Closed Tonight and Saturday

Signed detour will be in place overnight

(Trenton)

– New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced an overnight closure of the I-295 southbound ramp to Route 42 southbound and I-295 southbound as the Direct Connection project advances in Bellmawr, Camden County.

Beginning at 10 p.m. tonight, Friday, February 21, until 8 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, February 22, NJDOT’s contractor, South State, Inc., will close the I-295 southbound ramp to Route 42 southbound and I-295 southbound, also known as Al-Jo’s Curve, to replace damaged construction barrier. All motorists traveling on I-295 southbound will be directed to stay left onto Exit 26. The following detour will be in place overnight:

I-295 southbound to Route 42 southbound/I-295 southbound detour:

Motorists traveling on I-295 southbound to Route 42 southbound will be directed to exit left at Exit 26/I-76 westbound

Take I-76 westbound to Exit 2/I-676 northbound

Take I-676 northbound to Exit 1/Collings Avenue

Turn right onto Collings Avenue

Turn left onto I-676 southbound which becomes I-76 eastbound

Take I-76 eastbound to Exit 1A/I-295 southbound

The work is part of the $900 million Direct Connection project that will provide a seamless route for I-295 motorists traveling through the interchange of I-295, I-76, and Route 42. The Direct Connection project has been divided into four separate construction contracts, with completion of the fourth and final contract expected in the fall of 2024. NJDOT\’s project website provides

construction activity schedules and updates

Portable variable message signs are being utilized to provide advance notification to the public of all traffic pattern changes associated with the work. The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website

www.511nj.org

for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter

@NJDOT_info

King of Prussia Man Indicted for Traveling to the Philippines to Have Sex with Kids

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Craig Alex Levin, 64, of King of Prussia, PA was charged by Indictment with child exploitation offenses related to his travel to the Philippines. The Indictment was filed in December 2019 and unsealed today. The defendant is currently in custody in the Philippines and awaiting deportation back to the United States.

Levin was originally charged through a Criminal Complaint and Warrant in July 2019. The Indictment unsealed today alleges that the defendant used the internet to persuade, induce, entice and coerce a child into sex trafficking (count one), and that he travelled internationally from the United States to the Philippines for the purposes of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minor children (count two).

“As alleged in the Indictment, the defendant is a dangerous predator who targeted vulnerable children in a foreign country. This is reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Indeed, at the time of the defendant’s arrest last year in the Philippines, he was escorting a 15 year-old girl to his hotel room. Holding child sexual offenders accountable, no matter where they prey on children, will continue to be a top priority of my Office and the entire Department of Justice.”

“Craig Levin felt safe in the Philippines. He traveled there repeatedly, stayed for months at a time, and sexually exploited numerous underage girls, as alleged,” said Tara A. McMahon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “If Mr. Levin thought no one in the U.S. would know or care about the abuse because it took place on the other side of the world, he was badly mistaken. Child sexual exploitation is abhorrent anywhere, and the FBI won’t hesitate to go after these offenders wherever we find them. Protecting vulnerable underage victims and aggressively investigating predators who prey on them continues to be one of the FBI’s highest priorities.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division\’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit

www.projectsafechildhood.gov

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment with a mandatory minimum of ten years, lifetime supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and an additional $10,000 mandatory special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Velez.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Football Icon Jerry Rice Makes Big Play for Kidney Health

Jerry Rice is working with the National Kidney Foundation to promote kidney health

(NAPSI)—Fans might think Jerry Rice, at 56, should be satisfied to sail silently into the sunset reflecting on his Pro Football Hall of Fame status, three Super Bowl rings, and two decades in the National Football League. Indeed, the iconic wide receiver retired his professional cleats years ago.

Yet, he still uses his youthful, seemingly boundless energy to keep carrying the ball for the cause closest to his heart: tackling chronic kidney disease (CKD). “My brother Tom has CKD,” Rice said. “I’ve watched him go to dialysis three days a week for years, which is really hard on the body. He’s a very positive individual. Still, sometimes I spend the long hours that he endures just sitting by his side. It was my brother, after all, who loved, encouraged and pushed me early on by telling me that I had to make it to the NFL.”

Getting The Word Out

To that end, in a new PSA series for the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) to be broadcast nationwide, Rice focuses on promoting kidney health and raising awareness of kidney disease. The NKF is the largest, most comprehensive and long-standing organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease.

Given Rice’s genuine concern about and personal connection to the disease, NKF enlisted the widely beloved sports legend to help to speak to the general public as well as kidney patients. He already has lots of practice doing so up close and personally whenever he joins his brother at a neighborhood dialysis center in Jackson, Miss.

“I’d go there to mainly be with my brother, of course, but I always walk around the room to say hello and socialize with the other dialysis patients,” Rice said. “You don’t realize it until you see for yourself in centers that there are lots of people on dialysis. It puts everything in perspective whenever I start complaining. When I visit the dialysis center, people often know who I am and are happy to see me, and if I can bring a smile to some faces and make them forget even for a second, that warms my heart. That’s how I felt playing football, seeing the smiles in the stands and helping people to forget problems for a little while.”

Rice is also part of NKF’s continuing and growing Heart Your Kidneys (#HeartYourKidneys) public campaign to help elevate awareness of the kidneys to the status of other vital organs such as the heart. He is amazed that most people know very little about their kidneys and that some don’t know the kidneys are located in the lower back below the rib cage—or that each person has two. Rice hopes his new PSAs with NKF will help change that.

“It’s important to me to keep working hard to get the word out with NKF, because you can see that this really hits home for me in more ways than one,” Rice said.

Kidney Facts And Jerry Rice’s Tips

• African Americans are three times more likely to experience kidney failure than are people of other races.

• Because kidney disease often has no symptoms, it can go unnoticed until it is very advanced.

• The kidneys’ major function is to filter out waste products and excess fluid from the body.

• Eat healthy and drink water instead of sugary drinks.

• Exercise regularly.

• Ask your doctor about your kidney health.

Learn More

For further information about kidney disease and how to tell whether you’re at risk, call (800) 622-9010 or visit

www.kidney.org

CNB Hunting/Fishing MD: Hunters Harvest nearly 80,000 Deer during 2019-2020 Season

Final Harvest Numbers Higher than the Previous Season

Photo by Steve Edwards

The

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

reported that deer hunters harvested 79,457 de,er during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 6, 2019 through Jan. 31, 2020.

The statewide harvest included 29,233 antlered and 46,777 antlerless white-tailed deer, plus 1,552 antlered and 1,895 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 3% higher than the 2018-2019 total of 77,382 deer.

Hunters harvested more than 5,000 deer on Sundays.

Hunting deer on Sunday

is only permitted during certain weeks in 20 of Maryland’s 23 counties.

Many factors affect the annual deer harvest, including weather, the amount of natural food available to deer, and the economy as it relates to recreational time available.

“We are pleased with the results of this year’s overall deer harvest,”

Wildlife and Heritage Service

Director Paul Peditto said. “Maryland’s deer population remains very healthy, and deer hunters continue to play the most critical role in the management of this important species.”

The harvest in deer management

Region A

(Western Maryland) decreased 12%, from 9,705 deer last year to 8,534 this year. Poor weather conditions on key hunting days contributed to the region’s harvest decline. Hunters in the western counties reported 5,056 antlered and 3,478 antlerless deer.

Hunters in

Region B

— the remainder of the state — harvested 70,923 deer, up 5% from 67,677 deer harvested last year. A total of 25,729 antlered and 45,194 antlerless deer were reported in this region.

Frederick County led the harvest totals again this year with 6,358 deer, followed by Carroll County with 5,553 and Baltimore County at 4,969. Garrett and Washington counties rounded out the top five with 4,607 and 4,041 deer, respectively.

Power of photojournalism seen in early 20th century exposé on Chicago meat industry

Newswise — AMES, Iowa — A 1905 story not only prompted massive reforms in U.S. food and public health policy as well as Upton Sinclair’s popular novel “The Jungle.” It was also one of the first examples of the power of photojournalism.

In recent research, Emily Kathryn Morgan, assistant professor of

art and visual culture

at Iowa State University, examined a series of articles published in the early 20th century by “The Lancet,” a publication read primarily by British scientists, sanitarians and

Credit: Iowa State University Emily Kathryn Morgan, assistant professor of art and visual culture

physicians. The articles, written by journalist Adolphe Smith, offered a shocking look at Chicago’s meatpacking industry. His articles laid a foundation for the better-known revelations of “The Jungle,” which followed a couple of years later.

Morgan, a photography historian, studied how the same photograph can carry different meanings depending on the text that accompanies it, and how Smith used both photos and text to prove his point “that animal health and worker health deeply affect public health.”

The study was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Food & History. It is one of few studies that has considered photographs of the meat industry.

“The meat industry was much more inclined to allow photographers into their facilities well into the 20th century to help further their cause,” Morgan said. “People used to tour these packing companies and they weren’t upset by what they saw. It was really only when Smith, and then Sinclair, pointed out that they were eating adulterated products that people got grossed out.

“The same things happen today. People can see a lot of really horrifying images … but the biggest scandal is always the public health scandal.”

Smith’s series was one of the first uses of both text and photographs to serve as evidence “to expose a problematic situation to the light of general knowledge,” according to the paper.

History of Chicago’s meat industry

Chicago’s meatpacking district opened in 1865. With the innovation of refrigerated railroad cars, Chicago became a hub of meat processing as packing companies popped up around the stockyards. The area became known as Packingtown.

By the mid-1880s, Chicago was exporting meat overseas, primarily to British markets – which is how Smith became interested in Chicago’s meat industry and related public health issues.

Smith traveled to the U.S. in 1904, heading to Chicago to explore how both animals and humans fared in Packingtown.

He found unsanitary conditions, inhumane treatment of hogs and cattle, and poor worker safety. Smith used photos to bring data and his descriptions to life: “Photos, printed alongside his articles, made his textual claims about public health more believable.”

The aftermath

Smith’s Chicago articles, published in early 1905, had immediate effects. Morgan notes in her study that Chicago’s tinned meat exports dropped by 50% in the months following. American news media caught wind of the controversy, and by August 1905, new food-inspection protocols were in place in Packingtown.

Smith walked author Upton Sinclair through the packinghouses. That tour, combined with Smith’s articles, provided inspiration for “The Jungle,” Sinclair’s novel about the meat industry and working conditions at the time.

By 1906, “The Jungle” had further amplified the issue, leading to a government investigation, revamped food and public health policies, and then-President Theodore Roosevelt signing the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act – which led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration.

Lasting effects

In 1909, Smith returned to Chicago and reported that the packinghouses had improved.

He realized that photography could serve not only as evidence, but as a powerful tool of persuasion. The meatpacking companies recognized this, too, sending him photos of improved conditions.

This lightbulb moment led to increased use of photography by companies to shape their public image, promote themselves and celebrate industrialization – as well as by critics, who used photography to shed light on problems that should concern the public and enact change.

“We have a greater recognition today that photography creates a sense of immediacy, that it can convey impact,” Morgan said. “It can involve people more than just a written text, and photography in conjunction with text is much more powerful than either one on its own.”

Now Available, Beard Guyz® Micro-Mist Beard Oil with Pump

Glendale Heights, IL – Beard Guyz®,

a Men’s Care brand from Universal Beauty Products, Inc., has expanded its grooming product lineup for 2020 with a lightweight oil

Beard Guyz® products

that’s applied directly to the beard using a proprietary pump sprayer. Beard Guyz Micro-Mist Beard Oil softens and moisturizes the beard without weighing it down and is

conveniently sized to meet the busy lifestyle needs of modern sporting enthusiasts.

Many beard oil products require the use of hands to apply the oil and shape the beard. Beard Guyz Micro-Mist Beard Oil bypasses this step, allowing oil to be sprayed directly on the beard for a more controlled and even application – no hands, hassle or cleanup required.

“We’re excited about crafting a beard oil that is convenient to apply and provides moisturization in a hands-free manner for sporting enthusiasts,” says Ricky Arias, Brand Manager – Beard Guyz. “Beard Guyz products are designed to help beard wearers look their best for life’s important as well as everyday moments and we think our new oil will do just that, all while saving them precious time.”

Beard Guyz Micro-Mist Beard Oil is available in a 1.0-ounce size for convenient use at home or on-the go. Micro-Mist Beard Oil provides lightweight moisturization and includes a deodorizer.

“With beards becoming more popular every year, the grooming landscape is changing,” says John Fitzgerald, Senior Director – Marketing/Men’s Division at Universal Beauty Products. “Our customers require solutions with the versatility to meet their grooming needs in any situation and time of day. We believe that our Micro-Mist Beard Oil meets and exceeds expectations for convenience and quality.”

Beard Guyz® Micro-Mist Beard Oil is available starting February 2020 at select retail outlets throughout the United States, including Bed Bath & Beyond® and Giant®, as well as at online retailers including

Amazon.com

and

beardguyz.com

###

About Universal Beauty Products, Inc.

Universal Beauty Products, Inc., located in Glendale Heights, Illinois, is a leading manufacturer of personal care products. With over 10 brands, Universal Beauty Products offers an extensive portfolio of grooming, beard, hair and skin products. The Men’s Care division includes Beard Guyz®, focused on men’s beard care, and Van Der Hagen®, focused on the flourishing grooming market. The company headquarters operates a 200,000+ square foot facility that includes research and development laboratories, sales, marketing, manufacturing, customer services, administration and warehousing and is committed to producing performance-proven products.

New Jersey Man Charged With Coercing And Enticing Commercial Sex Workers

NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey man who allegedly lured commercial sex workers to travel from out of state to engage in prostitution and other sexual acts by use of force, violence and threats in and around Middlesex County, New Jersey, appeared in court February 19, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Jose Torres, 42, is charged by complaint with two counts of coercion and enticement. The defendant is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelly in Boston federal court. Torres was arrested on Feb. 14, 2020, in Boston.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From May 2015 to October 2019, Torres persuaded, induced and enticed commercial sex workers to travel from various out of state locations, including Canada and New York, in order to engage in prostitution. Torres lured commercial sex workers to New Jersey with promises of large payments. When the commercial sex workers asked for payment, Torres became aggressive, often assaulting and raping them. Torres never paid the sex workers.

The coercion and enticement charges each carries a maximum term of 20 years’ imprisonment and a potential $250,000 fine.

The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emma Spiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael; the Middlesex County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Christopher L. C. Kuberiet; and the Peabody, Massachusetts, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Griffin, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The charges and allegation in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

New Name for Philadelphia Union Stadium

Agreement is first of its kind globally for the automaker; Home of the Union and Union II to become Subaru Park

CHESTER, Pa. (February, 2020)

– Philadelphia Union and Subaru of America, Inc. today announced a multi-year stadium naming rights partnership in a global first for the automaker. As a part of the partnership, the home of the Union will be named Subaru Park, an 18,500-seat sports and events destination in the greater

Philadelphia area. Subaru will become the official and exclusive automotive partner of the Philadelphia Union. Additionally, the two companies have jointly made a commitment to the greater Philadelphia community that will produce a series of charitable programs as an extension of the Subaru Love Promise vision.

The agreement between the Union and Subaru marks the first time the leading automaker has entered into a partnership with a major league sports team, domestically and globally. Extending beyond a naming rights agreement, the core of the partnership is the development of community programs that enhance the greater Philadelphia community where both organizations are headquartered. The programs will benefit causes centered around youth soccer, pediatric cancer, pet adoption, and environmental sustainability.

\”Today is the start of a historic new chapter for the Philadelphia Union, both with the inauguration of our 2020 season at Subaru Park and in the official beginning of our relationship with Subaru of America, a partner that shares in our vision for a better future for our fans and surrounding community,” said Tim McDermott, Philadelphia Union President. “Subaru of America has consistently exemplified a passionate commitment to the community and bringing people together, which is a core value upon which our club was founded. We are committed to working hand-in-hand to give back and create a better world for our fans and the people of the Greater Philadelphia area.”

\”When organizations unite for the greater good, everyone wins, which is why we at Subaru of America are excited to come together with our local professional soccer team, the Philadelphia Union, under a shared goal to do good and strive for the betterment of our local communities,” said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO, Subaru of America, Inc. “This partnership extends the reach of our commitments to improve the lives of people in our community. Subaru of America, along with our retailers and the Philadelphia Union, will develop community programs that will directly tie to our Subaru Love Promise initiatives.\”

At the center of the agreement is a commitment to the community through outreach programs as a part of the Subaru Love Promise company vision. Those initiatives include:

Subaru Loves the Earth

: A focus on creating a more sustainable environment for fans and the Philadelphia community through recycling efforts and a community garden to grow and donate fresh fruits and vegetables to local communities in need.

Subaru Loves to Help

: An effort to provide underserved communities the equipment and resources needed to become active and experience the game of soccer in and around the city.

Subaru Loves to Care

: A commitment to support children battling cancer, to highlight and recognize unsung heroes in our community, as well as a celebration of all walks of life regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status.

Subaru Loves Pets

: A mission to unite pets with loving homes and to support pet adoption and animal welfare in the Greater Philadelphia community.

In addition to becoming Subaru Park and adding new dynamic signage, the Union’s home will receive numerous additional improvements ahead of the 2020 season, including:

State-of-the-art Videoboard

: Subaru Park will feature an all-new, high dynamic range (HDR) videoboard for the 2020 season. This will be the first HDR compatible videoboard in a Philadelphia sports venue and the first in any MLS soccer-specific venue. The board will be 109 ft. x 32 ft. with 3,440 sq. ft. of video surface, a 281% increase in surface, and feature a 200% increase in resolution. The stadium will also feature upgraded LED ribbons around the field and bowl as well as more than 200 new monitors throughout the stadium and concourse.

New Parking Lots

: Three new parking lots have been acquired by the Union during the off-season, providing more parking and improved ingress and egress for ticket holders. In addition, there will be more than 30 reserved spaces in Lot B, free of charge on a first-come, first-serve basis for fans who are Subaru owners.

Tunnel Club

: After a soft opening during the 2019 playoff game, the new premium VIP Tunnel Club is now open and offers special game day experiences to West Side Field Seat, Field Table, Manager’s Row and Presidential Row Season Ticket Members. The Tunnel Club provides exclusive benefits ranging from all-inclusive food and beverage to one-of-kind experiences such as behind the scenes, close-proximity to the players and their locker room throughout the game.

OVG Global Partnerships served as the naming rights agency for the Philadelphia Union and was instrumental in the creation of this partnership.

ABOUT SUBARU LOVE PROMISE

The Subaru Love Promise is just that. A promise. It is a promise to do right by our community by partnering with nonprofit education, health, community, environment, and animal organizations – to set Subaru apart through our deeds and the deeds of our partners. To be unlike any other car company by doing what is right and good, just for the sake of doing it.

ABOUT SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.

Subaru of America, Inc.

(SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of

Subaru Corporation

of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and

Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc.

is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the

Subaru Love Promise

, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $165 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.

For additional information visit

media.subaru.com

. Follow us on

Facebook

Twitter

, and

Instagram

ABOUT PHILADELPHIA UNION

The Philadelphia Union is an innovative, forward-thinking professional soccer club competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) and one of Philadelphia’s five major league sports teams. Driven by unprecedented fan support, MLS awarded the Philadelphia expansion franchise rights to Jay Sugarman in 2008 and the Union kicked off its inaugural season in 2010. The club has reached the finals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and has appeared in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

The Philadelphia Union is part of parent company Keystone Sports & Entertainment, which also operates USL Championship side Philadelphia Union II, the Philadelphia Union Academy, Philadelphia Union Foundation and Philadelphia Union Youth Programs. With a commitment to developing talent from the Delaware Valley, the Union have signed nine local players from their academy to a first team contract.

The Union play at Subaru Park in Chester, PA on the banks of the Delaware River. The custom-built stadium is part of the Union’s unique waterfront campus, featuring an historic power plant rebuilt into a 500,000 sq. ft. creative office building, a state-of-the-art Training Complex, over 7 acres of professional grade practice pitches and multiple onsite parking fields. For more information about the Philadelphia Union, visit

www.philadelphiaunion.com

and follow the Union on

Twitter

Instagram

Attention Anglers! Forum at Batsto Saturday

BATSTO, NJ–Anglers have two great opportunities to learn, comment and ask questions about the Division\’s freshwater programs at the

South Jersey Fisheries Forum this Saturday

and the

Trout Meeting next Saturday

Pequest.

Saturday\’s forum at the Batsto Village Visitor\’s Center in

Wharton State Forest

will include presentations on

Harmful Algal Blooms

Largemouth Bass Virus Sampling

, and

Warmwater Fish Production

. Discussion topics will include the

Warmwater Fisheries Management Plan

(what do YOU want to see covered) and

Potential Regulation Changes for 2023

.The forum will begin at 10:00 a.m.

The annual

Trout Meeting at

Pequest

will be Saturday, February 29 at 10:00 a.m.

This year\’s meeting will cover:

2020 Hatchery Production

2020 Spring Trout Allocations

and a presentation on

Temperature Impacts on NJ\’s Wild Trout Populations

Batsto Forum Information and Directions

Trout Meeting Information

Pequest Directions

Montclair State Men Over Scarlet Raptors 75-72

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. (Feb. 19, 2020) – The Montclair State University men’s basketball team rallied from an early 19-3 deficit and went on to outlast Rutgers University-Camden, 75-72, in a thrilling New Jersey Athletic Conference game that was the final

contest of the season for both programs.

Despite their comeback win, the Red Hawks missed the six-team NJAC playoffs, finishing one game behind the three-way tie for seeds 4-6 between Rutgers-Newark, New Jersey City and Rowan, a trio of 10-8 teams. Montclair State finished 9-9 in the NJAC and 11-14 overall.

Rutgers-Camden closed its season with a 7-18 record and a 4-14 mark in the NJAC.

Montclair State leads the all-time series, 56-11, and has won 13 of its last 15 games against Rutgers-Camden, although the teams split their season series this year.

After the two teams split the first six points of the game, Rutgers-Camden rattled off 16 unanswered points, including 12 by junior guard

Arian Azemi.

Senior forward

Isaac Destin

added the other four points in the run as the Raptors took a 19-3 lead. By halftime, the Scarlet Raptors held a 48-34 lead, led by 21 points from Azemi and 16 from Destin.

Playing a must-win game, while hoping for outside help to make the playoffs, Montclair State came out with a purpose in the second half. After a layup by Destin gave the Raptors a 50-34 lead, the Red Hawks rattled off 17 straight points, including a pair of foul shots by senior forward/center Eddie Emedoh, to take a 51-50 lead.

The Scarlet Raptors regained the lead on a layup by junior guard

Keysean Simmonds,

setting the stage for a wild final 15 minutes, which featured five lead changes and five ties. With 4:49 remaining, a layup by Azemi gave the Scarlet Raptors their final lead, 66-65. Montclair State took the lead for good moments later on a three-pointer by junior forward Joseph Radi, making it a 68-66 game.

The Red Hawks’ lead fluctuated from 2-5 points the rest of the way. In the final minute, Montclair State held a 75-70 lead before the Raptors’ freshman forward

Dylan Trow

hit a late layup to make it a 75-72 game. After a turnover, the Raptors had one last chance to tie the game in the final 10 seconds, but missed a pair of treys.

Senior forward Jalen Parham finished with 17 points to lead three Red Hawks in double figures. Radi scored 16, and added a team-high nine rebounds, while senior guard Nate Nahirny tallied 14 points.

Azemi scored a game-high 27 points, while Destin finished with his 10th double-double of the season, scoring 26 points and adding 10 rebounds. Azemi also had a game-high six assists, while tying Montclair State junior guard Tim Algenio for game-high honors with four steals.

The Red Hawks shot 29-for-60 from the floor (48.3 percent), while the Raptors were 27-for-52 (51.9). Rutgers-Camden held a 34-32 edge off the boards, but also made two more turnovers (23-21).

Destin’s 26 points helped him edge past Cetshwayo Byrd (1,300 points from 1990-94) and finish in sixth place on the program’s career list with 1,302 points. He also finished fifth in career rebounds (604) and third in blocks (68).

Isaac Destin and Azemi finished 1-2 on the team in scoring with averages of 20.0 and 18.8, respectively. Azemi also set the program’s single-season record for steals with 81.