NEWARK, N.J. – The Mount Saint Mary College women's basketball team (2-6) fell behind early and could not overcome a large deficit, eventually falling to Rutgers-Newark (5-3), 78-51, Monday evening at the Golden Dome Arena.
The host Scarlet Raiders ran out to an enormous lead in the first seven minutes of the game, taking a 27-2 lead with 12:58 left to play in the first half. The Knights rallied back and bit and cut the deficit to 19 points, but Rutgers-Newark found its momentum once again to improve its lead to 35 points at 59-24 before heading into the locker room. The Knights outscored the Scarlet Raiders in the second half, 27-19, but it would not be enough as the Knights suffered a 27-point defeat.
Rutgers-Newark's Jade Howard led all scorers with 29 points Monday evening, while Sharee Gordon added another 20 herself. Maria Simmons dished out a game-high 11 assists.
Senior guard
Lauren Romao (Brick, N.J.) led the Knights with a season-high 16 points thanks to four made three-pointers. Freshman guard
Janae Graham (Orange, Conn.) set a new season-high with 11 points on the evening. Senior forward
Natalie Candarelli (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) led the Knights with seven rebounds.
Rutgers-Newark was successful on 49.3 percent of its shots on the evening, while the Knights were held to a shooting percentage of just 30.8 percent. The Knights managed to edge the Scarlet Raiders in rebounds, 45-43.
The Knights do not play again for more than three weeks. They will next play on New Year's Eve in a matinee contest at the Kaplan Center against Mount Ida College. Tip-off on Dec. 31 is scheduled for 12 p.m.
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@MSMCKnights
