Rowan gets redemption over Rutgers Camden on Wednesday night in a stunning, 68-66, victory at Esbjornson Gymnasium in Glassboro. Khalil Baker’s put back bucket sent the packed gym into a frenzy as his shot before the buzzer lifted the Profs to a second consecutive victory.
Rowan was down 19 in the first half and struggled to generate offense. In 10 minutes, they didn’t record an assist, and Rutgers Camden controlled the pace of the game. They shot 63% from the field in the first half and shot 44% from behind the arc.
“I didn’t like our effort to start the game,” head coach Eric Brennan said. “Credit Rutgers–Camden, they’re always prepared, they play hard, they have really good defense. But to be down 19 and then come out and win it shows a lot of effort and heart from our guys.”
The turning point came at halftime in the Rowan locker room.
Brennan made the shift to the 1-3-1 zone, and the Profs clamped down defensively. Offensively, Rowan hit their stride, tying the game and then taking a 60-59 lead with less than six minutes on the clock.
“A lot was said at halftime,” Brennan said. “We simplified what we wanted to do offensively, played through Khalil a lot, and made better decisions in the second half. When you’re scoring, you’re playing less transition defense, and it’s easier to set things up.”
Rowan outscored Rutgers Camden 38-28 in the second half and was clinical at the free throw line, going 20-for-24. Baker, who had struggled with free throws early in the year, has become a consistent threat at the charity stripe. Baker finished 6-for-7 at the line.
“I had to settle in, get comfortable, get comfortable with the gym, just get comfortable with myself too,” Baker said. “Just starting to take my time, and see where, which way I could impact the game, especially if I can’t finish or just, other ways to the game, just find my way to the line, get points while the clock’s stopped.”
Baker finished with 18 points on the night, Brycen Williams had 21, and the bench for the Profs kept this game in reach; their minutes were crucial and effective.
“Once coach came in and said, ‘This is a game we have to get,’ we locked in,” Williams said. “We understood where we’re at in the standings and what it takes to make this playoff push.”
The last minute was eerily similar to the first time these two teams matched up. Both teams couldn’t score, Williams’ game-winning shot missed, but Baker was able to track it down and knock down his shot as time expired.
“I owed them,” Baker said. “Earlier, I missed a rebound that led to a basket. I told Brycen and Taz I’d get it back, and that was my way of paying them back.”
The win carries added weight as Rowan climbs into the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) playoff picture with just two weeks remaining in the regular season.
“There’s going to be a lot of movement,” Brennan said. “Our push is to secure a home playoff game. We’ve got the group to do it. I believed that when we were 0–8, and I believe it now.”
Rowan, now 6-6 in conference play, turns their sights on at-home William Paterson, another key NJAC matchup on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m.
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