Mahwah, NJ… The College of New Jersey women's basketball team used a tremendous defensive effort to win its third game of the week as the Lions handled Ramapo College 57-33 on Saturday.
 
The win elevated TCNJ to 14-6 overall and kept them in second place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference with a 10-3 record. It capped a perfect 3-0 week that started with a win over Stevens, followed by another victory over Richard Stockton College, before winning on the road on Saturday.
 
The loss evened Ramapo's record at 10-10, while the Roadrunners dipped to 7-6 in conference play.
 
TCNJ grabbed control of the right game from the opening tip, scoring the first 13 points of the game, while keeping the hosts off of the scoreboard for initial 7:30. Offensively, senior Tiffany DeTulio (Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck)  junior Kylie O'Donnell (Magnolia, NJ/Sterling), and junior Kelly Coughlin (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) each played a role in that 13-0 run with 3-pointers, while O'Donnell and senior Liz West (Monmouth Beach, NJ/Shore Regional) each added fields.
 
On the defensive end of the floor, the Lions forced the Roadrunners in to five turnovers in that first 7:30 and also prevented them from making their first nine shots of the game.
 
TCNJ's biggest lead of the period came at 18-4 and they eventually carried a 26-13 lead into the break when DeTulio scored the final bucket of the period in the final minute.
 
In the second half, the Lions continued to add to their advantage with a modest 7-2 run to open the new period.
 
Midway through the half, Ramapo countered with a 6-0 run to get within 34-21, but once again TCNJ clamped down at both ends of the court to prevent the Roadrunners from getting any closer. The Lions went on a 12-0 run and again the defense also did its part keeping the hosts from scoring for a span of 6:43. That marked the second time of the half that TCNJ's defense kept the hosts off of the scoreboard for more than five minutes.
 
Coughlin later gave the visitors their biggest lead of the game at 56-29 when she drained a 3-pointer with 4:04 left and TCNJ then kept things in control until the final buzzer.
 
O'Donnell led a balanced attack for the Lions with 13 points and eight rebounds, while DeTulio had a steady performance with 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Coughlin added to the win with nine points and senior Kelly Roddy (Belmar, NJ/St. Rose) and West both chipped in with eight.
 
It was the defense, however, that left its mark in the game as they allowed the fewest points in a game this season at 33 (the previous best was 43 in a win against Rutgers-Newark). The Roadrunners were also limited to only eight field goals for the entire game as they shot a dismal 14.5 percent (8-for-55) from the floor and an even lower 6.7 percent from behind the 3-point arc (1-for-15).
 
Conference play continues on Wednesday when the Lions return home to face Rutgers-Camden in Packer Hall at 6 p.m.