It took plenty of determination and resiliency, but the No. 6 nationally ranked Roadrunner Women's Basketball team proved they belong among the NJCAA Division III elite Tuesday night when they rallied to top No. 5 Monroe College-Bronx, 64-56, in a thriller at the RAC.
After falling behind early and often, and seemingly down for the count, Coach Rich Cooper's troops rallied with a brilliant second-half performance to put away the talented Express sharp-shooters.
RCSJ Guard Qeiajae Canty fired in 20 points and Julianna Montero had 15, while forward Danielle Jeffreys hit two timely three-pointers in the clutch, to fuel the signature triumph. The Runners improved to 16-2 overall while Monroe fell to 13-5.
Click Here to View Photo Highlights
"We were only beating ourselves in the beginning of the game, but we straightened it out at halftime and we were determined to take control of our own destiny," said Jeffreys, a Williamstown High graduate who drained two clutch 3-point shots to close out the win. "This was just a great team effort."
Head Coach Cooper was able to steer his team in the right direction at halftime after the Runners suddenly fell behind 28-20 thanks to a series of turnovers caused by Monroe's tenacious full-court press. RCSJ was down only by 10-9 after the first quarter but sunk into a deep hole when they were outscored 18-11 in the second period. They were down by as many as 11 points.
"We had to cut down on the turnovers and just play our game," said Cooper. "If you let their press get to you, Monroe will run right over you -- they are an explosive team and they could have put it out of reach in a hurry."
That did not happen. Cooper's squad returned to the court re-energized at the start of the third period and outscored Monroe 16-5 to claim a 36-33 lead. Montero and teammate Madison Dulude tossed in 6 points each in the frame to fuel the rally.
The fourth quarter proved to be a back and forth effort with the lead exchanging hands several times. Aside from Jeffreys' late heroics, Canty also drained a key three-pointer to help the Runners emerge with the triumph.
Also contributing were sophomore forward Trina Deveney-Bethea with 11 rebounds and 6 points, forwards Rianna Talley and Riley Starke, and guards Syria Bass, Nyasia Clark, and Deja Cook.
Monroe was led offensively by Shashauna Ballantyne with 14 points and Nyeira Spady, who tallied 12 points.
Next up for the Runners will be County College of Morris Thursday evening in a 6:30 pm tip-off at home.
Gameday Preview
Come out to see a great match-up on Tuesday. January 25, starting at 5 pm when the No. 6 nationally ranked Roadrunner Women's Basketball hosts No. 5 Monroe College (Bronx, NY). The Runners enter the game at 15-2 while Monroe comes in at 13-4!
The showdown will be the start of a tough week ahead for the Runners, who have two in a row. Aside from No. 5 Monroe paying a visit to the RAC, Coach Rich Cooper's squad will square off against Region 19 rival County College of Morris on Jan. 27 and will travel to No. 9 Hostos CC (New York) on Jan. 29.
"It's going to be as challenging week ahead of us and hopefully a lot of fun," said Coach Cooper. "It's great to play nationally ranked teams at this point of the season to help us prepare for the tournament."
The game will be live-streamed at https://rcroadrunners.com/watch-live.