The College of New Jersey basketball teams have different reasons to be looking forward to this weekend's match-ups with Ramapo College, but both squads will need no extra motivation on Senior Day in Packer Hall. The men's team is finding themselves locked in a three-way battle atop the NJAC standings. Having already gotten revenge on the first conference foe to defeat Lions with a 75-69 win over New Jersey City University, TCNJ looks to do the same to the Roadrunners and remain tied for second place in the conference standings. The women's team meanwhile, finds themselves on the bubble of the playoff picture currently. In a three-way tie for the final two spots, the Lions eye the struggling Roadrunners as a way to improve their position.
 
Players to watch:
Ramapo Women – Jina Crawford – Crawford is second for the Roadrunners in scoring at 8.1 ppg. Crawford is also second on the team in blocks with 12. In the first meeting between these two teams, Crawford came off the bench to score seven points, and has since been inserted into the starting line-up for the past seven games.

TCNJ Women -  Kim Dana – Dana is the engine of the Lions machine. TCNJ is 9-5 when Dana scores five or more points this season. Dana is currently shooting 82.4% from the free-throw line, and is second on the team in assists (56) and steals (27).

Ramapo Men – Thomas Bonacum – Bonacum leads the Roadrunners in both scoring (17.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.6rpg). He also makes his way to the free-throw line with great frequency, averaging 6.6 attempts per game.

TCNJ Men – Eric Klacik – Klacik has scored in double figures in each of the Lions last five games, raising his season scoring average from 9.6 to 11.6. In the Lions victory over Stockton, Klacik scored a career-high 31 points. Over the five game span, he has gone 15-32 (46.9%) from three-point range.
 
Key Stat:
Ramapo Women – 56.1 – The Roadrunners boasts the conferences second best scoring defense, behind conference leading Montclair St allowing just 56.1 points per game. The Lions are not far behind, giving up 59.6 per contest. Ramapo holds a record of 6-2 when holding opponents to 50 points or fewer, however one of those two losses was when the Lions were victorious 47-42 earlier this season.

TCNJ Women -  14.7 – The Lions are second in the NJAC in assists per game, averaging 14.7 helpers per contest. Kate O'Leary leads the unselfish group, averaging 4.0 assists per game. Conversely, the Roadrunners offense has been more stagnant, as they average only 11.7 assists, second fewest in the conference.

Ramapo Men – 15.9 – Ramapo has beaten their opponents by an average of 15.9 points this season, fifth best in the country. Just seven of the team's 21 games have been decided by single digits, including the first match-up between the teams earlier this year, a 98-90 Ramapo victory.

TCNJ – 7.6 – The Lions average 7.6 more rebounds than the opposition this year, second in the NJAC. Close behind are the Roadrunners, out-rebounding opponents by an average of 7.2. TCNJ is 14-2 in games in which they out-rebound the competition, and just 1-4 when allowing more boards.
 
Last Time Out:
Ramapo Women – The Roadrunners had no answer for Maria Simmons. Simmons went 15-21 from the field, scoring 34 points to lead Rutgers-Newark to a 68-61 victory over Ramapo. The loss was the Roadrunners fifth straight. Tia Solomon led Ramapo in the loss with 20 points.

TCNJ Women -  The Lions broke a 47-47 tie when Dana and Charlotte Schum hit back-to-back three-pointers to give TCNJ a lead they would not surrender in a 56-53 win over Rowan University. Nikki Schott blocked a first shot, then severely altered a second in the final five second of play to secure the victory. The win was the Lions second straight.

Ramapo Men – The Roadrunners survived a test from Rutgers Newark, falling behind by eight early in the first half. Ramapo recovered thanks to 13 points off the bench from Patrick Peterson, and extended their winning streak to six with a 68-63 victory.

TCNJ Men– The Lions fell behind early, allowing Rowan to jump out to a 16-4 lead. TCNJ did not get within single-digits until the closing minutes, when their comeback bid came up short in an 88-74 loss. The loss snapped the Lions seven game winning streak.
 
Next Time Out:
Ramapo – The Roadrunners continue conference play, hosting Rutgers-Camden in a Men's and Women's double header February 8 at 5:30 PM.

TCNJ -  The Lions begin their final road trip of the year, traveling to William Paterson February 8 at 6:00 PM for a Men's and Women's NJAC double-header.