Rowan Clinches Bye in NJAC Tournament
By Jacob Keppen Sports Writer for The Sentinel of Gloucester County Weekly Newspaper
Published in Print Edition Week of February 14th, 2019
It was a mixed week for Rowan Men’s Basketball. While they went 1-1 on the week, dropping a close high scoring one to William Paterson, the Profs clinched a bye for the NJAC tournament.
The week did not start well for the Profs. After winning two big games the week prior against Stockton and Montclair State, Rowan looked to keep up with NJCU in pursuit of the conference championship. William Paterson put an end to any hopes Rowan had of entering the postseason as the #1 seed, defeating the Profs 94-89.
What a game it was for William Paterson’s Nasir Fields, who put up 20 points and 11 rebounds in only 17 minutes. Rowan’s DaRon Curry also put up 20 points. Nick DePersia put up 18 points in the losing effort, hitting 3 threes in the process. Ramon Wright was huge on the boards, grabbing 13 rebounds.
This one was closely contested throughout. Rowan started out a bit slow, being outscored by the Pioneers by 15 points. The Profs would come roaring back in the 2nd half. They stuck around to the very end, but could not hit the big shots to win. The Pioneers were killer from the foul line to end the game, securing the victory through free throws.
It was a real tough loss for the Profs, but they could still earn a bye in the NJAC tournament. They would do so in a big 65-59 victory over Rutgers-Newark.
Rob DePersia led the charge for the Profs with 18 points. DaRon Curry added 16 points, while lighting it up from three with 4 made. Quincy Rutherford scored a team high 14 points for Rutgers-Camden, while Chase Barneys added 12 points.
It wasn’t the best night on offense for Rowan, with their three point shooting faltering to a low 25%. The Profs were, however, able to lock up on defense, keeping the Scarlet Raiders to 39% from the field. Rutgers-Newark were not able to take advantage of the stalling Profs offense at all.
With the victory Rowan secures 2nd place in the NJAC. They have one more game remaining against Kean. Most importantly, Rowan will have a bye game in the NJAC tournament.