JERSEY CITY, NJ…Rowan University received a game-high 19 points and 14 points from junior forward Lauren Byrne (Paulsboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) as Rowan University held off a late surge from New Jersey City University and defeated the Gothic Knights, 57-53, in a Homecoming/Green and Gold Days New Jersey Athletic Conference women’s basketball game at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
Rowan (5-13, 3-9 NJAC) snapped a four-game losing streak and split the season series with NJCU (8-9, 4-8 NJAC), with each team winning on the opponent’s home floor. NJCU has lost two straight. NJCU shot 28.8 percent from the field and 2-of-20 from three-point territory (.100). NJCU is 0-3 on Homecoming since the dates were switched to coincide with basketball season in 2003-04.
In defeat, sophomore forward
ARNESE GOODMAN (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) led all scorers with 22 points (9-19 FG).
Rowan also received 11 points and six rebounds from freshman guard Brynn DeGroff (Wildwood Crest, NJ/Wildwood). Senior guard Sheemea Carr (Glassboro, NJ/Glassboro) added nine points for the Profs.
Junior point guard
LATRESE McNAIR (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth), the national leader in steals per game, swiped eight, including six in the first half, while adding nine points, but shot 3-of-13 and 0-7 from deep. Senior power forward
MEGAN KABBA (Newark, NJ/Arts) had eight points, seven rebounds, and four blocks, while freshman center
KELLY WILSON (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson County Prep) added eight points, eight rebounds, and three steals. Sophomore center
TIFFANY BOYD (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) had four of her game-high six blocks in the first half. NJCU swatted 13 blocks as a team.
After a 16-16 tie with 4:49 remaining in the first half, Rowan completed the period on a balanced 10-2 scoring run, and led by eight at the break, 26-18.
The Profs extended the lead to as many as 14 at 17:12 of the second half, 35-21, after Carr hit a pair of free throws. Rowan continued to lead by double figures at 5:49, 52-42.
NJCU battled back, shaving the lead to three at 3:23, as Kabba and Wilson made consecutive buckets to draw within 52-49. A free throw by McNair cut the lead to 52-50. But sophomore center Katie Shaw (Wallington, NJ/Wallington) scored a layup at 2:54, and later hit the back end of two free throws at 1:51 to increase the margin to five, 55-50.
A free throw at 1:08 by Goodman, followed by her layup with 29 on the clock, again pulled NJCU within two, 55-53, but Carr converted two free throws with 14 seconds left, and NJCU could not score again.
While NJCU struggled from the field, so did the Profs, shooting 33.9 percent (20-59). However, Rowan made 3-of-5 from three-point range, and had a slight edge on the glass, 49-46. Despite committing more turnovers (22-17), Rowan had the advantage in points off giveaways.
NJCU returns to action on Monday, January 30 at 7 p.m. in a non-conference game at Lehman College in the Bronx, NY. Rowan plays at Salisbury University (MD) on the same day at 6 p.m.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
