Ramapo MBB extends winning streak to five games

Before last Saturday’s match-up at Stockton University, Ramapo College (5-1, 3-0 NJAC) head coach Chuck McBreen knew the significance of the game considering the Ospreys (4-4, 0-3 NJAC) were picked second to finish in the NJAC (New Jersey Athletic Conference).

Right off the bat the Roadrunners were behind the eight ball, falling behind 11-0 in the first five and half minutes of the contest. However, Ramapo turned the tables on Stockton due to the combination of Christopher Moseley and Thomas Bonacum, going to 11-0 tear in the next three minutes to tie the game up.

Patrick Peterson knocked down a trifecta with less than 11 minutes remaining as Ramapo took its first lead of the game. Up by 29-27 with less than four minutes left in the first half, Ramapo finished on an 11-3 run taking a 40-30 advantage at halftime. In the second half, the Roadrunners wasted no time extending the margin to over 20 points for the 81-67 victory.

For a second consecutive game, Moseley led the team in scoring, pouring in a game high 18 points along with 6 rebounds while Bonacum and Josh Ford pumped in 13 apiece and off the Peterson tallied 10 points in 17 minutes of action.

“We were off to a slow start and went scoreless in the first six minutes, down 11-0 and disappointing to come out so flat,” said McBreen. “Over the next five or six minutes outscored them 25-5 and went down from nine down to up by 11 and 10 point lead into the locker room and led by 21 three times in the second half,”

“For 28 minutes in the game we outscored them by 32 and last six minute of second half we got outscored by 18 that obviously made the final deficit 14,” McBreen continued. “We played 28 solid minutes and 14 disappointing minutes and 75% of the game pretty well and we’re trying to develop consistency and not they’re yet.”

”Chris (Moseley) is playing well and shooting a high field-goal percentage, blocking shots and rebounding the ball and need that going forward,” the coach explained. “Pat Peterson is a starter anywhere in the NJAC and not worried about personal statistics and all he wants to do is win and goes in there and gives us whatever we need and makes him so special. We have an advantage in bringing in Pat first off the bench and give us a real spark.”

Despite Stockton burying 11 of 35 three-pointers in the game, Ramapo held the Ospreys under 40 percent from the field and dominated the majority of stats. The Roadrunners had 36 points in the paint, 20 fast break points, 14-second chance points and 23 bench points.

“We hang our hat and what we’re about certain categories and as a program and we believe in and winning formula when we win those categories,” McBreen said. “When we can win those categories so significant by trying to win points in the paint, points off turnovers and bench points and good chance we’re going to come out victorious.”

The Roadrunners look to build on that momentum Thursday against Rutgers-Newark (2-5, 0-3 NJAC) at the Bradley Center with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. Last year Ramapo swept the regular season series. This season the Scarlet Raiders are 2-4 but are holding opponents to 73 points per game and have three players averaging in double figures led by Mark Thomas at 17.2 and Tyler Ofray at 15 and Chase Barneys adding 13.6.

“They play as a hard as can be, defend and rebound and cause you a lot of problems and get you into a slower pace game,” said McBreen. “Last year at our place we had to grind it out and only won by five and we struggled against them. They’re going to come out and bring it and we have to match their effort and intensity.”