New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 

BOSTON, MA…Sophomore swingman DANA JOHN (Hillside, NJ/Pocono Mountain) matched his career-high with 27 points, and nailed six of eight three-pointers, as New Jersey City University won the championship of the Sixth Annual Emmanuel College Tip-Off Tournament, with a 91-76 victory over Gwynedd-Mercy College (PA) at the Jean Yawkey Center.

 

NJCU (2-0) wins for the fifth consecutive outing and the 11^th time in 12 contests dating to last season and wins a season-opening tournament for the second time in three years. It was the second meeting between NJCU and Gwynedd-Mercy (1-1), with the Knights taking the previous meeting on January 4, 2003, 76-74.

 

John was selected as the tournament's Most Valuable Player after scoring 53 points in two games, including 26 in NJCU's opening round win over College of Staten Island. He made 10-of-18 from long-range in two games.

 

In Sunday's victory, he shot 10-of-15 from the field, including the six threes, with eight rebounds (seven defensive) in 34 minutes. He scored 25 of his 27 points in the first period as NJCU surged to a 53-40 lead. NJCU improved to 5-0 all-time when John reached 20 on the scoreboard.

 

The 27 points ties a career high (December 2, 2005 at Rowan University) and marks the most points one player has scored in consecutive games since Samar Battle had 57 on December 30, 2003 and January 2, 2004. The six threes are the most since Charles Coles hit six in the same Rowan game.

 

Also for NJCU, junior forward MARQUES HILL (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) had a double-double with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, 10 rebounds, and four assists in 30 minutes, while sophomore guard KEVIN TUCKER (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) scored 16 points, with six caroms and four assists. He shot 7-of-9 from the line and was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

 

Senior point guard ALEX MIRABEL (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists while senior center ABRAHAM WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) added nine points (4-7 FG).

 

For the Griffins, junior forward Kevin Lauer (Philadelphia, PA/St. John Neumann) had 18 points and six rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting, and senior guard Chris DelBrocco (Philadelphia, PA/St. John Neumann) added 17 points (6-of-14), including 4-of-9 from three-point range, five rebounds and five assists.

 

NJCU shot 51.4 percent in the first half, including a staggering 7-of-14 from three-point range (50.0 percent), before finishing the game at 48.4 percent overall (31-64). NJCU out-rebounded the Griffins, 39-30, including 18-9 on the offensive glass. The quick Gothic Knight attack held a 17-7 cushion in fast-break scoring.

 

GMC lost despite shooting 55.6 percent (15-27) in the first half and 51.9 percent (28-54) overall, while owning a 26-12 margin in bench scoring.

               

GMC led early in the first half by as many as six, before NJCU tied the game at 11-11 at 16:26 on the third of John's three pointers, as he scored nine of the Knights' first 11 points. A fast-break lay-up by John gave NJCU its first lead, 20-18 at 13:09. GMC would tie the game at 27-27 and regained several small leads, including 31-30 at 7:23.

 

However, a 12-0 run by the Knights put them in front to stay. A jumper by Hill, followed by three consecutive fast-break baskets—one by John and two by Tucker—made it 38-31. Another fast-break layup and subsequent free-throw by Tucker made it 41-31 as the newcomer scored seven straight points for NJCU. Threes by Mirabel and John made it 48-36 with 3:56 left in the period, before two jumpers by John, including his sixth three, made it 53-40 at the half.

 

The Knights led by double digits for all but one possession of the second half, and were ahead by as many as 19 points on a Mirabel layup with 3:52 left, that gave NJCU an 85-66 margin.

 

NJCU will return to action on Tuesday, November 22 at 7 p.m. when it hosts Briarcliffe College in a non-conference game and the Knights' 2006-07 home opener, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.