JERSEY CITY, NJ…William Paterson University shot 65.9 percent to became the first team to shoot better than 60 percent against New Jersey City University in a regular season game since 1999, and survived a furious second half Gothic Knight rally that trimmed a 24-point deficit to only three, before holding off NJCU, 74-65, in a non-conference game at the John J. Moore Athletic and Fitness Center. The game was 2005 Homecoming/Green and Gold Days at NJCU.
The win for WPU (14-9) snaps a four-game losing streak. NJCU, which had won 14-of-15 overall at home and was 9-1 in Jersey City this year, falls to 15-8 overall.
WPU shot .667 in the first half (14-21), en route to a 34-24 halftime edge, and were nearly as accurate in the second period, when the Pioneers made 15-of-23 shots, for a .652 rate. For the game, WPU shot 29-of-44 from the field, good for 65.9 percent.
The last team to shoot 60 percent in a game against NJCU was Amherst College in the 2004 NCAA Sweet 16, when on March 12, 2004, the Lord Jeffs made 34-of-56, or 60.7 percent. However, the last time an opponent shot at least 60 percent against the Knights in a regular season game was seven seasons ago. During the 1998-99 campaign, Caldwell College, a Division II school, connected on 24-of-40 shots, for a 60.0 rate, in a two-point, 66-64 victory on January 18, 1999.
In defeat, junior swingman MARK WASHINGTON (East Orange, NJ/West Side) posted a double-double the hard way. He tallied a game-best 20 points (8-of-16), and finished with a career-high 10 steals, besting his previous mark of seven against Mitchell College on February 3, 2005. He added six assists in 33 minutes, and had more than half of NJCU’s 19 steals. He had 16 of his 20 in the second half.
Junior guard Robert Sullivan (Maplewood, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) led WPU with 17 points (6-11), including two three-pointers, and a game-best seven assists in 27 minutes. Junior forward Miguel Rodriguez (Passaic, NJ/Passaic) contributed 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, and added six rebounds (five defensive).
Junior forward Nick Torres (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) was one of three players with eight points, as he chipped in eight (3-6), with seven rebounds. Junior guard Kelvin DelosAngeles (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) had nine points (3-3). Junior guard Mario Rivero (Elizabeth, NJ/St. Mary’s, Elizabeth) and sophomore forward Luis Martinez (Passaic, NJ/Clifton) were the other Pioneers to tally eight off the bench.
In defeat for NJCU, freshman point guard CHARLES COLES (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) was the hot hand off the bench, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. He was the only NJCU player to hit a three, as the team shot 4-of-18 from long range (.222).
Sophomore center ABRAHAM WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) had nine points and five rebounds, while sophomore forward DEVIN DAVIS (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Regional), who is among the national leaders in blocks, added seven points, three rejections, and three steals.
A close game in the first half became a 10-point, 20-10 lead at 9:11 when Sullivan sank a free throw, and extended to 13 at three junctures, including 34-21 with 3:52 before the half after Torres canned two freebies.
WPU maintained an eight-point margin at 18:46 of the second half, before a 24-8 streak gave the visitors a 24-point, 60-36 advantage at 11:42, its largest of the contest. Freshman guard Joey Spiegel (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) had the largest impact during the run, notching all seven of his points. Rodriguez and Sullivan each added five during the tear.
However, in front of a large Homecoming crowd, NJCU battled back. A 9-0 run answered the Pioneers run, and a fast-break lay-up by Coles created by a Washington steal shaved the deficit to 11, 60-49 at 7:26.
The Pioneers extends their margin to 15 with a fast-break lay-up by DelosAngeles, 64-49, at 5:44. Still, NJCU battled back. Five straight points by Washington, coupled with a Coles trey, made it 64-57, at 4:32, after an 8-0 run. Consecutive lay-ups by Rodriguez allowed WPU to possess a 68-59 lead with 2:48 on the board.
A free throw by Davis, followed by five more points from Washington, rejuvenated the home crowd, and trimmed the score to 68-65 with 32.9 seconds left. However, WPU hit all six of its free throws down the stretch, and NJCU could not score again.
WPU held a 37-25 edge on the glass, including eight offensive boards, which meant that of the 15 shots the Pioneers missed, they only failed to get a second chance seven times. WPU won despite committing 30 turnovers, compared to 15 by NJCU. The Knights shot well in defeat, hitting 25-of-60 (.417). The Knights struggled from the line (11-27, .407).
NJCU travels to face John Jay College on Tuesday, February 15 at 5pm. WPU will visit #10 ranked Ramapo College on Wednesday, February 16 in Mahwah, NJ.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
