.

The Scarlet Raptors play their home opener Tuesday at 7 p.m. with a non-conference game against Penn State-Abington.

Second-half run sparks Methodist
past Rutgers-Camden in season opener

ELIZABETHTOWN, Penn.(Nov. 16, 2007) – Senior forward Billy McDade (Largo, FL/Largo) hit a pair of free throws 1:53 into the second half to break a 29-29 deadlock and spark the Methodist University men’s basketball team over Rutgers University-Camden, 64-50, in the season-opening game at the Days Inn East Blue Jay Classic here Friday night.

In the nightcap, host Elizabethtown defeated Penn State-Berks, 88-54, to set up Saturday’s tournament matchups. Rutgers-Camden will face Penn State-Berks in a 1 p.m. consolation game, followed by Elizabethtown against Methodist in the championship game at 3 p.m.

The game was tied at 27-27 at halftime and 29-29 early in the second half before McDade’s two free throws sparked the Monarchs on a four-point run. The Scarlet Raptors never came closer than two points the rest of the night. The Monarchs built their second-half lead to as many as 16 points on a pair of occasions as the out-scored the Raptors, 37-23, in the final 20 minutes.

Junior guard AB Lehmann (Fayetteville, NC/Terry Sanford) collected a game-high 15 points for Methodist, while McDade canned 13 and junior forward Travis McBryde (Fayetteville, NJ/Douglas Byrd) added 10.

The Scarlet Raptors received 13 points from junior forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), while junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern) added 12, all coming on 4-for-5 shooting from three-point range. Sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union) collected 10 points for the Raptors.

Rutgers-Camden out-rebounded Methodist, 38-29, as Miller and sophomore forward Tim Skroski (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) each collected seven rebounds. The Raptors, however, shot only 37.0 percent (20-for-54) from the field, while the Monarchs went 26-for-52 (50.0 percent). The Monarchs also made five fewer turnovers (24-19).

Rutgers-Camden men ready for season opener

2006-07 season review/2007-08 preview

     The 2006-2007 season was more than just a rebuilding year for the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball program.

        It also marked a milestone season, both on the court and in laying the foundation for success with a solid, young core of talent.

        Last season marked the beginning of an era when Brian Wischusen took over as the Scarlet Raptors’ head coach. He led his team to a five-win improvement, as Rutgers-Camden went from a 1-23 mark to a 6-19 log, including the Scarlet Raptors’ first two wins in the New Jersey Athletic Conference in three seasons. When Rutgers-Camden posted a 65-61 victory over Rutgers-Newark on Jan. 20, 2007, it marked the Raptors’ first conference victory since January 28, 2004 (a 77-70 win over Montclair State), snapping a 44-game NJAC losing streak.

        That wasn’t the only monkey the Raptors threw off their backs. By winning their second game of the season – scoring the last 12 points of the contest to stun Curry College, 53-51, on November 18 – the Scarlet Raptors reached .500 (1-1) for the first time since a 1-1 mark on Nov. 24, 2002. In their next game, the Raptors posted a 93-77 win at Valley Forge Christian College (Nov. 21), giving them a 2-1 record and the first mark over .500 since they finished the 2001-02 season at 14-11.
     
   Rutgers-Camden followed that win by capturing a pair of games at the Hilton Holiday Classic at Keystone College (Dec. 2-3), raising its winning streak to four games. It was the Raptors’ first four-game winning streak since Nov. 24-Dec. 1, 2001, and was aided by the play of senior Sydney Francis, who earned tournament MVP honors. Francis, who had a banner senior season for the Raptors, earned all-tournament honors at three invitationals and went on to capture All-NJAC Honorable Mention, leading the team in both scoring (14.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.4 rpg).

        Joining Francis on the Hilton Holiday Classic tournament team was Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), who returns for his junior year this season as the most experienced letterman on the squad. Miller averaged 4.5 rebounds and 7.7 points as a sophomore.

        During the 2006-07 season, Rutgers-Camden saw freshman Joshua Askew (Philadelphia, PA/Winslow Township) earn NJAC Rookie of the Week honors (Nov. 27) and saw seniors Francis and Dane Nicholson capture spots on the Cyrus D. Jones Invitational all-tournament team at Lincoln University (Jan. 6-8).

        Nicholson, meanwhile, etched his name in program history on Jan. 10 at Rowan University, when his three-pointer with 6:06 remaining gave him 1,002 career points, making him the 13th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

        Nicholson ended his season on Feb. 17 as the Raptors upset Kean University, 86-77, in a conference game, led by a career-high 31 points from Francis. Nicholson added the final steal of his record-breaking career in that game as he left with a Raptor program mark of 163 steals. He had 44 of those steals, and a 13.0 scoring average, last season.

        Although the Raptors finished with a 6-19 record, that mark signified a major improvement. The six victories doubled the team’s total output of the previous two seasons, when the Scarlet Raptors went a combined 3-46.

        With the 2006-07 season as a building block, Wischusen looks for more success in his second year as the head coach.

        The Scarlet Raptors return only six lettermen, led by Miller, a junior forward, and sophomore point guard Askew. Also returning as sophomore guards Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union) and Mark McCloskey (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic), junior guard Eric Richardson (Camden, NJ/Camden) and senior guard/forward Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep).

        Askew led the squad in steals (59) and assists (50) last season, while averaging 7.7 points. Thornton, who joined him in the starting backcourt a few games partway through the year, averaged 5.5 points and added 41 assists and 24 steals.

        “Last year we tried to learn how to compete, and be a competitive team in a very difficult conference,” Wischusen said. “This year is about putting a program together and building for the future.”

        The immediate future includes 11 newcomers to go with the six lettermen. That new cast includes four freshmen and four sophomores to complement the trio of sophomores who are returning lettermen.

        “We added a little bit of size,” said Wischusen, including a trio of 6-4 players in freshmen Trevor Kazmierowicz (Willingboro, NJ/Willingboro) and Jared Meredith (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Burlington County Tech) and sophomore Gilford Jeff-Macauley (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken). “We return out backcourt of Josh and Rory, and Miller has the most experience on the team. Tarell, Chuck (Richardson’s nickname) and Mark also return. Our lettermen need to make significant improvements in the way the execute in competition.”

        Among the newcomers, Wischusen notes several will help right away, including junior guard Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern), sophomore forward Tim Skroski (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) and sophomore guard Tony Normil (Pemberton, NJ/Pemberton), the son of Raptor assistant coach Tony Normil.  Banks was a NSCAA All-Region 19 First Team player at Camden County College, while Skroski averaged 9.7 points and 8.5 rebounds as a freshman at Centenary College a year ago.

        Wischusen also is high on the freshman quartet of Kazmierowicz, Meredith and guards Liam James (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester City) and Brandon Canty (Riverside, NJ/Riverside). They join the deep Raptor bench which also includes junior guard/forward Derek Jenerette (Salem, NJ/Salem), junior guard Phil Thompson (Wildwood, NJ/Millville) and sophomore forward Alex Rislin (Union, NJ/Union).
    
    “It’s hard to win at a competitive Division III level with freshmen and sophomores,” Wischusen admitted, “but they’re energetic and enthusiastic, and want to be here.”

        Rutgers-Camden opens its season Friday in the Days Inn East Blue Jay Classic at Elizabethtown University. The Raptors face Methodist College in the 6 p.m. opener, followed by Elizabethtown against Penn State-Berks. The consolation and championship games will be Saturday.

        “Methodist is a good program,” Wischusen said. “It will be a good test to see how we match up right away.”

        One thing that Wischusen will be trying to determine, in the early going, will be the roles his large roster will play.

        “Last year, the role definition was pretty clear,” he said. “This year we have 11 news players. It’s hard to figure out our roles. Where do guys fit in?”

        That task will be another piece of the puzzle for Wischusen and his assistant coaching staff of Normil, Derrick Levine and Gerald Carter, all back for their sophomore season on the Raptor bench.

        “We have the same staff,” Wischusen said. “We’re all in our second year of coaching. Hopefully the coaching staff also will show signs of improvement, myself included.”