MAHWAH, N.J. – A fourth-quarter slump spelled the end of a lengthy winning streak for the TCNJ women's basketball team on Saturday, when host Ramapo overtook the Lions for a 45-36 victory in a low-scoring battle between the NJAC's top two teams.
 
Julia Setaro scored 14 points but was the only player in double figures for the Lions, who saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. TCNJ (11-5, 6-3) led by nine with 7:42 to play before Ramapo ended the game on a 20-2 run to take over sole possession of first place in the NJAC at the midway point of the league season.
 
The Roadrunners jumped out to an early 10-5 lead, but eight straight TCNJ points – the last four from Izzy Leazier – nosed the visitors back out in front. Jackie Ventricell's 3-pointer just before the buzzer pulled Ramapo into a 13-13 tie at the end of the first. After that, points were at a premium.
 
Both teams shot 2-for-13 in the second quarter, after which the Lions clung to a slim 19-17 edge. The third quarter wasn't much better, but TCNJ again got the best of that frame's rock fight and found itself ahead, 28-23, with 10 minutes to go.
 
Leading by three, a three-point play by Kaitlyn Deiter and a 3-pointer from Setaro staked the Lions to a seemingly insurmountable nine-point margin (34-25) inside of eight minutes remaining.
 
The Roadrunners (12-3, 7-2) had other ideas, scoring the game's next 14 points as TCNJ went cold. The hosts went ahead for good on Ventricell's jumper with 4:52 remaining and had extended their edge to five (39-34) before Nina Branchizio finally snapped the Lions' long drought with a driving lay-up off the glass just before the shot clock sounded. TCNJ would not score again, and Ramapo managed to run out the remaining time.
 
Ramapo shot just 34.0 percent for the game but was 6-for-12 in the fourth quarter, getting 17 points from Ventricelli and 13 from Jada Thompson.
 
Setaro knocked down four 3-pointers among her 14 points. Deiter was the next-leading scorer with seven points and four rebounds.
 
Sydney Blum paired five points with six rebounds and Leazier paced the Lions with seven boards.
 
TCNJ shot 25.5 percent overall and was 5-for-25 from 3-point range.
 
The women's basketball team looks to get back to its winning ways when Rutgers-Camden comes to Packer Hall on Wednesday, January 18.