New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 

CAMDEN, NJ…Senior swingman MARK WASHINGTON (East Orange, NJ/West Side) climbed into sixth place in scoring in school history, and New Jersey City University, which out-rebounded  Rutgers University-Camden, 62-38, improved to 77-0 all-time when scoring 100 points, as NJCU routed the Scarlet Raptors, 110-59, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference late Wednesday. The 51-point margin of victory was the seventh largest in school history and the eighth win by 50 or more points ever. It also marked the 80^th time NJCU has defeated an opponent by 30 or more points.

 

With its fifth consecutive win, NJCU (16-8, 11-6 NJAC) clinched a berth in the upcoming conference tournament, and pulled into a second place tie with The College of New Jersey and Richard Stockton College. If NJCU defeats TCNJ on the road on Saturday, February 18, and Stockton loses at Ramapo College, the Knights will be the No. 2 seed in the NJAC Tournament and receive a first-round bye. Camden, losers of 19 straight, falls to 1-22 overall and 0-17 in the league. It was NJCU’s second 30+ point win over R-C this season, after previously defeating the Raptors, 112-82, on January 11.

 

NJCU is 46-4 all-time against the Scarlet Raptors, including a 45-2 ledger during the 24-year career of head coach Charles Brown. NJCU has won 36 of the last 37 in the series.

 

NJCU had a 34-rebound margin, including 38-15 on the defensive glass, and shot 54.3 percent overall (44-81) and 60.5 percent in the second half (26-43).

 

NJCU had a 57-3 cushion in bench scoring, and outscored the Raptors 26-4 on the fast-break, 56-24 in the paint, and 25-8 on second chance possessions.

 

In a game in which every player on the team saw between 11 and 20 minutes of action, and no starter saw more than 19, freshman guard AARON DESIR (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) had the biggest game, scoring a career-high 23 points, with eight rebounds and three assists. In just 20 minutes, he shot 10-of-16 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range. Junior power forward #DEVIN DAVIS3 (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Regional) had 16 points in 15 minutes on 8-of-11 and eight rebounds, while freshman forward DANA JOHN (Hillside, NJ/Pocono Mountain (PA)) tallied 15 points in 13 minutes, shooting 5-of-7, with seven caroms.

 

BEN BALCOM" src="/images/mbasket/2006/2/16/11-30-05%20Ben%20Balcom%2010.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>Washington scored 13 points, to give him 1,515 in his career, adding six rebounds and four assists on 5-of-11 shooting. He entered the game in eighth place in school history, but eclipsed assistant coach Samar Battle (15-7, 2000-04) and Andy Kemp (1513, 1976-80) for sixth place. He needs 73 points during the remainder of the season to move into the Top 5 at NJCU. Eric Moore (1976-80) currently is fifth with 1,587 points. His three-pointer with 14:13 left, provided the points to move ahead of Kemp.

 

Also for NJCU, senior swingman BEN BALCOM (Monroe, NJ/St. Patrick’s (Elizabeth)) had nine points (4-8 FG) and senior center JAMES KAISER (Stewartsville, NJ/Columbia) grabbed eight rebounds (seven defensive) and five points. Senior center ARSHEN HUNTER (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield), who entered the game with 25 assists in his entire career, distributed a game and career-high five helpers.

 

Rutgers-Camden received a career-high 28 points from freshman center Antoine Miller (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts), who shot 11-of-18 from the field in a full 40 minutes, to pass his previous high of 25 points. Senior guard Timothy Harris (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Township) tied ARSHEN HUNTER" src="/images/mbasket/2006/2/16/01-21-2004%20Arshen%20Hunter%201.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>his career high of 11 rebounds for the Raptors, while sophomore guard Amir Fantroyal (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) notched 15 points.

 

Although he collected three blocks, seven-time NJAC Rookie of the Week Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) was limited to just four points, as the Raptors were held to 31.8 percent shooting (21-for-66).

 

NJCU jumped out to a quick 22-9 lead as Davis scored 10 points, including four dunks, to open the game. NJCU led by 25 at the half, 52-27. Its largest lead of the game was 53 in the late stages of the second period.

 

NJCU closes the 2005-06 regular season with a game that has major playoff implications, when the Knights visit TCNJ on February 18 at 1 p.m. NJCU won the first meeting between the schools, 63-59, on January 18.