PITMAN—In a classic championship game which featured five ties and seven lead changes, Ramapo's Thomas Bonacum drained a halfcourt shot at the buzzer to propel the Roadrunners to a 67-64 victory in the 2016-17 NJAC Men’s Basketball Championship Game on February 24. The game-winner by the NJAC Player of the Year sent a capacity crowd of 1,458 into a frenzy, giving Ramapo its fourth league title in school history along with the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. The NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed during a live selection show on ncaa.com on February 27 at 12:30 PM.

The game was a classic tale of two halfs, with NJCU leading 46-35 at the half, despite Ramapo shooting 60 percent from the floor in the first stanza. NJCU, one of the top defensvie teams in the NJAC all season, extended its lead to as many as 13 early in the second half with a defensive effort which forced Ramapo into 20 total turnovers in the contest.

But top-seeded Ramapo would rally in the scond half, chipping away and finally taking its first lead with just minutes remaining. Trailing 63-62, a Ramapo steal led to a Nick Stanek breakaway which resulted in an NJCU intentional foul. Stanek made both free throws to give Ramapo a 64-63 lead, but the Roadrunners could not inbound the ball under their own basket, resulting in a five-second violation which gave NJCU one final chance.

On the Gothic Knights' ensuing posssion, NJAC Defensive Player of the Year Chinwe Wosu drew a foul with just three seconds remaining. He made one of two free throws to tie the game at 64-64, setting the stage for Bonacum's heroics.

Bonacum finished with a game-high 20 points for the champions, while Sultan Aminu registerd a double-double 12 points and 11 rebounds. NJCU had three players score in double-figures, led by Sam Toney's 16 points.

Link to video clip of Bonacum's game-winning shot

For more information, please visit the NJAC Men’s Basketball Tournament page on njacsports.com.