The Rowan woman’s basketball team had yet to lose at home entering a Wednesday night matchup versus The College of New Jersey.
That fact would not change by the final buzzer.
Guided by a high-energy press defense and a punishing game in the paint, Rowan coasted to an 87-66 victory over New Jersey Athletic Conference rival TCNJ. The brown and gold picked up their fourth-straight win in sweeping the season series with the Lions.
Rowan (13-1, 19-2 overall) was able to break the game open with a 28-point first quarter.
The Profs proceeded to shoot 53 percent (22-41) from the floor. At the half, the team led 57-27 over the Lions, which had 17 turnovers.
“I was very impressed with our defensive pressure in the first half,” head coach Gabby Lisella said. “Our ability to quickly translate that pressure into offense was key to opening up that big lead early on.”
Scoring dropped for Rowan in the second frame allowing TCNJ to mount a small comeback behind 6-of-14 three-point shooting. The Lions outscored the Profs 39-30 over the final 24 minutes but were doomed by the huge deficit early.
“I think TCNJ made some good adjustments at the half. They really were more disciplined about getting the ball inside and getting kick outs,” Lisella said. “They have good three-point shooters and they got those kids some looks in the second half. That was where they were effective.”
Rowan finished the game with an impressive 20 total steals, just two shy of its season best.
With four games to go, the Profs hold a two-game advantage over Stockton and Montclair State in the conference.
“It’s very important for us not only to have home playoff games but also to end on a strong note,” Sanchez said. “We started the season strong and want to end even stronger to send a message to the other teams. We want to let them know what they’re going to get when they come to play Rowan University.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Junior guard Anyssa Sanchez- 19 points (7-of-7 shooting), 7 rebounds, 2 steals
UP NEXT
@ Kean University, Saturday 3 pm
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