From start to finish, the Roadrunner women's basketball team could not adjust to Rowan-Burlington's fast and hard style of play during Saturday's Roadrunner Showcase.
After falling behind by as many as 25, the Roadrunners staged a furious rally but fell short by a 73-53 score. Forward Nikita Acker drained a team-high 20 points, but Coach Rich Cooper's squad saw their four-game win streak come to an end.
The Runners climbed to within five at 47-42 early in the second half, but the D-II Baron went on a 26-11 run the rest of the way to close the deal.
"We didn't have the energy at the beginning of the game they did, but I'm proud of my team for battling back," said Coach Cooper. "This is the type of game we will take some lessons from to become a better team."
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Acker, a former Triton Regional standout who netted 15 of her 20 in the first half, felt the Runners (7-4 overall) could have stolen this outcome.
"We had some bad fouls in the beginning and they outhustled us to the ball a few times," she said. "If we had just a little better start, we could have taken it. We'll have to really focus on our consistency over the next few practices."
The Barons raced to a 19-10 first quarter lead and 39-26 halftime advantage, and never looked back. Tournament MVP Kylah Watkins-Paradise led the way in the scoring column with 16 points.
Next up for the Runners will be a GSAC and Region XIX home game against Brookdale CC starting at 12 noon on Saturday, December 14.
GAME PREVIEW
The Roadrunner women's basketball team will look to win their fifth straight game when they host Rowan College Burlington in the Roadrunner Showcase Saturday starting at 12 noon.
Coach Rich Cooper's team pushed their overall record to 7-3 Thursday with a 78-53 win over visiting Camden County College. The game saw the return from injury of sophomore forward Kadina Harris-Hood, who contributed nine points.
Top scorers for Coach Rich Cooper's Runners include guard Qeiajae Canty (Atlantic City, 15.6 ppg), and forwards Nikita Acker (Triton Regional, 9.5 ppg) and Trina Deveney-Bethea (Cedar Creek, 14.8 ppg, 7.6 rebounds/game). Sophomore guard Mya Lewis (Cherry Hill West) and forward Kylar Coughlin (Gloucester) also are enjoying solid seasons.
The Runners enter Saturday's contest with a 7-3 overall record.
Game Day information is below.
GAME DAY INFORMATION
RCSJ-Gloucester vs.Rowan College-Burlington
December 7, 2019, 12:00 Noon
Hosted by:
Roadrunner Athletics, Deptford, NJ
Coaches:
Rich Cooper RCSJ Gloucester
Carolyn Jones, Rowan-Burlington
Records:
Roadrunners: 7-3 overall, 6-1 Region
Barons: 4-7 overall, 3-3 Region
