Camden, NJ ... The College of New Jersey men's basketball team notched its seven win in their last nine contests, roaring past Rutgers-Camden 73-53 on Wednesday night in Camden, NJ.
 
The Lions improved to 11-6 overall and 6-4 in New Jersey Athletic Conference games to sustain a stronghold on the fifth spot in the league standings. The Scarlet Raptors fell to 2-13 overall and 1-9 in the NJAC.
 
Sophomore Kevin Johnson (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) registered a career-high 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting including 3-of-4 from downtown. Junior Nick Alaimo (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) shot better than 50 percent (6-of-11) and finished with 16 points, while Eric Murdock, Jr. (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater) racked up nine points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
 
It took TCNJ over five minutes and seven shots to produce its first points of the game, but Alaimo drilled a three-point field goal to put the Lions on track. Johnson was a force on offense in the opening period with 11 points, while freshman Kevin Bloodgood (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) knocked down a trio of three-point field goals to propel TCNJ to a 35-20 halftime advantage.
 
The Scarlet Raptors never got within striking distance in the second half. Their long-distance shooting haunted them throughout the game as they connected on just 2-of-19 attempts.
 
A 16-4 run by TCNJ late in the second period put the game on ice. They were the beneficiary of 34 points from their bench, 18 points off turnovers, and 52 percent shooting in the second half. The Lions assisted on 15 field goals in the game, matching their season average which leads the conference.
 
TCNJ also copped 12 steals in the game led by Johnson and Murdock, Jr., who each had three.
 
The Lions return home to Packer Hall on Saturday for a 3 p.m. match-up against NJAC foe Montclair State University. With a projected snowstorm in the forecast, check tcnjathletics.com for any schedule updates.