New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Junior point guard LATRESE McNAIR (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) drilled a three-pointer from the left wing with 21.1 seconds remaining as the New Jersey City University women’s basketball team ended a 20-game losing streak to The College of New Jersey and defeated the Lions for the first time in Jersey City since 1988, as the Gothic Knights stunned TCNJ, 54-52, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

 

NJCU returns to .500 on the season and improves to 3-6 in the NJAC, while TCNJ (9-6, 6-3 NJAC), which leads the all-time series 40-3, drops its second straight. It was NJCU’s first win over TCNJ since a 66-57 win in Ewing, NJ on January 22, 1994, and the first home win in the series since December 6, 1988. NJCU only committed 13 turnovers, and just three in the second half.

 

McNair finished with a game-high 16 points, shooting 5-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-6 from three-point range. She added game highs of five assists and three steals in 39 minutes.

 

Sophomore guard NATASHIA CLACKLEY (Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch) scored all 10 of her points in the first half, shooting 5-of-7. Sophomore shooting guard ELIZABETH AMADEO (Bayonne, NJ/Marist) added  nine points, shooting 3-of-6 from three-point range, while sophomore forward ARNESE GOODMAN (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) added six points and six rebounds.

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The Lions received 15 points (7-12 FG), five rebounds and four assists from senior center Danica Miller (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford), but she committed seven of TCNJ’s 17 turnovers. Junior guard Margo Buchalski (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) added 10 points and three steals, while senior forward Erin Frank (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, and chipped in seven points. TCNJ had a 41-29 edge in rebounding, including 16-7 on the offensive glass, and a 28-14 margin in points in the paint.

 

NJCU led 24-23 at the half. The Gothic Knights jumped out to a 17-9 lead when McNair finished a fancy drive to the basket off an Amadeo steal. A 9-0 spurt by TCNJ made it 18-17 Lions. After a 20-20 tie, a Clackley jumper gave NJCU the one-point cushion at the break. NJCU shot 45.8 percent in the opening half (11-24) and limited the Lions to just 28.1 percent shooting (9-32), including 0-for-10 from long range.

 

NJCU moved ahead 32-27 on a McNair three at 16:43 of the second period. TCNJ pulled in front by three points at 12:34 on a Buchalski layup, before an Amadeo three tied it at 37-37. There were five ties in the second half, including 48-48 at 5:21 after McNair drained a three to counter a jumper by Miller.

 

Buchalski gave the Lions a 50-49 lead at 4:16 with a jumper before Goodman put the Knights in front, 51-50, at 2:23 with a layup off a beautiful feed from senior power forward MEGAN KABBA (Newark, NJ/Arts). Senior guard Tiara Simpkins (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) hit a pair of free throws with 50.6 seconds on the board to put the Lions on top, 52-51, before McNair drilled the winning shot from the left wing with 21.1 on the clock, off a feed from Amadeo. Goodman missed two free throws in the final seconds in a 1-and-1 situation, but Buchalski and Miller each had turnovers in the final 12 seconds, costing TCNJ any chance at a quality tying opportunity After Goodman’s final miss with three seconds remaining, TCNJ could not get off a clean shot.

 

NJCU finished shooting 41.5 percent from the field (22-53), and 6-of-14 from three-point range (.429). TCNJ missed its first 13 three-point attempts, and shot just 1-of-18 from beyond the arc (.056). The Lions made 20-58 from the floor (.345).

               

NJCU will return to action on Saturday, January 21 at 1 p.m. when it visits Ramapo College in an NJAC game at the Bradley Center in Mahwah, NJ. TCNJ will host William Paterson University at the same time.