The Roadrunner Women's Basketball team will make a return visit to the NJCAA Region 19 championship game -- but it wasn't easy.

Coach Rich Cooper's Runners held off visiting Montgomery County College Thursday night, 54-49, in a Region 19 semifinal -- and in the process earned a berth in Saturday's title game vs. Camden County College in a 1 pm start at RCSJ.

The home team held a 13-point halftime lead but nearly saw the lead disappear entirely in a tough second half. The offense could not muster much offense with no players reaching double figures -- forwards Tireya Wyatt and Jermyra Bethea paced all scorers with 9 points each followed by forward Maxine Ampofo with 8 points.

Ampofo rescued the Runners late with two key baskets in the final three minutes of play that halted Montgomery's furious late rally.

"Give Montgomery a lot of credit -- they played us tough all over the court," said Coach Cooper. "We could not really settle into an offensive pattern, but luckily Max (Ampofo) was able to put it together at the end."

The Runners raced to 13-8 first quarter and 28-15 halftime leads with Wyatt and forward Debra Beecher netting five points apiece. The Mustangs, however, slowly and methodically picked apart at the lead in the second half, inching to within 3 points at 51-48 late in the half.

"We knew this could be back and forth, but we never gave up and kept pounding away," said Ampofo, a Region 19 All-Star. "We're excited to go to the Region championship game -- and we will be ready."

The Runners and Camden County will square off Saturday in a 1 pm tipoff in Deptford. RCSJ (20-2 overall) won both regular season games vs. the Cougars.