Women’s Basketball Opens Season with Loss at Ramapo Tournament

Mahwah, N.J. - The St Joseph's-Long Island (0-1) women's basketball team opened the 2014-15 season today against Ramapo College (1-0) in the Roadrunners' annual tip-off tournament, falling 68-37. 

Ramapo advances to the championship game tomorrow at 2 p.m., and will face Washington College, while St. Joseph's takes on Brooklyn College in the consolation match-up at noon.  Washington defeated Brooklyn, 59-49 in the second game of the night.

St. Joseph's was led by Jackie Zizzo, who posted nine points, as her team went 13-49 (27%) in the loss.  Teddi Petre dished out seven assists for SJC.  Leading the way for Ramapo was Jina Crawford with 17 points. 

The Roadrunners held the Golden Eagles to just five field goals in the first half to take a 30-14 lead at the halftime buzzer.  Crawford led Ramapo with ten points shooting 5-7, as the team combined shooting 10-33 (30%) in the half.  Jackie Jerkovich dished out six assists and grabbed four steals.  The Roadrunners got on the scoreboard first at 2:13 into the game with a basket from Grace Elliott, before spreading their lead to double-digits with 6:18 on the clock.  Crawford sunk a jumper off an assist from Jerkovich to go up, 15-5.  Just under five minutes later, Crawford again sunk two-points to give the Roadrunners their biggest lead of the half, 27-9, with 1:51 to play.  Jerkovich nailed the final basket of the half, with just six ticks on the clock, to take the 16-point, 30-14 lead at the buzzer.  St. Joseph's shot 5-21 (24%) behind five points from Jennifer Gubell.

In the second half, Crawford led the Roadrunners with seven points as the team continued to stretch their lead, their biggest of 31, 68-37, coming at the final buzzer.  With 11:35 to play in the game, Jackie Zizzo would hit a three-pointer to put the Golden Eagles within 16, 29-45, but it would be the closest they would come, as the Roadrunners pushed to a 27-point lead with 3:47 on the clock with free throws from Doris Ilic.  Ramapo would outscore St. Joseph's, 8-4, down the stretch to take home their first win of the season.

Crawford finished the day hitting 8-13 for 17 points, while Ilic posted nine points, hitting 2-5 from the field.  Jerkovich wrapped up the game with a team-high nine assists and five steals, as the team went 23-62 (37%) from the field. 

(Recap Details Courtesy of Ramapo Athletic Communications)