Preview: Ramapo Raiders vs. Wayne Valley Indians
Ramapo is 4-0 against Wayne Valley since January of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Ramapo Raiders just played last night, but they'll still head out to face the Wayne Valley Indians at 7:00 p.m. on January 18th. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Ramapo put the finishing touches on their sixth blowout victory of the season on Wednesday. They took their match at home with ease, bagging a 71-43 win over Hackensack. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory Ramapo has posted since December 21, 2023.
Ramapo's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Wyatt Eglinton manner, who scored 20 points along with six rebounds and two steals. Chris Cervino was another key contributor, going 6 for 8 from beyond the arc en route to 18 points and 0 assists.
Meanwhile, Wayne Valley came tearing into Wednesday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 29.8 points) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Wayne Hills and snuck past 49-46. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win Wayne Valley has posted yet this season.
Wayne Valley's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Omar Ali, who scored 18 points along with five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Anthony Apicella, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Ramapo is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. As for Wayne Valley, their win bumped their record up to 8-4.
Thursday's contest is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Ramapo have been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 46.7% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Wayne Valley struggles in that department as they've drained 45.8% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Ramapo beat Wayne Valley 67-56 when the teams last played back in January of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Ramapo since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
