New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 

BETHLEHEM, PA…Junior forward Sean Robine (Mount Airy, MD/Linganore) drilled a wide-open three-pointer from the left wing with 14 seconds remaining, as Hood College completed a late comeback and stunned New Jersey City University, 85-82, in the championship game of the 28^th annual Greyhound Starters Classic, hosted by Moravian College at Johnston Hall.

               

The loss for NJCU (9-3), its first since November 22, in the opening week of the season, snaps an eight-game winning streak. Hood, which was facing NJCU for the first time in their respective histories, is 6-8. Hood shot exactly 15-of-30 in each period, finishing 50.0 percent for the game. The final three-point margin of victory was also Hood’s largest lead of the game.

               

In defeat, senior swingman MARK WASHINGTON (East Orange, NJ/West Side) became NJCU’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made, nailing the 126^th of his 87-game career, eclipsing the mark of 125 by Jeff Jordan, in 109 games from 1987-91. Washington was named to the All-Tournament team, along with teammate and junior forward DEVIN DAVIS (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Regional).

DEVIN DAVIS" src="/images/mbasket/2006/1/8/11-30-05%20Devin%20Davis%202.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>Davis led NJCU, with 17 of his season-high matching 19 points coming in the first half. He shot 8-of-10 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range, adding seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Washington, who brought his career scoring total to 1298, tallied 16 points (7-16 FG). He had a chance to send the game to overtime, but missed a long three-point try with 1.2 seconds remaining.

               

NJCU could not find an answer for Hood junior forward Santo Provenzano (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Dobbs Ferry), the Tournament MVP, who entered the game among the nation’s leading scorers. He scored 22 of his game-high 32 points in the first half, finishing 13-of-21 overall from the field (6-13 FT) with seven rebounds.

               

Freshman guard Tim Abercrombie (Walkersville, MD/Gov. Thomas Johnson) notched 16 of his 20 points in the second period, shooting 8-of-14 overall, with six assists, and was also named to the All-Tournament team.

               

Also for NJCU, senior center JAMES KAISER (Stewartsville, NJ/Columbia) had nine points (4-9 FG) and six rebounds, while junior point guard ALEX MIRABEL (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) contributed nine points, five assists, and four rebounds. Sophomore shooting guard CHARLES COLES (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) nailed three three-pointers for nine points in 16 minutes.

               

Overall, four players reached double figures for Hood. Sophomore center Jesse Gutekunst (Hagerstown, MD/South Hagerstown) had 10 points and 10 rebounds, while junior forward Dennis Tressler (Mt. Lake Park, MD/Southern Garrett) registered 11 points and seven rebounds. Robine only scored six points, including the game-winner, but had 10 boards (eight offensive) and three blocks.

               

In a game which featured 27 lead changes and seven ties, the clubs traded 22 leads and six ties in the first period alone. With the game knotted at 36-36 with 3:50 left in the period, NJCU uncorked a 12-3 run to grab its largest lead of the game, 48-39, with 1:10 left in the half, before heading to the break ahead by six, 48-42. Davis scored nine of the Gothic Knights’ 12 points during the spurt, including a pair of treys.

               

NJCU maintained a lead for most of the second half, and held a seven-point cushion, 70-63, when senior point guard ROB FREENEY (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) sank a jumper at 12:16. NJCU led 73-70 before Provenzano had a layup at 7:24, and Abercrombie sank two free-throws at 6:54, giving the Blazers a 74-73 lead.

               

The clubs traded leads, before Coles drilled a three at 3:28, to give NJCU an 80-78 margin. An Abercrombie jumped tied the game at 80-80 at 3:12, before Mirabel and Kaiser each hit one of two from the line, and the Knights led 82-80 with 1:57 left.

               

The score remained 82-80 with under 30 seconds remaining. The NJCU defense converged on Provenzano as he drove along the right baseline, and he kicked a pass to Robine on the left wing, where he sank the go-ahead, uncontested three with 14 seconds left. After Washington missed a heavily-defended lay-up with five seconds remaining that could have put the Knights in front, Gutekunst hit a pair of free throws to make it 85-82, and Washington’s long three-point attempt from the right corner was a bit short at the buzzer.

               

NJCU shot 54.3 percent in the first half (19-35), but only converted 35.3 percent in the second half (12-34), to finish at 44.9 percent overall.  In defeat, NJCU drained a season-high 11 three-pointers (11-25, 55.0%). Hood, which out-rebounded NJCU, 45-35, also made 10 more free-throws. NJCU shot 9-of-16 at the line (56.3%), while the Blazers hit 19-of-28 (67.9%).

               

NJCU will return to action at home, where it is 6-0 this season, when it faces Rutgers University-Camden in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up, on Wednesday, January 11 at 8 p.m.