WEEK of: NOVEMBER 10-16, 2008
New Jersey City University’s men’s basketball team has a number of new faces this season and one star of the future emerged in a brilliant way in the Gothic Knights’ season-opening, 78-74 victory over York College (NY) on November 15. Freshman small forward
RASHAWN SMALLS (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) is the NJCU Men's co-Athlete of the Week after he electrified the crowd with 23 points, eight rebounds and five monstrous dunks. For his efforts, he also was named the first New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week of the 2008-09 season.
Smalls’ 23-point outburst was the second highest total by a freshman in his collegiate debut since records were first kept in 1974-75 and the most since 1000-point scorer Omar Cooper scored 24 against Elmira College in his first collegiate game in November 1994.
York, which reached the ECAC Metro Finals in 2007-08 and was the winningest team in the CUNYAC, was on the receiving end of Smalls’ energy. In addition to the 23 points and eight rebounds, he added four steals and three assists, and had four offensive and four defensive boards. He shot 10-of-25 from the field and was 2-of-2 from the line.
In the first half, NJCU trailed 12-4 and continued to be down before back-to-back electrifying dunks by Smalls tied it at 28-28. But NJCU trailed by eight at the half before outscoring the Cardinals by 12 in the second period. Smalls tied it with a jumper off the tail end of an 8-0 run to start the half before York went back ahead. With the Cardinals up by three with 8:56 remaining, Smalls canned a triple at 8:43, giving NJCU the lead for good, 57-54 and another dunk by Smalls at 6:58 extended the lead to 63-56—NJCU’s largest of the game. York didn’t quit, three times cutting the deficit to two before Smalls had a steal and slam with 1:31 left for a 72-68 lead. The Cardinals shaved the margin to 72-71 with 1:17 on the clock before Smalls hit a jumper with 57 seconds left and NJCU won by four.
Early in the NJAC season, Smalls is tied for the conference lead in steals per game (4.0) and free-throw percentage (1.000). He ranks tied with teammate KYLE INGRAM (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) for second in scoring average (23.0). Additionally, Smalls is third in rebounding (8.0), tied for third in offensive rebounding (4.00), tied for seventh in assists (3.0) and assist/turnover ratio (1.50), tied for 11th in minutes played (34.00), tied for 14th in three-pointers made per game (1.00) and tied for 15th in defensive rebounding (4.00).
