| Men's Basketball 2/28/08 | ||
| NJAC Tournament semifinals: Stockton 60, Ramapo 59 | ||
The Stockton men’s basketball team defeated Ramapo 60-59 in an NJAC tournament semifinal game. Jerome Hubbard (Neptune/Neptune) sank two free throws with 22 seconds remaining to lift Stockton into a one-point lead and Ospreys survived three missed shots by Ramapo in the final seven seconds. Hubbard scored a team-high 20 points and Omar Smith (Newark/Central) added nine points for Stockton, which won despite shooting just 14-27 (51.9%) at the line and being out-rebounded 42-20.
The Ospreys trailed 59-55 after Ramapo scored with 1:34 remaining in the game, but cut the lead to just one point after a long three-pointer by Hubbard, making the score 59-58. On the ensuing possession, Hubbard drew a charging foul and Stockton got the ball back. Omar Smith grabbed an offensive rebound to set up a drive to the hoop by Hubbard who was fouled with 22 seconds left. Hubbard connected on both free-throws to give Stockton a 60-59 advantage with 22 seconds to play.
On its next possession, Ramapo missed a jumper, got the offensive rebound and missed the follow-up. The ball was knocked out of bounds, giving the Roadrunners possession with 1.8 seconds on the clock, but a desperation three-pointer was off the mark and Stockton prevailed 60-59. The dramatic finish capped a close yet sloppy game that featured nine lead changes but also a combined 45 turnovers, including 30 by Ramapo, and 51.9-percent free throw shooting by Stockton.
With the win, Stockton will host William Paterson, which topped Montclair State 71-61, in the NJAC title game on Saturday at 2 pm. The Ospreys are making their first appearance in the NJAC championship game since 2005 when current seniors Mario Lancioni (Runnemede/Triton) and Jon Greene (Wildwood/Wildwood) were freshmen. Stockton won the NJAC crown in 1987, ’88, ’96 and ’97. |
