JERSEY CITY, NJ…The New Jersey City University women’s basketball team made their final home game of the 2001-2002 season a victorious one, surprising Montclair State University, 71-54, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game at the Athletic and Fitness Center. Nine years to the date of their last victory, the Gothic Knights end a 17-game losing streak to the Redhawks, earning their first win over MSU since February 13, 1993 (49-42 win at Fries Hall), when Alice De Fazio, now NJCU’s head coach and assistant athletic director, was head coach of MSU.
In a season of streaks for NJCU, the win ends a four-game losing streak that followed a four game winning streak. NJCU finishes the season with a winning 7-5 home mark. The Gothic Knights win their 10th game (10-14, 5-12). The Redhawks fall to 12-12, and 8-9 in the league.
Junior center Shondelle Browne (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) tied her career high with 25 points (10-for-20), and added 10 rebounds (seven defensive) and five steals. She had 14 in the first half. Browne has scored 49 points in her last two games.
Meanwhile, in a matchup of two of the best centers in the NJAC, MSU junior center Jasmine Batts (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) struck out from the field, shooting 0-14, and scoring just two points from the line. Batts did tie for a game high with 10 boards.
Sophomore forward Anabel Rodriguez (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) had 13 for NJCU (4-for-10), and added five rebounds. Senior forward Lyneshia Jefferson (Newark, NJ/Central) started her final home game as a member of the Knights women’s program, and made it count, scoring 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting, and grabbing five rebounds.
Sophomore point guard Cristina Morales (Newark, NJ/Shabazz) dished eight assists and added eight points (3-for-6). Freshman forward Bernice Amadeo (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) had a solid all-around effort with six steals, five assists, four points, and four boards.
MSU was led by senior guard Stephanie Ellerbe (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken), who tallied 17 points (6-of-14), including 2-of-5 three-pointers, to tie the Redhawk career record for threes made with 79. Ellerbe had six boards, but committed eight of MSU’s 32 turnovers. Senior guard Kathy Barberi (Whitestone, NY/Francis Lewis) had nine points. Junior forward Stephanie Croley (Plainfield, NJ/Piscataway) grabbed 10 rebounds before fouling out.
The Knights shot 40.6 percent from the field (26-64), compared to 17-66, 25.8 percent shooting by the Redhawks. Although MSU out-rebounded NJCU, 55-43, and had a 19-5 edge in second chance points, NJCU took advantage of Montclair’s 32 misplays, and outscored MSU in points off turnovers, 31-17. The Redhawk bench outscored the NJCU bench, 28-16.
The Knights led 10-7 in the first half but exploded to a 23-9 advantage thanks to a 13-2 run over a 7:52 stretch of the first half. The Knights maintained a 31-27 halftime lead.
NJCU expanded the lead to 38-28 early in the second half. But the Redhawks rallied for 14 of the next 18 points and tied the game at 42-42 with 9:58 remaining when Barberi sank a lay-up.
But the Knights scored the next seven points and seized a 49-42 edge with 7:40 remaining when Morales drained a three pointer. A Browne jumper gave the Knights a 57-45 lead with 5:39 left.
She completed a lay-up with 2:22 left for a 61-50 advantage. The 17-point final margin was also NJCU’s largest lead of the game. MSU only led in the first 2:15 of the first half.
NJCU will play their final game of the 2001-2002 season on Saturday, February 16 at 2pm when they visit Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ.
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