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2006-07 Men's Basketball News
Nicholson, Francis help NJAC
defeat Skyline at Senior Game
HOBOKEN (March 21, 2007) – Rutgers University-Camden guards Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) and Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) combined for 21 points and 18 rebounds to help power the New Jersey Athletic Conference to a 146-124 victory over the Skyline Conference in the second annual NJAC-Skyline Senior Game here Wednesday night at the Canavan Arena.
Rowan University guard Thomas Baker was named the NJAC Most Valuable Player as he scored a game-high 24 points and pulled down nine rebounds. United States Merchant Marine Academy guard Brian Kelly was named the Skyline MVP after registering 22 points and six rebounds in the loss.
Six different players reached double-digits in scoring for the NJAC. William Paterson University forward Samir Sanu poured in 23 points and grabbed five rebounds. He made five three-pointers in the game.
Nicholson totaled 18 points and 12 rebounds in the victory, going 6-for-12 from the floor including 4-for-9 from three-point range. His 12 rebounds, including nine defensive boards, led all NJAC players and tied for game-high honors. He also added two assists, one blocked shot and one steal in 19 minutes of playing time.
Francis notched six rebounds and three points in 17 minutes, while also adding one assist.
The Skyline Conference also had six players score in double-figures. Mount Saint Mary College guard Mike Hoyt finished with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Tied at 19-all with just over seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, the NJAC put together a 16-2 run over a four-minute stretch to open a 35-21 lead with 2:48 to go in the period. Rutgers-Newark guard Philippe Slater scored eight points in the spurt. At the end of one period, the NJAC led 44-29. The NJAC extended its margin to 76-56 at halftime.
Late in the third quarter, Sanu drained a three-pointer from the corner to give the NJAC its largest lead of the game at 109-73 with 3:11 to play. The Skyline Conference slowly chipped away at the deficit and closed to within 15 points (137-122) on a three-pointer by Yeshiva University guard Ian Ribald with 1:45 remaining in the contest.
For the game, the NJAC shot 42.1 percent (51-for-121) from the floor and made 22 three-pointers. The Skyline connected on 15 three-pointers and shot 38.8 percent (47-for-121) from the field on the evening.
Box score
Rutgers-Camden’s Francis earns
All-NJAC Honorable Mention
CAMDEN (Feb. 21, 2007) –Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) spent only one season playing basketball at Rutgers University-Camden, but the senior forward made quite an impression on the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
Francis was recognized for his accomplishments Wednesday, earning All-NJAC Honorable Mention when the conference released its post-season awards.
Francis led Rutgers-Camden in scoring (14.2 points per game) and rebounding (8.4 rpg) this season while helping the Scarlet Raptors post a 6-19 record overall and a 2-11 mark in the NJAC. Not only did the Raptors’ six wins double their total of the previous two seasons combined, but it was the most victories in one year for Rutgers-Camden since the 2002-03 team went 8-17. The two conference wins were the Raptors’ only two NJAC victories since the 2003-04 team finished 2-10 in the conference.
Francis ended his career with a bang, scoring a career-high 31 points as the Scarlet Raptors defeated Kean University, 86-77, in a Senior Day game in Camden Feb. 17. He shot 10-for-18 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from three-point range, and went 8-for-12 from the foul line. In addition to his game-high scoring output, he had a game-high 12 rebounds as he finished his career with his eighth double-double of the year.
For the season, Francis hit double figures in scoring 20 times in his 25 games, while notching 10 double-figure games in rebounds. He added 33 assists, 37 steals and three blocked shots.
Francis earned an all-tournament team berth at all three tournaments in which the Scarlet Raptors competed this season, including MVP honors as Rutgers-Camden won the Hilton Holiday Classic at Keystone College (Dec. 2-3). He also made the all-tourney team at the Tom Masano/Sheraton Reading Tip-Off Tournament (Nov. 17-18 at Alvernia College) and at the Cyrus D. Jones Invitational (Jan. 6-8 at Lincoln University).
Francis also was recognized four times this season as Rutgers-Camden’s Raptor of the Week, winning the honor on Nov. 20, Dec. 4, Jan. 22 and Feb. 19.
Francis came to Rutgers-Camden after playing two years at Mercer County Community College and one season at Richard Stockton College. He earned all-conference honors during his sophomore season at Mercer after averaging 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Francis had an outstanding career as a student-athlete at Camden’s Woodrow Wilson High School. He was named the school’s Male Athlete of the Year during his senior season in 2001, earned an all-tournament team berth, a Coaches Award and was honored as Co-MVP of the high school all-star game. He also was named to a 2001 All-Defensive Team. As a student, Francis was listed in Who’s Who in America for Math.
A Social Work major at Rutgers-Camden, Sydney is the son of Melodye Francis of Camden.
NJAC All-Stars
Francis powers Rutgers-Camden
to NJAC victory over Kean
CAMDEN (Feb. 17, 2007) – Senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson), playing in his last basketball game at Rutgers University-Camden, scored a career-high 31 points here Saturday to lift the Scarlet Raptors over Kean University, 86-77, in the final regular-season game for both New Jersey Athletic Conference teams.
The victory not only snapped the Scarlet Raptors’ seven-game losing streak, but it also knocked Kean out of a berth in the upcoming NJAC playoffs. The Cougars, who lost their last four games, closed the season at 13-12 overall and 4-9 in the NJAC South Division, one game behind The College of New Jersey. Kean held the tie-breaker over TCNJ by virtue of a head-to-head sweep in two games.
Rutgers-Camden closes its first season under Head Coach Brian Wischusen with a 6-19 record overall and a 2-11 mark in the NJAC. The six victories doubled the Scarlet Raptors’ total output of the last two years, when they went a combined 3-46.
The win also allowed the Raptors to snap a five-game losing streak against Kean, which owns a 39-20 lead in the all-time series.
Rutgers-Camden scored the first 10 points of the game and 15 of the first 16. The Raptors raced to a 25-7 lead, including 11 points by Francis, before settling with a 49-37 halftime lead. Francis had 16 points at the half, while Kean senior guard Lamar Wright (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) had 17 on his way to a team-high 28-point performance.
The Cougars rallied in the second half with an 18-6 run to tie the game at 55-55, then took their first lead of the night, up to 59-55, on back-to-back layups by senior guard Bryan Miller (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central).
With Kean holding a 65-62 lead, the Raptors’ two seniors, Francis and guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) scored back-to-back field goals, putting Rutgers-Camden up for good, 66-65 with 7:30 remaining.
Francis shot 10-for-18 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from three-point range, on his way to 31 points. He passed his old high of 23 points against TCNJ Jan. 17, 2007. He also added a game-high 12 rebounds as he finished the season with his eighth double-double.
Nicholson scored 16 points as he moved into 10th place on the Raptors’ career scoring list with 1,144 points. He passed James Washington, who had 1,141 from 1995-98, and finished two points shy of Jim Keifer (1,146 from 1986-90). Nicholson also added one steal to close his career with a program-record 163 steals in 97 games, tied for the third-most games in program history with Brian O’Donnell (1986-90).
The Raptors also received 11 points from sophomore forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), while freshmen guards Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) and Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union) each added 10 points. Askew also had a career-high six assists, passing the five he notched at Lincoln University Jan. 8.
In addition to Wright’s 28 points, the Cougars received 12 points from senior guard Brett Wyatt (Elizabeth, NJ/St. Mary’s), while senior forward Bryan Keller (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) added 11. A pair of Cougars, Miller and senior forward Steve Koenigstein (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) each added 10 points. Miller added a game-high seven steals.
Wyatt and Koenigstein each added seven rebounds for Kean, which was out-rebounded, 42-37.
The Scarlet Raptors shot 29-for-55 (52.7 percent) from the floor, including 7-for-10 (70.0) from three-point range. Kean shot 27-for-71 (38.0), including 6-for-23 (26.1) from three-point range.
Castaldo notches 200th win
as TCNJ tops Rutgers-Camden
EWING (Feb. 15, 2007) – The College of New Jersey men’s basketball Coach John Castaldo collected his 200th career win here Thursday night as the Lions defeated Rutgers University-Camden, 70-56, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game.
TCNJ scored the first four points of the game and never trailed as it closed out the regular season with a 12-13 record overall and a 5-8 mark in the NJAC, giving Castaldo a 200-148 record in his 14th season. The Lions still have a shot at the third and final conference playoff berth from the NJAC South Division, but to make the post-season, they’ll need the Scarlet Raptors’ help on Saturday when Rutgers-Camden hosts Kean University at 3 p.m. Kean will bring a 4-8 NJAC record into the game, but would tie TCNJ record-wise and win the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Lions if the Cougars defeat the Raptors.
The win over Rutgers-Camden snapped the Lions' five-game losing streak, while the Scarlet Raptors lost for the seventh straight time. Rutgers-Camden is 5-19 overall and 1-11 in the conference heading into its final game this weekend. That Kean game will serve as Senior Day for the Scarlet Raptors’ senior duo of Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) and Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson).
The Lions, who opened up a 29-18 halftime lead, held the Scarlet Raptors to only 24.1 percent shooting from the floor (7-for-29) in the opening 20 minutes.
TCNJ’s senior guard Brian Halligan (Delran, NJ/Delran) collected a game-high 19 points and added six rebounds, just one point shy of tying his career-best, while junior guard Corey Gilmore (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) netted 13 points for the Lions. Junior forward Mark Aziz (Hackettstown, NJ/West Morris) contributed 10 points for the Lions, who shot 31-for-59 (52.5) from the floor.
Rutgers-Camden received a double-double from Francis with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore center Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) added 11 points for the Scarlet Raptors as they finished the night with a 37-30 edge on the boards.
Nicholson added eight rebounds and six points for the night as the Scarlet Raptors. He also had four steals to raise his Rutgers-Camden career record to 162.
Baker scores 25 to pace
Rowan past Rutgers-Camden
CAMDEN (Feb. 7, 2007) – Rowan University senior guard Thomas Baker (Millville, NJ/Millville), the leading scorer in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, scored a game-high 25 points to power the Profs past Rutgers University-Camden, 85-65, in a NJAC game here Wednesday night.
Baker, who was named the NJAC Player of the Week on Monday, collected 14 of his points in the first half as the Profs built a 46-30 lead and raced to their fourth straight victory. Rowan improves to 17-5 overall and 6-4 in the NJAC.
Rutgers-Camden, which has lost seven straight games, falls to 5-18 overall and 1-10 in the NJAC.
Rowan has won its last 10 games against Rutgers-Camden, including a 70-60 victory in Glassboro Jan. 10, and has captured 35 of the last 36 games in the all-time series. The Profs lead the series, 77-27.
Junior guard Matt Byrnes (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest) added 17 points to move into fifth place on the Profs’ all-time list. Byrnes now has 1,407 points, passing Frank Hudson (1975-79), who had 1,396.
Senior guard Tim Bowser (Millville, NJ/Millville) added 17 points for the Profs, who shot 54.7 percent from the field (29-for-53) and held a 35-31 edge off the boards. Juni9or forward Dwayne Reevey (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) paced the Profs with nine rebounds.
For the Scarlet Raptors, seniors Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) and Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) each had 18 points, while sophomore forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) added 12.
Miller also had a game-high nine rebounds for Rutgers-Camden, while Francis added eight.
Rowan sophomore guard Dan Reddan (Brick, NJ/Brick Township) had a game-high seven assists.
Rowan University returns to action Saturday when it hosts NJAC rival The College of New Jersey at 1 p.m.
Rutgers-Camden has two games remaining on its schedule. The Scarlet Raptors play an 8 p.m. NJAC game at The College of New Jersey Feb. 14, then close the season at home on Feb. 17 when they face conference foe Kean University at 3 p.m. That game will serve as Senior Day for the Scarlet Raptors’ senior duo of Nicholson and Francis.
Eastern’s DiMaria hits milestone
as Eagles topple Rutgers-Camden
ST. DAVIDS, Penn. (Feb. 5, 2007) – Eastern University senior guard Lenny DiMaria (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) scored 11 first-half points to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for his career and help the Eagles post a 66-53 victory over Rutgers University-Camden in a non-conference game here Monday night.
Eastern improves to 14-8 on the season, while Rutgers-Camden falls to 5-17.
Behind DiMaria’s 11 points in the first half, the Eagles grabbed a 34-21 lead after 20 minutes. They extended the margin to 20 early in the second half before wrapping up their fourth consecutive victory.
DiMaria reached the 1,000-point mark on a three-pointer from the wing, assisted by fellow captain David Volpe (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock). It was DiMaria's third three-pointer of the the opening frame.
DiMaria led the Eagles with 14 points and six rebounds. Junior forward Matt Malloy (Somersdale, NJ/Camden Catholic) added 10 points and five assists, while freshman guard Jason Reels (Paterson, NJ/Hawthorn Academy) came in off the bench to score 11 points on just seven shots.
Junior forward Kevin Raab (Spring City, PA/Owen J. Roberts) led all rebounders with seven.
The Scarlet Raptors put four players in double figures, but shot just 34.6 percent (9-for-26) from the field in the decisive first half. Sophomore forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) scored 13, while senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) added 11. Freshmen guards Josh Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) and Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union) each added 10.
Thornton added five assists, while Askew had four steals.
Eastern shot 51.1 percent (23-for-45) for the game, including 7-for-16 (43.8 percent) from behind the arc. The Eagles out-rebounded the Raptors, 36-24.
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Wednesday when it hosts New Jersey Athletic Conference rival Rowan University at 8 p.m. on Faculty/Staff Night.
Eastern travels to Cabrini College Thursday for an 8 p.m. game.
John’s hot shooting leads
NJCU past Rutgers-Camden
JERSEY CITY (Feb. 3, 2007) – New Jersey City University sophomore swingman Dana John (Hillside, NJ/Pocono Mountain East, PA) scored a game-high 23 points, including 6-for-12 shooting from three-point range, to power the Gothic Knights over Rutgers University-Camden, 69-46, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday night.
NJCU, which improves to 14-7 overall and 8-2 in the NJAC, has won eight straight games. The win also helped NJCU clinch its 37th consecutive season of .500 or better, the third-longest NCAA Division III streak in history.
NJCU has won nine straight games against Rutgers-Camden and 37 of the last 38. The Gothic Knights lead the all-time series, 47-4.
Rutgers-Camden falls to 5-16 overall and 1-9 in the NJAC with its fourth straight loss, despite watching senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) set the career record for steals. With one steal, Nicholson raised his career total to 158, one more than the mark set by Marvin Young from 1977-81.
Nicholson also added a team-high 15 points for the Scarlet Raptors.
Offensively, John raised his single-season output to 67 three-pointers, breaking the old NJCU mark of 65 set by Ed Baum in 1991. John also increased his career total to 113, moving into fourth place in program history.
The Gothic Knights took a 30-26 halftime lead after the teams were tied on four occasions. NJCU took the lead for good with 10:15 remaining and scored 11 of the first 14 points in the second half to open up a double-digit lead. The Gothic Knights’ biggest second-half margin came with 1:05 remaining when they led 69-42.
In addition to John, NJCU received 10 points apiece from junior forward Marques Hill (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) and junior guard Shy Martinez (Union City, NJ/Union Hill). Hill added a team-high eight rebounds, while sophomore guard Kevin Tucker (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) had eight points and game-high totals of eight assists and eight steals.
The Scarlet Raptors received a double-double from senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson). He scored 12 points and added a game-high 13 rebounds. Freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) added 11 points for the Raptors.
The Gothic Knights held a 41-36 advantage off the boards and forced the Scarlet Raptors into 24 turnovers.
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Monday with an 8 p.m. non-conference game at Eastern University. The Scarlet Raptors return home Wednesday for an 8 p.m. NJAC contest against Rowan University on Faculty/Staff Night.
Nicholson ties Rutgers-Camden steals mark,
but Stockton’s Matthews earns milestone win
POMONA (Jan. 31, 2007) – Senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) tied the Rutgers University-Camden career record for steals, but Richard Stockton College defeated the Scarlet Raptors, 80-50, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s basketball game here Wednesday night.
The victory was the 400th in the career of Stockton Head Coach Gerry Matthews. In his 21st season, Matthews now owns a 400-176 record at Stockton, including a 41-0 record against Rutgers-Camden over the years. The Ospreys have won the last 45 games against the Raptors and lead the all-time series, 53-7.
Nicholson, meanwhile, collected one steal in the game, giving him 157 for his four-year career. He tied the program mark set by Marvin Young from 1977-81. Nicholson will get the chance to break that record Saturday when the Raptors play an 8 p.m. NJAC game at New Jersey City University.
The victory lifted Stockton to 14-7 overall and 5-4 in the NJAC, while Rutgers-Camden fell to 5-15 and 1-8.
Stockton never trailed in the game and was only tied once, at 2-2. The Ospreys led by as many as 23 points in the first half (40-17) on their way to a 40-21 halftime lead.
Richard Stockton received a game-high 18 points from junior forward Jon Greene (Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood), while junior guards Mario Lancioni (Runnemede, NJ/Triton Regional) and Fran Kelly (Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood Catholic) added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) had a double-double for the Raptors with 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) added 10 points.
Rutgers-Camden held a 39-31 advantage off the boards, but the Ospreys shot 56.6 percent (30-for-53) from the floor, including 42.9 percent (12-for-28) from three-point range. The Raptors shot only 32.2 percent (19-for-59) overall and 14.3 (1-for-7) from three-point range.
Wesley powers Ramapo comeback
to edge Rutgers-Camden men, 71-67
CAMDEN (Jan. 27, 2007) – Sophomore forward Tim Wesley (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half to rally the Ramapo College men’s basketball team past Rutgers University-Camden, 71-67, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.
Ramapo, which trailed 31-25 at halftime and was down by as many as 11 points three times in the second half (the last being at 59-48 with 7:09 remaining), went on a 15-4 run to tie the game at 63-63. Wesley had 10 points and two steals in that run to knot the game with 4:12 remaining.
With the score tied at 67-67, Ramapo took the lead for good on a rebound and putback by sophomore forward Kevin Findlay (Roselle, NJ/Roselle Catholic) with 26 seconds remaining. Ramapo added its final points with six seconds remaining on a pair of foul shots by junior guard Ahmad Mosby (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony).
Ramapo improves to 15-4 overall and 6-2 in the NJAC with its sixth win in seven games. Rutgers-Camden falls to 5-14 and 1-7.
Ramapo has won 25 of the last 29 games against Rutgers-Camden, including nine straight. The Roadrunners hold a 35-12 lead in the all-time series.
In addition to 19 points from Wesley, Mosby notched 16 points and senior guard Antoine Pryor (Elizabeth, NJ/Saint Patrick) added 15. Wesley also added five steals to tie the Raptors’ freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) for game-high honors.
For Rutgers-Camden, senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) had a game-high 29 points, including 5-for-8 shooting from three-point range and 6-for-6 shooting from the foul line. Nicholson also had six rebounds and four steals as he pushed his career total to 156 steals. He is one steal shy of the program record set by Marvin Young from 1977-81.
Nicholson’s 29 points also raised his career total to 1,074 as he moved into 11th place on the program’s list. He moved past both Phil Larsen (1953-57) and Keith Harris (1963-67), each of whom notched 1,053 points during their career. Nicholson’s next target is James Washington (1995-98), who scored 1,141.
Senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) paced Rutgers-Camden with nine rebounds and added 18 points.
Both teams return to action with road games on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Rutgers-Camden travels to Richard Stockton College for an 8 p.m. NJAC contest. Ramapo plays a non-conference game at Lincoln University, beginning at 7 p.m.
Wright’s big night powers
Kean past Rutgers-Camden
UNION (Jan. 24, 2007) – Junior guard Lamar Wright (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) scored 31 points and added nine rebounds to lead the Kean University men’s basketball team past visiting Rutgers University-Camden in New Jersey Athletic Conference South Division action here Wednesday evening.
Wright went 5-for-8 from three-point range and added three steals and two assists, as the Cougars (12-7 overall and 3-4 in the NJAC) snapped a two-game losing streak. The Scarlet Raptors fell to 5-13 overall and 1-6 in the NJAC.
The Cougars led from the opening tip, as they raced out to an 11-0 lead just 2:49 into contest behind five points from senior forward Bryan Keller (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) and four points from Wright. The Scarlet Raptors cut the deficit to one point at 22-21 on a three-pointer by senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) with just under 10 minutes left in the opening half. Kean answered back and scored 17 straight points and closed the half on a 20-4 run to take a 42-25 lead into halftime.
Wright led the Cougars with 18 first-half points, shooting 6-of-10 from the field, while Nicholson paced Rutgers-Camden with 11 points and two steals in the opening stanza.
In the second half, the Scarlet Raptors could only pull within 14 points at 44-30 with 17:45 remaining, as the Cougars led by double-digits throughout the final half on their way to the 31-point victory.
As a team, Kean recorded 23 assists on the team’s 31 field goals and outrebounded the Scarlet Raptors, 50-36. Keller, senior forward Brett Wyatt (Elizabeth, NJ/St. Mary’s) and senior guard Bryan Miller (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) each dished out five assists, while Keller added 14 points in the victory. Miller finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, while Wyatt added eight points and nine rebounds.
For Rutgers-Camden, Nicholson notched 18 points and added five rebounds and two steals. His two steals broke a second-place tie with Gene Mergenthal (2000-04) on the all-time list and gave him 152 for his career. He is five shy of the program mark set by Marvin Young from 1977-81. The 18 points also raised his career total to 1,045. He is eight points shy of tying Phil Larsen (1953-57) and Keith Harris (1963-67) for 11th place on the career list.
Senior guard Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) added a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors.
Both teams return to NJAC action Saturday. Kean plays a 1 p.m. game at William Paterson University, while Rutgers-Camden hosts Ramapo College at 3 p.m.
Rutgers-Camden men end skid
with win over Rutgers-Newark
CAMDEN (Jan. 20, 2007) – Despite its recent improved play, the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball team was still looking to get a big burden off its back entering Saturday’s home New Jersey Athletic Conference game against powerful sister school Rutgers-Newark.
The Scarlet Raptors accomplished that feat with a 65-61 victory over the Scarlet Raiders, snapping an 11-game losing streak and a host of other longer skids.
Rutgers-Camden, which improves to 5-12 overall and 1-5 in the NJAC, had lost 44 consecutive conference games, dating back to a 77-70 win at Montclair State University (Jan. 28, 2004). The Raptors hadn’t won a home game in their last 24 outings, since a 90-85 triumph over Keystone College (Feb. 13, 2004), and they had lost 21 straight home NJAC contests since a 66-65 win over Kean (Jan. 24, 2004).
All that changed Saturday in a game that marked the first time Rutgers-Camden’s new Head Coach Brian Wischusen has coached against his former program. Wischusen served as an assistant at Rutgers-Newark during both the 2003-04 and the 2005-06 seasons.
Rutgers-Camden took a 31-29 halftime lead on a layup by sophomore forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) just before the half. The Raptors, who were coming off a pair of tough NJAC losses at Rowan (70-60, Jan. 10) and at home against The College of New Jersey (65-62 in overtime, Jan. 17), never trailed the rest of the way.
Rutgers-Camden increased its margin to 45-35 with 14:35 remaining in the game before the Scarlet Raiders mounted a comeback. Newark (12-4/3-2), which saw its two-game winning streak snapped, cut the gap to 62-61 on a three-point play by freshman forward Deshawn Singleton (Passaic, NJ/Passaic) with 1:28 remaining.
The Scarlet Raptors, however, made it a three-point game when senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) hit a pair of foul shots with 10 seconds left. Nicholson’s shots made it 64-61. After Rutgers-Newark missed the attempt at a game-tying trey, Nicholson tacked on the final point from the foul line.
The Scarlet Raptors’ win snapped a five-game winning streak in the series by Rutgers-Newark, which now holds a 37-32 edge in the all-time battle. The Raptors hadn’t defeated the Raiders since a 54-51 win in Newark Jan. 25, 2003.
Nicholson’s 15 points paced four Scarlet Raptors in double figures. Freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) and senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) each notched 14 points, while freshman guard Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union) added 12. Francis also had a game-high eight rebounds for Rutgers-Camden, which was out-rebounded, 40-34.
Sophomore forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) had a strong game for the Raptors with seven points, six rebounds, two steals and a game-high five assists.
Sophomore guard Chadd Barnes (Newark, NJ/University) scored a game-high 23 points for the Raiders, while sophomore guard David Cherry (Linden, NJ/Roselle Catholic) added 10. Cherry and Singleton each had seven boards for Rutgers-Newark.
Rutgers-Newark plays a non-conference road game at 5 p.m. Monday against John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Rutgers-Camden returns to action Wednesday with an 8 p.m. NJAC contest at Kean University.
TCNJ outlasts Rutgers-Camden
in overtime men’s basketball
CAMDEN (Jan. 17, 2007)– Junior center Mark Aziz (Hackettstown, NJ/West Morris) scored on a short baseline jumper with 22 seconds left in overtime and senior guard Brian Halligan (Delran, NJ/Delran) blocked a potential game-winning shot in the last seconds as The College of New Jersey outlasted Rutgers University-Camden, 65-62, in New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s basketball action here Wednesday night.
Rutgers-Camden falls to 4-12 overall and 0-5 in the NJAC with its 11th straight loss. TCNJ improves to 10-8 and 3-3 with its ninth straight win against the Scarlet Raptors. The Lions have won 39 of the last 40 games against Rutgers-Camden and own a 51-9 lead in the all-time series, but this one didn’t come easily.
With 19 seconds remaining in regulation, the Scarlet Raptors tied the game at 56-56 on a layup by senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit).
Nicholson scored on a jumper to start the overtime session, and Rutgers-Camden broke to a 59-56 lead following a foul shot by freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township).
The Lions bounced back and took a 61-60 lead on a three-pointer by Halligan, but a pair of foul shots by senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) put the Raptors ahead, 62-61, with 45.6 seconds left.
Aziz, who finished with a team-high 18 points, made his winning basket from the baseline with 22 seconds remaining. The Raptors’ last-ditch effort to regain the lead was thwarted when Halligan blocked a three-point attempt by freshman guard Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union) and Lions junior guard Drew Rosenfeld (Haddonfield, NJ/Camden Catholic) grabbed the rebound. Rosenfeld was fouled with 0.4 seconds remaining and sank a pair of free throws for the final margin.
With the first-half score tied at 21-21, TCNJ ran off nine straight points, sparked by a steal and a layup from sophomore guard Nick Nelson (Pemberton, NJ/Northern Burlington). Nelson had four points in the run for the Lions, which helped spark TCNJ to a 32-26 first-half lead.
Aziz had 10 points and eight rebounds in the first half for the Lions, while Francis had 11 first-half points for the Raptors.
Rutgers-Camden rallied back in the second half, cutting the deficit to one point on three occasions (46-45, 48-47 and 50-49) before sending the game to overtime at 56-56 on Nicholson’s basket.
In addition to 18 points from Aziz, the Lions received 15 from Halligan, 12 from junior guard Corey Gilmore (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) and 11 from freshman guard William Jett (Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton). Aziz also had a game-high 12 rebounds.
For Rutgers-Camden, Francis had a game-high 23 points, while Askew added nine. Francis also led the Raptors with eight rebounds.
Nicholson, meanwhile, continued his climb on the Rutgers-Camden career charts. With seven points, he raised his career total to 1,012. He also notched four rebounds to climb over the 400 plateau, increasing his career total to 401. His two steals, meanwhile, raised his career total to 148 and put him two behind Gene Mergenthal (2000-04), who finished second on the career list with 150. The career leader, with 157, is Marvin Young (1977-81).
Both teams play NJAC home contests for their next game. Rutgers-Camden hosts Rutgers-Newark Saturday at 3 p.m. TCNJ entertains William Paterson University Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m.
Rutgers-Camden’s Nicholson
hits 1,000-point milestone
GLASSBORO (Jan. 10, 2007) – Rutgers University-Camden senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) reached the 1,000-point milestone for his career here Wednesday against Rowan University.
Nicholson scored 19 points, including a three-pointer with 6:06 remaining in the game, which pushed his career total to 1,002. He becomes the 13th player in program history to reach 1,000 points and the first to do it since James Washington, who scored 1,141 points from 1995-98.
With his 19 points, Nicholson raised his career total to 1,005.
Nicholson’s milestone came during the Scarlet Raptors’ 70-60 New Jersey Athletic Conference loss to the Profs.
A four-year letterman for the Scarlet Raptors, Nicholson’s top scoring output came against Arcadia University (Jan. 6, 2005) when he exploded for 40 points in a 90-87 triple-overtime victory for the Raptors. The 40 points tied for the sixth-highest single-game total in program history, while his 17 field goals that night are tied for the fifth-highest single-game total.
A Criminal Justice major at Rutgers-Camden, Nicholson also is approaching another huge career milestone. With three steals against Rowan Wednesday, he now has 146 for his Rutgers-Camden career. The school mark is 157, held by Marvin Young (1977-81).
Rowan topples Rutgers-Camden
despite Nicholson’s 1,000th point
GLASSBORO (Jan. 10, 2007) – The Rowan University men’s basketball team overcame a nine-point first-half deficit and went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 70-60, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game Wednesday which saw Scarlet Raptor senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) score the 1,000th point of his career.
Junior guard Matt Byrnes (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest) scored a game-high 20 points for the Profs, who improve to 10-2 overall and even their NJAC record at 1-1.
Rutgers-Camden falls to 4-11 overall with its 10th straight loss. The Scarlet Raptors are 0-4 in the NJAC.
Nicholson scored 19 points, including six three-pointers. One of those treys, with 6:06 remaining in the game, lifted him over the 1,000-point plateau and gave him 1,002 career points. He becomes the 13th player in program history to reach 1,000 points and the first to do it since James Washington, who scored 1,141 points from 1995-98. Nicholson finished the night with 1,005 career points.
Rutgers-Camden led by as many as nine points (35-26) in the first half before settling for a 37-31 halftime lead. Rowan, however, rallied by scoring 11 of the first 16 points in the second half, tying the game at 42-42 on a foul shot by sophomore guard Dan Reddan (Brick, NJ/Brick Township) with 15:07 remaining.
After the Scarlet Raptors took their last lead, 44-42, Rowan ran off 10 straight points, including the first eight by senior guard Thomas Baker (Millville, NJ/Millville). Baker and Reddan each finished with 13 points for the Profs.
In addition to Nicholson’s 19 points, Rutgers-Camden received 12 points apiece from senior guard Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) and freshman guard Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union). Freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) added 10 points.
Francis also collected a game-high 11 rebounds for the Raptors to record a double-double. Nicholson collected a game-high and career-high six assists, while tying Askew and the Rowan duo of Byrnes and sophomore guard Billy Care (Linwood, NJ/Mainland Regional) with a game-high three steals.
Rowan shot 22-for-46 (47.8 percent) from the floor, while Rutgers-Camden went 21-for-57 (36.8). The Scarlet Raptors went 11-for-30 from three-point range, two treys shy of the single-game team record. Nicholson’s six treys, meanwhile, were two shy of the individual game record he shares with Tyrone Rucker and Doug Dreby.
Rowan plays another NJAC game Saturday with a 3 p.m. start at The College of New Jersey. Rutgers-Camden hosts TCNJ Wednesday, Jan. 17, in an 8 p.m. NJAC game.
Lincoln wins Jones Invitational
by toppling Rutgers-Camden
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Penn. (Jan. 8, 2007) – Senior guard Sami Wylie (Philadelphia, PA/Southern) scored 23 points to earn tournament MVP honors and help the Lincoln University men’s basketball team win the championship of its own Cyrus D. Jones Invitational with a 96-62 victory over Rutgers University-Camden here Monday.
Lincoln posted a 2-0 record in the three-team tournament, which started Saturday. Keystone College finished at 1-1, while Rutgers-Camden went 0-2.
Lincoln, which was ranked as high as No. 10 nationally earlier in the season, improves to 10-4. Rutgers-Camden falls to 4-10 with its ninth straight loss.
The Lions also received 20 points from senior guard Thomas Lahart (Philadelphia, PA/Millbrook, NC), while freshman guard Ja’Juan Robinson (Baltimore, MD/Dunbar) notched 14 points. Freshman forward Lavine Grimes (Philadelphia, PA/Friere Charter) collected a double-double with 14 rebounds and 10 points, while junior center Garrick Wooten (Randallstown, MD/Randallstown) added nine rebounds and six points. Sophomore guard Dante Blanton (Baltimore, MD/Dunbar) collected nine points and three steals. Blanton joined teammates Wylie, Robinson, Grimes and Wooten on the all-tournament team.
Lincoln, which took a 13-4 lead, never trailed in the contest. Although the Raptors scored seven straight points to cut that margin to 13-11, Lincoln answered with a 9-3 run. Lincoln led by 33-18 before the Raptors cut the gap to 38-29 by halftime. The Lions scored the first nine points of the second half to put the game away.
Rutgers-Camden senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) tied Wylie for game-high scoring honors with 23 points. That total lifted Nicholson to 986 career points as he attempts to become the 13th player in program history to reach 1,000.
Raptor senior guard Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) had 13 points and eight rebounds.
Both Nicholson and Francis earned all-tournament honors for Rutgers-Camden.
Rutgers-Camden returns to New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. game at Rowan University.
Lincoln plays host to Baptist Bible College at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Keystone outlasts Rutgers-Camden
at Lincoln’s Jones Invitational
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Penn. (Jan. 7, 2007) – Freshman guard Khary Jones (Linden, NJ/Union) scored 12 points and junior guard Charles Edwards (New Brunswick, NJ/Piscataway Vocational Tech) added 11 to lift the Keystone College men’s basketball team over Rutgers University-Camden, 50-46, at the Cyrus D. Jones Invitational Sunday afternoon at Lincoln University.
The three-team tournament ends Monday when Rutgers-Camden plays host Lincoln University at 4 p.m. In the tournament’s opening game Saturday, Lincoln posted a 74-57 victory over Keystone.
Jones and Edwards helped the Giants finish the Cyrus D. Jones Invitational with a 1-1 record and avenged an early-season loss to Rutgers-Camden. That game, a 55-47 Scarlet Raptor win, came Dec. 3 in the championship game of the Giants’ own Hilton Holiday Classic. Rutgers-Camden hasn’t won since that game, falling to 4-9 with its eighth straight defeat in Sunday’s tournament loss. Keystone, meanwhile, raised its record to 5-7.
The two teams played to a 26-26 halftime tie, then traded leads twice early in the second half. The Giants took the lead for good, 34-32, on a three-pointer by Jones and raised their lead to as many as eight points (47-39) before the Scarlet Raptors rallied.
Rutgers-Camden made it a 48-46 game on a three-pointer by sophomore guard Eric Richardson (Camden, NJ/Camden) with 1:37 remaining. The Giants tacked on the last two points of the contest with 14 seconds remaining on a layup by freshman guard Spencer Lunger (Lake Winola, PA/Tunkhannock Area).
Edwards was named to the all-tournament team for the Giants. In addition to his 11 points Sunday, he added a game-high eight rebounds and five assists. He also tied for game-high honors with two steals.
Junior guard Sherrick Belt (Norfolk, VA/Coastal Christian Prep) added seven rebounds for Keystone, which held a 26-20 advantage off the boards. Keystone also shot 52.6 percent (20-for-38) from the floor, including 8-for-20 (40 percent) from three-point range).
Rutgers-Camden hit 19 of 43 shots (44.2 percent) from the floor, but went only 3-for-15 (20 percent) from three-point range.
Rutgers-Camden received a game-high 13 points from senior guard Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson), including nine in the first half. Senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) added nine points for the Raptors to raise his career total to 963. He also tied Francis for team-high honors with five rebounds.
Junior forward Nazre Abbass (Washington DC/Washington Lee) scored all seven of his points in the opening 20 minutes to lead Keystone to the first-half tie.
Following its Monday game against Lincoln, Rutgers-Camden returns to New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. game at Rowan University. Keystone plays Saturday with a 4 p.m. road game against Villa Julie College
Second-half run leads Widener men
to 68-55 win at Rutgers-Camden
CAMDEN (Jan. 5, 2007) – The Widener University men’s basketball team broke open a halftime tie with an 18-3 run to open the second half and the Pride went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 68-55, in a non-conference game here Friday night.
Widener improves to 7-5 with its sixth win in eight games, while Rutgers-Camden falls to 4-8 with its seventh straight loss.
After the two teams battled to a 25-25 halftime score, Widener started its second-half run on a tip-in by senior center Terry Smith (York, PA/Spring Grove Area) to take the lead for good, 27-25. They followed with a jumper by senior guard Malcolm Thomas (Baltimore, MD/Pikesville) before the Raptors scored on a layup by senior guard Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson).
Widener rattled off the next 14 points, including six by sophomore guard Nyere Miller (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga College HS) and five by Thomas. The Pride had three treys in the run and went 7-for-8 from three-point range in the second half.
The Raptors finally ended the run with a foul shot by Francis 4:38 into the second half, but came no closer than 12 points the rest of the way.
Thomas finished with 16 points to lead four Widener players in double figures. Miller notched 12, Edmunds canned 11 and senior guard Essien Ford (Baltimore, MD/Loyola Blakefield) added 10.
Thomas also had nine rebounds for Widener, while Smith added eight as the Pride held a 36-25 advantage off the boards.
Edmunds had a game-high four steals and Ford tied Rutgers-Camden freshman guard Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union) for game-high honors with four assists.
For Rutgers-Camden, senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) had game-high honors with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He scored 12 of his points in the first half as the teams played to a 25-25 tie.
Francis added 17 points for the Scarlet Raptors.
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Sunday in the Cyrus D. Jones Invitational at Lincoln University. They play Keystone College at 2 p.m. Sunday, then face host Lincoln on Monday at 4 p.m. The Raptors’ last win came against Keystone in the championship game of the Giants’ Hilton Holiday Classic, by a 55-47 score on Dec. 3.
Widener entertains Albright College at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Juniata College shoots lights out
in 94-51 win over Rutgers-Camden
HUNTINGDON, Penn. (Jan. 3, 2007) – The Juniata College men’s basketball team shot a blistering 78.3 percent from the floor in the first half (18-for-23), including 80 percent from three-point range (8-for-10) as the Eagles raced past Rutgers University-Camden, 94-51, in a non-conference game here Wednesday.
The Scarlet Raptors, playing in their first game since Dec. 16, fall to 4-7 with their sixth consecutive loss. The Eagles improve to 5-6.
Juniata put the game out of reach in the first half while building a 50-26 halftime lead. The Eagles went on to shoot 61.1 percent from the floor for the game, burying 33 of 54 shots. They placed five players in double figures and also held a 40-32 advantage off the boards.
Rutgers-Camden shot 27.9 percent (17-for-61) for the game.
Junior guard Kyle Opitz (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) scored a game-high 15 points for the Eagles, while senior guard Nick Hager (Franklin, PA/Franklin Area) added 12 and senior guard Aaron Chamberlain (Wood, PA/Tussey Mountain) canned 11. Senior center Chris Jasiota (Oil City, PA/Oil City) and junior guard Garrett Bull (Red Lion, PA/Red Lion Area) each added 10 points for Juniata.
Jasiota added a game-high eight rebounds, while Chamberlain dished off a game-high eight assists.
Rutgers-Camden received 13 points from senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit), who also added a team-high seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) added 12 points and a game-high three steals.
The Scarlet Raptors host Widener University in a non-conference game Friday at 7 p.m.
Piersol paces Elizabethtown
to 75-70 win at Rutgers-Camden
CAMDEN (Dec. 16, 2006) – Junior guard Chad Piersol (Elverson, PA/Owen J. Roberts) scored a game-high 20 points, including 11 in the second half, as the Elizabethtown College men’s basketball team rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit and defeated Rutgers University-Camden, 75-70, in a non-conference game here Saturday.
The game was the final one for both teams until January. Elizabethtown takes a 4-5 record into the semester break after winning its second straight game. Rutgers-Camden stands at 4-6 with its fifth consecutive loss.
In a wild and fast-paced first half which featured three ties and four lead changes, Rutgers-Camden took an early 10-4 lead before Elizabethtown roared back with a 13-point run to grab a 17-10 advantage. The run featured six points by Piersol.
Rutgers-Camden answered with a run of its own, running out the first half on a 30-15 note to give the Scarlet Raptors a 40-32 halftime lead. Senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) and sophomore guard Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) both scored 11 first-half points for the Raptors, while Piersol had nine in the opening half for the Blue Jays.
Elizabethtown didn’t waste any time making up ground in the second half. The Blue Jays scored the first eight points of the second half, tying the game at 40-40 on a layup by senior forward Luke Ledyard (Frederick, MD/Gov. Thomas Johnson) only 2:24 into the half.
After the Scarlet Raptors took a 49-47 lead, the Blue Jays rattled off 13 consecutive points to open up a 60-49 advantage. That run was sparked by a pair of three-pointers from senior guard Kris Kieres (Barnesville, PA/Mahanoy Area).
The Blue Jays built their lead to 65-53 before Rutgers-Camden answered with a 13-1 run. The Scarlet Raptors tied the game at 66-66 on a layup by Smalls with 4:26 remaining, but Elizabethtown took the lead for good moments later on a layup by junior forward Nick Kennedy (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing Area). They increased their margin to 75-67 before Smalls hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin.
In addition to Piersol, Kieres finished with 12 points and senior guard Greg Brizek (Sinking Spring, PA/Conrad Weiser) added 10. The Blue Jays shot 52.9 percent from the floor (27-for-51), including 7-for-14 (50.0) from three-point range. Piersol led the long-range shooting, going 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. He was 6-for-11 overall and 4-for-5 from the foul line, in addition to tying for game-high rebounding honors with five.
Junior guard Michael Schatzmann (Paradise, PA/Pequea Valley) had team-high totals of four assists and four steals for the Blue Jays.
Rutgers-Camden received 18 points apiece from Francis and Smalls, while freshman guard Josh Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) added 16 points and a game-high six steals. Smalls added five assists and senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) tied Piersol with a game-high five rebounds.
Rutgers-Camden shot 52.2 percent from the floor (24-for-46), but Elizabethtown held a 31-22 advantage off the boards.
Both teams return to action Jan. 3. Elizabethtown entertains Gettysburg College at 7 p.m., while Rutgers-Camden plays an 8 p.m. game at Juniata College.
Arthur powers Montclair State
past Rutgers-Camden, 81-62
MONTCLAIR (Dec. 14, 2006) – Junior forward Jonathan Arthur (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) tied his career high with 28 points and added 16 rebounds to lift the Montclair State University men’s basketball team over Rutgers University-Camden, 81-62, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Thursday night.
Sophomore guard Garan Dickson (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) added 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists as the Red Hawks improved to 4-5 overall, snapping a two-game losing streak. They picked up their first win in the NJAC (1-2).
Senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) collected a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Scarlet Raptors, who fell to 4-5 overall and 0-3 in the league with their fourth straight loss.
Rutgers-Camden junior guard Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) hit a short jumper in the key with 5:54 remaining in the first half to pull the Raptors to within 24-20. Montclair State followed with a 23-7 run to close out the opening half. Freshman Donald Reid (Perth Amboy, NJ/Cardinal McCarey) sparked the run with a three-pointer. Ken Dudley (Willingboro, NJ/Burlington Tech) capped the run with a jumper with four seconds remaining to give MSU a 47-27 halftime lead. The Red Hawks went 8-for-10 from the floor during that spurt.
Arthur had 15 points and Dickson added nine in the first half as Montclair State shot 55.2 percent (16-for-29) and held Rutgers-Camden to 36.4 percent (12-for-33) shooting. The Raptors were just 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) from three-point range in the opening half and 5-for-20 (25.0) for the game.
Rutgers-Camden rallied early in the second half, opening the frame with a 14-4 run that cut the gap to 51-41 on a layup by sophomore guard Eric Richardson (Camden, NJ/Camden). The Raptors, who made seven of their first 14 shots in the second half, continued whittling the lead, cutting the gap to 56-53 with 9:55 remaining on a three-pointer by freshman guard Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union).
Montclair State countered with a six-point run to make it 62-53 with 7:59 remaining.
After a jumper by Rutgers-Camden senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) made it a 64-58 game, the Red Hawks scored the next 10 points, including five each by freshman John Byrne (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) and Arthur.
Arthur went 10-for-13 from the floor and 8-for-11 from the line in tying his career high of 28 points sent against Plattsburgh State last December. His 16 rebounds were one shy of his career high set in the season opener against Hood College Nov. 17.
Dickson notched 13 points and nine rebounds, while Byrne added 12 points for the Red Hawks.
In addition to Francis, the Raptors received 10 points and a career-high four assists from freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township). Askew also had a game-high four steals, one shy of his career high.
Rutgers-Camden closes its first-semester schedule Saturday when it hosts Elizabethtown College at 3 p.m. in a non-conference game.
Baptist Bible men outlast
Rutgers-Camden, 71-64
CAMDEN (Dec. 12, 2006) – Sophomore guard Khristian Collins (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady Christian) scored 11 of his game-high 17 points in the second half to lift the Baptist Bible College men’s basketball team over Rutgers University-Camden, 71-64, in a non-conference game here Tuesday night.
The Defenders improve to 4-3 with their second straight win, while the Scarlet Raptors fall to 4-4 with their third consecutive loss.
Baptist Bible led practically the whole way in the game that alternated runs between the two teams. The Defenders built a nine-point lead at 43-34 early in the second half before the Raptors rallied to take their lone lead of the night, 55-53, on a three-pointer by freshman guard Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union) with 7:52 remaining.
The Defenders answered with their own three-pointer by freshman forward Josh Workman (Akron, OH/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) to regain the lead at 56-55. They increased their lead to 65-61 before the Raptors rallied again on a three-pointer by sophomore guard Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), making it a 65-64 game with 54 seconds remaining. Following a Baptist Bible timeout, however, the Defenders’ Collins immediately nailed a three-pointer, sparking his team to a game-ending six-point run. They scored the last three points from the foul line on a free throw by Collins and a pair of foul shots with six seconds remaining by sophomore guard Justin Cook (Brownsburg, IN/Bethesda Christian).
In addition to Collins, junior guard Ken Clarke (Champaign, IL/Emmanuel Baptist) scored 11 points for the Defenders, while junior forward Tim O’Keefe (Perry, OH/Perry) added 10. Junior forward Nathan Penley (Willis, MI/Calvary Baptist) and O’Keefe each had nine rebounds for the winners, while junior guard Drew Kidd (Williamsport, MD/Heritage Academy) dished off a game-high six assists.
For Rutgers-Camden, Smalls collected 15 points to pass the 500-point plateau for his young career. Smalls, who now has 513 points, added a game-high six steals.
Sophomore forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) added 14 points, while freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) canned 12.
Senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) collected a game-high 11 rebounds for the Raptors, while senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) notched seven points to pass the 900-point level for his career. Nicholson now owns 903 points.
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Thursday with a 7 p.m. New Jersey Athletic Conference game at Montclair State University. Baptist Bible plays an 8 p.m. non-conference game Friday at Lancaster Bible College.
Run sparks No. 12 William Paterson
past Rutgers-Camden, 82-35
CAMDEN (Dec. 9, 2006) – It took a while for the William Paterson University men’s basketball team to hit its stride in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday, but when the Pioneers started clicking, they fully resembled a nationally-ranked team.
Paterson, ranked No. 12 in the latest d3hoops.com Top 25, overcame an early seven-point deficit, aided by a blistering 29-1 first-half run, and went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 82-35.
Its fourth straight win lifts Paterson to 7-1 overall and 2-0 in the NJAC.
Rutgers-Camden falls to 4-3 overall and 0-2 in the NJAC with its second straight loss.
William Paterson has won nine straight games and 36 of the last 37 against Rutgers-Camden. The Scarlet Raptors’ lone win in that span was a 69-68 victory in Camden Feb. 6, 2002. The Pioneers now hold a 44-5 lead in the all-time series.
Rutgers-Camden built an early 7-0 lead and held an 11-5 margin with 12:29 left in the first half following a foul shot by senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson).
The Scarlet Raptors didn’t score again for 10:03, during which time the Pioneers rattled off 25 consecutive points to take a commanding 30-11 lead. After Rutgers-Camden broke the drought on a foul shot by sophomore forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), Paterson finished out the half with a 10-3 run to take a 40-15 halftime lead.
The Pioneers’ full-court press forced the Raptors into 22 first-half turnovers and 36 for the game. Paterson shot 53.7 percent from the field (29-for-54), while Rutgers-Camden shot 10-for-38 (26.3).
William Paterson placed three players in double figures in the scoring column, led by junior guard Joey Spiegel (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck), who canned 13. Freshman guard Joseph Ellis (Newark, NJ/Science) scored 11, while senior forward Luis Martinez (Passaic, NJ/Clifton) added 10.
Paterson also held a 36-27 advantage off the boards, with senior forward John Rother (Sodus Point, NY/Sodus Central) grabbing a game-high seven rebounds.
Rutgers-Camden received eight points from Francis, while sophomore guard Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) added seven. Miller paced the team with five rebounds.
Senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) had a game-high five steals, giving him 133 career steals and moving him past Don Polk (1989-1992) for third on the Rutgers-Camden career list. Polk had 129 career steals. Nicholson added six points to give him 896 for his career.
Rutgers-Camden hosts Baptist Bible College in a 6 p.m. non-conference game Tuesday.
William Paterson returns to action Wednesday with a non-conference 7 p.m. game at FDU-Florham.
Richard Stockton men post
NJAC win at Rutgers-Camden
CAMDEN (Dec. 6, 2006) – Junior guard Mario Lancioni (Runnemede, NJ/Triton Regional) scored 14 points, freshman guard Kevin Brown (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) netted 12 and junior forward Jon Greene (Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood) added 10 to lead a balanced attack as the Richard Stockton College men’s basketball team defeated Rutgers University-Camden, 79-55, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday.
Richard Stockton improves to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the NJAC, snapping a two-game losing streak. Rutgers-Camden falls to 4-2 and 0-1, ending a four-game winning streak which was the program’s longest since another four-game streak Nov. 24-Dec. 1, 2001.
The victory continued the Osprey’s dominance over the Scarlet Raptors. Stockton has won the last 44 head-to-head battles against Rutgers-Camden and now holds a 52-7 lead in the all-time series. Rutgers-Camden’s last win came on Jan. 25, 1984 by an 84-79 score at Stockton.
The lead changed hands four times in the opening half, with Stockton finally holding a 27-24 advantage at the break, led by six points apiece from Lancioni and junior guard Fran Kelly (Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood Catholic). For Rutgers-Camden, senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) notched 11 first-half points.
The Ospreys scored the first five points of the second half, sparked by a trey from Kelly, and went on to outscore the Raptors, 18-8, in the opening five minutes, building their lead to 45-33. Rutgers-Camden never came closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
Stockton shot 77.8 percent (21-for-27) in the second half to finish 31-for-49 (63.3) for the game, while holding Rutgers-Camden to only 29.6 percent (16-for-54) from the field.
The Ospreys also held a slim 32-30 advantage off the boards, led by six rebounds from Brown.
Lancioni added a game-high five assists for Stockton.
For Rutgers-Camden, Francis and sophomore forward Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) each scored 13 points, while freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) added 11. Senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) collected seven rebounds to pace the Raptors.
The Ospreys return to action Friday at 6 p.m. against Neumann College in the opening game of the Messiah Invitational.
The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action with a 3 p.m. home game Saturday against William Paterson University, which is ranked No. 12 nationally in the latest d3hoops.com Top 25 poll.
Rutgers-Camden’s Francis earns MVP honors
as Raptors win Keystone College tournament
LA PLUME, Penn. (Dec. 3, 2006) – Senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) scored 17 points and nine rebounds to earn tournament MVP honors, powering the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball team over host Keystone College, 55-47, in the championship game of the Hilton Holiday Classic here Sunday afternoon.
Sophomore center Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) added 15 points and six rebounds to make the all-tournament team as Rutgers-Camden improved to 4-1.The win gives the Scarlet Raptors their first four-game winning streak since Nov. 24-Dec. 1, 2001.
The Giants (2-4) took a 24-23 halftime lead before the Scarlet Raptors turned up the defensive pressure in the second half, aided by the intensity of freshman guard Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union) and three blocked shots by junior guard Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep).
The Raptors’ defense limited Keystone to 19-for-66 shooting in the game (28.8 percent), including 4-for-24 (16.7) from three-point range. Rutgers-Camden outscored the Giants, 32-23, in the second half.
Francis, who scored 18 points in the Raptors’ tournament opener against Albany College of Pharmacy, notched his game-high 17 points and nine rebounds in the title game. Miller added his 15 points, aided by 7-for-11 shooting from the foul line. Senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) added nine points to raise his career total to 883.
The Scarlet Raptors open their New Jersey Athletic Conference schedule Wednesday at 8 p.m. when they host Richard Stockton College.
Smalls leads balanced attack
as Rutgers-Camden tops ACP
LA PLUME, Penn.(Dec. 2, 2006) – The Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball team used a balanced attack, led by 20 points from sophomore guard Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), to defeat the Albany College of Pharmacy, 89-68, in the opening round of the Hilton Holiday Classic here Saturday at Keystone College.
In the other first-round game, host Keystone defeated Williamson Trade, 66-52.
Rutgers-Camden will face Keystone at 3 p.m. Sunday in the championship game, following a 1 p.m. consolation game battle between Albany College of Pharmacy and Williamson Trade.
In addition to Smalls, the winners also received 19 points from senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) and 18 from senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson). Sophomore center Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) added 10 points for the Raptors, who improved to 3-1 with their third consecutive win.
Rutgers-Camden took a 50-31 halftime lead and ended up shooting 59.3 percent from the field (35-for-59), led by Francis (7-for-9) and Nicholson (8-for-11). Smalls hit four of his seven three-point attempts.
Francis also had six rebounds for the Raptors, who held a 28-25 edge off the boards.
Rutgers-Camden freshman Askew
earns NJAC Rookie of the Week
CAMDEN (Nov. 27, 2006) – Rutgers University-Camden freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) has been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week it was announced today.
In his lone game of the week, Askew poured in career-high 16 points as the Scarlet Raptors posted a 93-77 victory at Valley Forge Christian College Nov. 21. He shot 7-for-8 from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range, and added three rebounds, two assists and three steals.
After his first three collegiate games, Askew is averaging 6.7 points and 1.7 rebounds for the Scarlet Raptors. He is fourth on the club in scoring and also is fourth on the team with four steals.
Askew was a basketball letterman at Winslow Township High School, where he also was a National Honor Society student. The Rutgers-Camden Business Management major is the son of Jerome Askew of Sicklerville.
The Scarlet Raptors own a 2-1 record after three games, marking the first time they’ve been over .500 since the final game of the 2001-02 season (14-11). They return to action Saturday, Dec. 2, when they face Albany College of Pharmacy at 8 p.m. in the Hilton Holiday Classic at Keystone College.
Rutgers-Camden tops VFCC
to hike record over .500
PHOENIXVILLE, Penn. (Nov. 21, 2006) – The Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball team is only three games into the Brian Wischusen era, but the new coach already has his squad experiencing a level of success that the Scarlet Raptors haven’t seen in years.
Rutgers-Camden rallied from a one-point halftime deficit and went on to defeat non-conference foe Valley Forge Christian College, 93-77, here Tuesday night. The win hikes the Raptors’ record to 2-1, marking the first time the team has been over .500 since closing the 2001-02 season at 14-11. Coupled with a victory over Curry College Nov. 18 in the consolation game of the Tom Masano/Sheraton Reading Tip-Off Tournament, the Raptors own their first two-game winning streak since victories over Kean University and Montclair State on Jan. 24 and 28, 2004.
Senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) paced the Raptors with 20 points, shooting 9-for-14 from the floor. Senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) added 18 points and team-high totals of three assists and five steals.
Sophomore guard Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) and freshman guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) each added 16 points.
Valley Forge received 19 points and a game-high six assists from junior guard James Fulton (Philadelphia, PA).
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Saturday, Dec. 2, when they face Albany College of Pharmacy at 8 p.m. in the Hilton Holiday Classic at Keystone College.
Rutgers-Camden’s rally gives
Wischusen first coaching win
READING, Penn. (Nov. 18, 2006) – Freshman guard Mark McCloskey (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) nailed a pair of foul shots with 44 seconds left and the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball game finished with a furious 12-point game-ending run to stun Curry College, 53-51, in the consolation game of the ninth annual Tom Masano/Sheraton Reading Tip-Off Tournament here Saturday afternoon.
The victory evens the Scarlet Raptors’ record at 1-1 and gives first-year Head Coach Brian Wischusen a memorable first win at Rutgers-Camden. The victory also is memorable for another reason, giving the Raptors their first .500 record since they were 1-1 after beating Penn State-Altoona on November 24, 2002.
In the championship game, host Alvernia College used 28 points from tournament MVP Garrett Etzel (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) to post a 71-62 victory over Baldwin-Wallace, which was ranked sixth nationally in the d3hoops.com pre-season poll.
Rutgers-Camden senior Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) joined Baldwin-Wallace sophomore Andrew Bene (Hinkley, OH/Medina Highland), Curry freshman Sherard Robbins (Malden, MA/Malden) and the Alvernia trio of Etzel, freshman Matt King (Phoenixville, PA/St. Pius X) and senior Ryan Finger (Lancaster, PA/Lampeter Strasburg) on the All-Tournament Team.
Curry held a 51-41 lead with 3:13 left to play following a layup by Robbins, but the Colonels (0-2) committed four turnovers and missed three free throws down the stretch to relinquish the lead. Rutgers-Camden pulled within one point on back-to-back jumpers from sophomore Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts). Following a Colonel turnover, McCloskey went to the line to give the Raptors the lead, 52-51. Sophomore Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) hit 1-of-2 from the line with one second left for the two-point win.
The two teams combined for 35 turnovers in the opening half. Curry opened with a turnover off the jump ball and Dane Nicholson’s (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) jumper at 19:13 was the only bucket in the first 3:38.
Rutgers-Camden held a seven-point lead twice in the early going. The Raptors pushed the margin to a dozen points, 22-10, with 5:43 left in the half. Curry cut it down to six points with a 6-0 run and Nicholson scored the final bucket of the half for a 26-18 Rutgers-Camden lead at the break.
The teams traded buckets for the start of the second half before Curry cut the lead down to two points with a quick 5-0 spurt and eventually tied the game at 36-all on a Toby Brittian (Providence, RI/Tabor Academy) layup. Robbins hit a pair of free throws and a jumper to put Curry up four, 40-36, and after Smalls hit a trey to take the lead back, Curry ran off 11 straight points ending in Robbins’ layup with 3:13 to play.
The Scarlet Raptors play an 8 p.m. non-conference game at Valley Forge Christian College Tuesday.
Championship Game
Alvernia 71, Baldwin-Wallace 62
Etzel, a senior guard, scored 18 of his game-high 28 points in the first half to spark Alvernia to the title.
Baldwin-Wallace trimmed the Alvernia lead down to four points midway through the second half, and had possession twice with a chance to trim it to one, but Alvernia forced a turnover and rebounded a missed shot before an Etzel layup pushed the lead to six. King, who tallied 24 points, knocked down a trey to push the lead to seven and after another Etzel bucket, the Crusaders (2-0) led by no fewer than eight points the rest of the way.
Finger tallied a game-high six assists and gathered eight rebounds for Alvernia. Baldwin-Wallace’s Bene had a 14-point, 11-rebound day, while the Yellow Jackets’ senior All-American Tori Davis (Elyria, OH/Open Door Christian) also reached double figures for the Yellow Jackets on Saturday with 14 points.
All-Tournament Team
Garrett Etzel (Alvernia) – MVP
Matt King (Alvernia)
Ryan Finger (Alvernia)
Andrew Bene (Baldwin-Wallace)
Sydney Francis (Rutgers-Camden)
Sherard Robbins (Curry)
Alvernia, Etzel topple
Rutgers-Camden in opener
READING, Penn. (Nov. 17, 2006) – Senior guard Garrett Etzel (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) scored a game-high 22 points to lead Alvernia College to a 74-55 win over Rutgers University-Camden in the ninth annual Tom Masano/Sheraton Reading Tip-Off Tournament here Friday evening.
Rutgers-Camden will play Curry College, a 110-70 loser to Baldwin-Wallace, in Saturday’s 1 p.m. consolation game. Alvernia will face Baldwin-Wallace at 3 p.m. for the championship.
Sophomore transfer Terrence Shawell (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) added 17 points, while senior guard Ryan Finger (Lancaster, PA/Lampeter Strasburg) had a game-high seven assists and collected nine rebounds for the Crusaders.
Alvernia’s win spoiled the Rutgers-Camden coaching debut of Brian Wischusen.
Etzel opened up the scoring nailing his first of two first-half treys just over 10 seconds into play. The visiting Scarlet Raptors answered with seven straight points over a four-minute stretch paced by five from Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit). Alvernia battled back over the next four minutes, tying the score at 10-all on a Finger layup with 12:07 to play.
The Crusaders forced Rutgers-Camden into a turnover for the fourth straight possession and Zach Westmoreland (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown West) dropped in a jumper for a 12-10 Alvernia lead. Etzel reestablished the two-point Crusader lead at 19-17 with his second trey and back-to-back layups from Finger and Etzel pushed the lead to six for the hosts, 23-17.
A three-pointer from Raptor sophomore Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) cut the lead in half, but the Crusaders closed the half with 10 of the last 14 points to take a 33-24 lead to the locker room. Etzel paced the hosts’ efforts with 12 points over the first 20 minutes and freshman Matt King (Phoenixville, PA/St. Pius X) posted three assists and two blocked shots.
Rutgers-Camden scored the first three points of the second half to cut the lead to six, 33-27, and following a Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) trey, the Crusaders’ lead was down to five, 37-32. Shawell answered with a three-pointer, but five straight Raptor points cut the Alvernia lead to three. Shawell scored on a short jumper and Etzel’s third trey of the night pushed the lead back to eight.
Following another Francis bucket, Alvernia ran off an 8-1 run fueled by a Shawell dunk that put Alvernia ahead, 58-45, with 8:56 to play.
Rutgers-Camden cut the lead back to 10, but did not get closer as the Crusaders rattled off 14 straight points to take a commanding lead.
Francis led the Scarlet Raptors with 19 points, Smalls reached 11, and Nicholson scored 10. Francis also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the only double-double of the night.
Baldwin-Wallace 110, Curry 70
Sophomore guard Dennis Santiago (Brook Park, OH/Midpark) scored 13 of his team-high 19 points to lead sixth-ranked Baldwin-Wallace to a 110-70 win over Curry College in the opening game.
The Yellow Jackets (1-0) scored the first eight points of the second half to push a 13-point halftime lead into a 21-point bulge and never looked back. B-W put five players in double figures as Tori Davis (Elyria, OH/Open Door Christian) posted 16 and Andrew Bene (Hinkley, OH/Medina Highland), Brendan Schuler (Fairview Park, OH/Fairview), and Louis Timblin (Elyria, OH/Senior) scored 12 points each.
Curry College got a game-high 20 points from junior forward Loice Williams (Brookline, MA/Brookline), 16 from senior Toby Rittian (Providence, RI/Tabor Academy), and 14 from senior Stephen Prescod (Milton, MA/Lexington Christian).
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-CAMDEN
2005-06 REVIEW/2006-07 PREVIEW
The Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball program has a new coach, a new attitude and a new beginning.
The Scarlet Raptors are looking to lay a foundation for future success as they enter the 2006-2007 season with a fresh start under new Head Coach Brian Wischusen. Rutgers-Camden returns four lettermen from last season’s squad, including sophomore guard Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), who was the conference’s Co-Rookie of the Year and earned All-New Jersey Athletic Conference Honorable Mention, and senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit), who needs 182 more points to reach 1,000 for his career. Also returning are sophomore forward/center Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) and junior forward/guard Drew Bernier (Medford, NJ/Shawnee).
“We want to improve off of last year’s performance and record,” said Wischusen, a former assistant at NJAC sister school Rutgers-Newark. “We want to be a competitive team that plays hard and finds ourselves in all our games. We have nowhere to go but up.”
There’s plenty of room for improvement after the Raptors finished last in the NJAC with an 0-18 record. They were only 1-23 overall, despite a phenomenal freshman year from Smalls, who scored 421 points, finished fourth in the conference in scoring (17.5 ppg) and was 24th nationally in Division III with an .876 free throw percentage (78-for-89), a new program record. Nicholson, meanwhile, averaged 12.7 points and 4.4 rebounds, while leading the team with 52 steals. He placed third in the NJAC and 69th nationally in steals per game (2.26).
Miller, despite being forced to play as an undersized 6-2 center, held his own in the competitive NJAC and finished as the team leader in rebounding (5.2 rpg). He also averaged 10.2 points. Bernier averaged 5.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in his first year at Rutgers-Camden after transferring from Burlington County College.
“We have some returning players from last year that contributed,” Wischusen said. “Wayne was all-league last season and Dane will be a 1,000-point scorer in his last year. Antoine will have another good year and improve on what he was able to do last season. We also have a good group of freshmen who will help us compete and challenge the starters for minutes.”
The Raptors’ bench may be one of the most significant upgrades on the team. This year the roster has 15 players, nearly double the eight players finishing last season. The club played only seven in most of its late-season games.
“I’m going to play more guys, not only seven guys,” Wischusen said. “I’m excited. I’m excited about creating that culture of competition. I want the players asking ‘Why not us? Why can’t we win?’ I can’t predict the future, so I don’t try. I worry more about in the moment and fixing our mistakes.
“It’s a positive vibe right now. We have a lot of hope and aspirations for the season. That’s good that players bring that into their mindset.”
Wischusen is expecting big contributions from a pair of newcomers, junior guard Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) and senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson), who formerly played at Mercer County College and NJAC rival Richard Stockton College. Robinson, who attended Caldwell College but did not play, will handle point guard duties as well as provide some of the intangibles the Raptors are seeking.
“Dane and Tarell are stepping up as identifiable leaders,” Wischusen said. “Sydney is a quiet leader.”
The culture of competition includes a pair of players who had brief appearances with the Scarlet Raptors last season in sophomore forward Khalil Alwan (Chesilhurst, NJ/Camden County Tech) and sophomore guard Eric Richardson (Camden, NJ/Camden). Alwan, playing in 10 early-season games, averaged 0.4 points and 1.0 rebounds. Richardson, in four brief appearances at the end of the year, averaged 0.3 points and 0.5 rebounds.
Freshmen include guards Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township), Eric Bennett Jr. (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township), Justin Coleman (Bloomfield, CT/Bloomfield), Mark McCloskey (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) and Rory Thornton (Vauxhall, NJ/Union), forward Nick Burley (Jacksonville, NC/Highland Regional) and forward/center David Meck (Sewell, NJ/Paul VI).
In addition to an almost entirely new team, Wischusen brings three new assistant coaches to his new program. The Raptors’ assistants will be Gerald Carter, Derrick Levine and Tony Normil.
“It’s a good, diverse group,” Wischusen said. “We have younger guys and older guys, guys who are players and guys who are more coaches. Hopefully, we’ll touch a couple of different markets and that will help with recruiting.”
The recruiting will help build a winning program.
“Winning is a culture,” Wischusen said. “You have to be able to get that mindset. We have to learn how to play good basketball. We’re learning how to execute real basketball and how to work hard. The mindset and culture needs to be created. It’s just a matter of getting the right players in here to support what we already have.”
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