CAMDEN, N.J. - The TCNJ women's basketball team did not trail in their matchup against Rutgers-Camden Wednesday night, opening the scoring with a triple and never looking back in a 61-50 win over the Scarlet Raptors.
 
Nina Branchizio, Grace Kowalski and Arianna McCleod led the Lions (16-5, 12-2 NJAC) in scoring with 12 points apiece with McCleod adding a team-high seven rebounds. The game was won on the defensive end, however, where TCNJ was led in steals and blocks by Kowalski (3) and Jaclyn Feit (5) respectively.
 
It was McCleod opening the scoring in Wednesday's rematch with the first of her three 3-pointers on the night to give the Lions a lead they would hold the rest of the way. Rutgers-Camden made it a one-point game halfway through the frame, but a 10-4 run over the final five minutes that featured buckets from Kowalski, Branchizio and Myah Hourigan-Hutton sent TCNJ into the first break up 15-8.
 
A Branchizio 3-pointer would give the Lions their first double-digit lead of the night just 19 seconds into the second quarter, with an 8-0 burst at its midway point making it 28-11. The Scarlet Raptors would trim into the lead once again before Kowalski scored five as part of a 6-0 run to give TCNJ its largest lead of the night to that point at 37-19.
 
The Lions' offense stalled in a second half in which they were outscored in both the third and fourth quarters, but the lead was too much to overcome en route to a 61-50 win that keeps TCNJ in a tie for first place in the NJAC.
 
FOR THE FOES

• Courtney Edmundo corralled her seventh double double of the season with a game-high 15 points and 12 rebounds.
• Rahzira Blocker also finished in double figures with 14 points and seven rebounds.

STANDOUT LIONS

• Branchizio made a game-high four 3-pointers, marking her 10th straight game with multiple makes from beyond the arc.
• Kowalski matched her season-high with six rebounds to pair with her team-best 12 points.
• McCleod's 12 points mark the fifth time in the last six games the senior has scored in double figures.
• Feit's five blocks and two steals were both season-highs. The graduate student now has multiple rejections in four of her five games played this season.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Lions won Wednesday despite shooting just 29.4% from the floor and a season-worst 21.9% from beyond the arc.
• The Lions turned 19 Scarlet Raptor turnovers into 17 points on the other end.
• TCNJ brought in a season-best 44 rebounds including 18 on the offensive glass.
• Paced by five points from Feit, the Lions' bench outscored Rutgers-Camden's 13-8.

NOTES

• TCNJ is now 2-1 in games in which they shoot under 30% from the field.
• McCleod eclipsed 500 points for her career, with her 12 bringing the senior's total to 503.
• Kowalski will be the next to reach 500 points, sitting at 485 after Wednesday's win.

UP NEXT

• TCNJ returns to Packer Hall Saturday, Feb. 8 to take on Rutgers-Newark. Opening tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.