JERSEY CITY, N.J.——Richard Stockton erased NJCU’s 39-31 halftime lead by shooting 57.6 percent in the second half (19-33), including 14 fast-break points, and stunned New Jersey City University, 80-73, Saturday night at the Athletic and Fitness Center.
NJCU (4-4, 3-3) opened the game on a 14-3 run in the game’s first six minutes and led by as many as 13 points (29-16) with 7:45 remaining in the opening half after sophomore guard Najm Calhoun (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield) drained a three-pointer. A steal and lay-up by senior guard Billy Gilligan (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank) cut the lead to five with four seconds remaining before Reginald Wright (Trenton, NJ/McCorristin Catholic) hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to account for the half-time lead. Richard Stockton (4-4, 3-3) outscored NJCU 22-12 in the paint in the first half behind 14 points from Gilligan, but the Knights were good on 7-of-16 shots from three-point range (43.8 percent) in the period.
But despite the eight-point lead at the break, RSC took advantage of their fast-break chances to take control of the game. The Ospreys outscored the Knights 26-6 in the game on fast-breaks, including 14-2 in the second stanza. NJCU led for the first six minutes of the second half, before Gilligan tied the game at 45-45 on a fast-break pass from junior guard James Spell (Lindenwold, NJ/Overbrook).
NJCU regained a single-basket lead before RSC took their first lead since the game’s opening minutes on a pair of Gilligan free throws with 9:48 to play. RSC increased the lead to as many as five points with 7:39 remaining, before junior guard Rafi Hargrove (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) banged home a long three-pointer with 5:40 remaining to give NJCU a 67-66 edge. A Hargrove steal led to a Jeff Harrington (Newark, NJ/Shabazz) lay-up and later Harrington hit a pair of free throws to give NJCU a 71-66 advantage with 4:33 remaining.
But RSC went back to the big play to take over the game. Junior center B. Tuscean Woolford (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) slammed home a long Gilligan pass to cut the lead to 71-68. Paul Super (Willingboro, NJ/Willingboro) cut the lead to 71-70 with 3:44 to go, before Spell drove right down the center of the lane to help the Ospreys regain the lead, 72-71, at 2:43. With 1:52 left, Calhoun would steal the ball from Spell and drive coast-to-coast for an uncontested dunk to give the Knights their final lead, 73-72.
Gilligan’s lay-up gave RSC a 74-73 lead at 1:39, and his long, fast-break pass to Spell gave RSC a 76-73 lead with 40 seconds left. Two free-throws by Spell, one by Mike Williams (Florence, NJ/Florence), and a pair by Gilligan explains the final five RSC points.
Gilligan, who was second in the New Jersey Athletic Conference in scoring entering the game at 20.7 per, finished with a game-high 29 on 9-of-19 shooting and 9-of-11 from the line. He also led both schools with 12 boards and nine assists. Williams finished with 14 for RSC, while Woolford (6-of-9) and Super (6-of-12) each chipped in 13.
Calhoun led NJCU with 17 (7-of-17 FG, 3-8 three-pointers), while freshman forward Samar Battle (East Orange, NJ/Clifford Scott) scored 10. Harrington added nine and a team-best six rebounds. Seniors Charles Outley (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary’s) and Marques Morris (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) notched nine and eight points, respectively.
Both schools had 41 rebounds and 20 turnovers. NJCU finished shooting 31-of-78 (39.7), while RSC was 54.4 percent from the floor (31-57). RSC was 16-28 from the line (57.1). NJCU only attempted six free throws in the entire game.
NJCU will be off for 13 days before returning to action on Friday, December 22 at 7 p.m. when they host The College of Mount St. Vincent.
