Box Score
Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey women’s basketball team fell short to Richard Stockton College 71-64 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up.
The loss drops the Lions (11-9, 4-4 NJAC) into a third-place tie with the Ospreys (9-9/ 4-4 NJAC) in the NJAC South-Division.
Junior Stephanie Prall (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon) and sophomore Hannah Tait (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy) led TCNJ with 14 points, but it was not enough to overcome a quick and physical Richard Stockton squad. The 14 points was a career-high for Prall.
The Ospreys built a 13-point lead on 60 percent shooting in the opening half and never relinquished their advantage. Sophomore Latonya Oliver (West Berlin, NJ/Overbrook) paced Richard Stockton with a game-high 18 points and six rebounds. Freshman Che’Na Thompson (Salem, NJ/Salem) netted 16 points, dished out four assists and had six steals as her presence was felt on both ends of the court.
The Lions reeled off the first nine points of the game as the Ospreys didn’t register a bucket until the 15:25 mark. But the game turned around quickly once Stockton broke the ice. They orchestrated a 20-5 run to build a 22-16 with 6:20 remaining.
Oliver dropped in everything that left her finger-tips in the opening half knocking down all four field-goal attempts and three foul shots good for 12 points to provide Richard Stockton a 38—25 lead at the intermission.
The Ospreys stretched their lead to 20 points just four minutes into the second half, but the Lions battled back to cut the lead back to 46-35. Despite their efforts, TCNJ couldn’t quite get over the hump.
Tait drained a three-pointer with 2:56 remaining to draw the Lions within nine points. She dropped in another trio and a running jumper to cut the lead to four, but the Ospreys hit their free throws down the stretch to seal the match.
Junior Kelsey Kutch (Hilssborough, NJ/Hillsbourough) added 12 points and four rebounds while sophomore Jessica Imhof (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) chipped in with 10 points.
Richard Stockton’s Julia Fagan (New Britain, CT/New Britain) had a game-high seven rebounds and sophomore Aliyah Nelson (Pleasantville, NJ/St. Joseph) dropped in 11 points.
The Lions continue their conference schedule this Saturday, January 30 when they visit Ramapo College in an NJAC double-header beginning at 5 p.m.
The Ospreys play its next game at conference foe Rutgers-Newark on Saturday, January 30.