One year ago, the Roadrunner Women's Basketball team advanced to the Region 19 championship round before falling in a close title match.
They are hoping the 2026 season ends differently when Coach Rich Cooper's No. 2 seed Runners take on No. 1 Passaic in the North Atlantic District Championship game Saturday at Northampton Community College.
The Runners earned a berth in the Region finals thanks to a solid 75-60 triumph over visiting No. 3 Brookdale Thursday. Center Shannon Pierman displayed a dominant inside game with 23 points and 20 rebounds while teammate Tinu Bamgbose added 15 points and 6 rebounds to the winning effort. RCSJ's Alaina LaMonica also scored in twin figures with 12 points.
RCSJ, now 20-6 overall, led all of the way after falling behind 3-0 at the outset. They built a 19-point lead in the second half, saw it slip down to five points, before Pierman and Bamgbose picked up the offense to close it out.
Both Pierman and Bamgbose were freshmen last season when the Runners dropped a close decision in the Region 19 championship game at Montgomery County last season. They hope the outcome will swing the other direction when RCSJ meets Passaic, which defeated Atlantic Cape in another semifinal contest Thursday night. The Runners and Panthers split two close games during the regular season.
"It's great to be back playing in the championship -- but we want different results this time," said Pierman. "We're playing well as a team, so we have a lot of confidence going into the game."
Bamgbose agrees that the team is ready to bring home a Region title.
"We were so close last season, and yes it hurt," she said. "We're all very focused on what we need to do to beat a very good team. We're ready to meet the challenge."
The championship game is set for 12 noon at Northampton CC on Saturday. The Panthers will enter the contest with a 20-4 overall record. The winner of Saturday's title match earns an automatic berth to the NJCAA Division III Championship tournament.
"We have a very well-rounded team -- and you can see everyone helping each out on the court at all times," said Coach Rich Cooper. "The coaching staff is proud of what these players have accomplished and we're excited to be back in the championship game."