Box Score

Montclair, NJ (12/8/09) –  Senior guard Andre Kenny (Jersey City, NJ / Dickinson) scored a game-high 21 points while sophomore LaQuan Peterkin (Paterson, NJ / John F. Kennedy) posted a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds as Ramapo College held off a furious second-half rally by Montclair State for a 75-72 victory at the Panzer Athletic Center on Tuesday evening.

Senior forward Isaiah Lynch (Linden, NJ / St. Mary’s) and freshman Stephon Treadwell (Newark, NJ / Seton Hall Prep) added 12 and 11 points, respectively as the Roadrunners won their second straight game improving to 6-2 overall while evening their record in the NJAC at 1-1.

Sophomore swingman Paul Siljee (Wayne, NJ / Wayne Valley) had 16 points and three assists for Montclair State, which nearly erased a 20-deficit in the second half before having its two-game winning streak snapped. MSU is now 5-3 overall, 2-1 in the NJAC.

Ramapo led 40-30 at halftime and quickly doubled that lead in the first five minutes of the half. Kenny scored the first six points of the half for the Roadrunners and a three-pointer by Lynch made the score 53-37 with 16:50 to play. Treadwell, who had six points during the stretch scored the final four, including a layup with 14:56 remaining as Ramapo led 59-39.

A jumper by Peterkin put the score at 61-41, but the Red Hawks slowly began chipping away at the lead. A layup by Tyrone Prewitt (Trenton, NJ / Trenton) cut the lead to 11 and after Ramapo went back up 70-57, Montclair would net three straight three-pointers – two by Chris Vitulano (Glen Ridge, NJ / Glen Ridge) and the last by Siljee as MSU got within 72-66 with 5;06 left.

Robert Jackson (Carteret, NJ / Carteret) got a layup for Montclair and Siljee sank two foul shots off a technical as the Red Hawks closed within 73-70 with 3:46 to go. Treadwell hit the first of two free-throws to push the Ramapo back to four, but Jackson’s putback off a missed shot got MSU to 74-72 with 54 second left. Jackson would come up big on the defensive end as he blocked a shot which was rebounded by Vitulano with 22 seconds left giving Montclair one last opportunity.

Coming off a timeout, the ball would get into the hands of Vitulano, who just missed his 20-footer from the left side that would have knotted the game. Peterkin grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He would make the first which turned out to the final margin of victory for the Roadrunners.

Kenny added nine rebounds and six assists to complete his evening while Davian Plunkett (Paterson, NJ / John F. Kennedy) also grabbed nine boards as Ramapo outrebounded Montclair 52-35, including 19 on the offensive glass. A.J. LoRusso (Mahwah, NJ / Don Bosco Prep) added eight points.

Freshman David McDaniel (Plainfield, NJ / Rutgers Prep) had 14 points off the bench while Ali Mix (East Orange, NJ / East Orange Campus) had 10 points and four assists. Prewitt chipped in with seven points and eight rebounds for Montclair State. Vitulano had eight points and four rebounds.

Both teams return to action with non-conference home contests. Montclair State hosts College of Staten Island at the Panzer Athletic Center on Friday, December 11 at 7:00 pm. Ramapo is back at the Bradley Center a day earlier (December 10) taking on New York City Tech in a 7:30 pm tipoff.