JERSEY CITY, NJ…All 13 active members of the New Jersey City University men’s basketball team scored at least two points, and none reached double figures or played more than 23 minutes, as the Gothic Knights used a balanced team attack to plant Farmingdale State University, 68-59, in a non-conference game at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on Thursday night.
By winning its sixth consecutive game, NJCU begins a season with a 7-2 record for the second time in three years. FSU falls to 2-3 overall. NJCU leads the all-time series with the Rams, 6-0. It was the first time since a loss at Rutgers-Newark on December 7, 2002 that the Knights did not have a single player score in double figures.
After swatting a career-high eight blocks in NJCU’s last game on December 10, junior center
DEVIN DAVIS (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Regional) exceeded that personal high, as he rejected nine shots in only 22 minutes of action, giving him 99 stuffs for his career. He was one of three players to score eight points, and added five rebounds and three assists,
Freshman guard
AARON DESIR (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) came off the bench to notch a team-high nine points in 11 minutes. Senior center
JAMES KAISER (Stewartsville, NJ/Columbia) added eight points and five rebounds in 15 minutes, while junior point guard
ALEX MIRABEL (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) chipped in eight points (5-7 FT).
Senior swingman
MARK WASHINGTON (East Orange, NJ/West Side) and sophomore shooting guard
CHARLES COLES (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) each scored seven.
For FSU, senior forward Kenny McMillan (Bronx, NY/All Hallows) totaled game-highs of 12 points and eight rebounds, while senior guard Dashawn Warren (Astoria, NY/W.C. Bryant) matched the points output (12), with seven boards. Sophomore guard Warren McAllister (Far Rockaway, NY/Far Rockaway) finished with eight for the Rams.
With the game tied at 10-10 at 10:47 of the first half, NJCU went on an 8-0 run and never were threatened again. Leading 21-17 at 4:16 of the period, an 11-0 tear with the Knights’ third team reserves in the contest, put NJCU ahead 32-17, before leading by 13, 32-19, at the break.
NJCU controlled the game throughout the second half. Leading 51-37 at 8:33, the Rams scored nine straight to pull within five, 51-46 and 53-48, before a final 12-0 tear by NJCU gave the home team its second 17-point cushion of the period, 65-48.
Washington, freshman forward
DANA JOHN (Hillside, NJ/Pocono Mountain, PA), and
Coles hit consecutive three-pointers in a span of 48 seconds to spark the offensive outburst, and
Davis swatted three blocks over 2:15.
NJCU was ahead double figures the remainder of the contest, before McAllister stole a ball from the Knights with one second remaining, as the Knights were attempting to run out the clock, and banked in a half-court three at the buzzer, for the final nine-point NJCU margin.
The two teams shot similarly (NJCU, 36.2%, 21-58; FSU, 35.9%, 23-64) from the field. However, NJCU made more free throws (19-26, 73.1%) than the Rams had attempts (9-16, 56.3%). NJCU received a 32-23 edge in bench scoring. FSU outscored NJCU in the paint, 30-16, and had a 17-6 margin in second-chance points.
NJCU will be inactive for the next 20 days until the Knights host Kean University on Wednesday, January 4, 2006, before participating in the Moravian College Tournament on January 7-8. FSU is back in action on Saturday, December 17 at Manhattanville College.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
