New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…In a New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s basketball game key to each school’s league tournament aspirations, New Jersey City University jumped out to a 19-7 lead and cruised to an 82-60 rout of rival Montclair State University, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. NJCU is 9-1 at home this season.

 

With the victory, NJCU (14-8, 9-6 NJAC) has solidified a remarkable streak of perpetual success. The Gothic Knights have guaranteed their 36^th consecutive non-losing season dating to 1970, and their 31^st straight winning campaign since 1975. Both streaks are the third longest on record in Division III men’s basketball history.

 

The win for NJCU is its third straight following a four-game slide, and the Knights split the season series with the Red Hawks. Montclair falls to 11-11 and 7-8 NJAC. The Knights will be no worse than fourth in the conference standings heading into the weekend. A win for MSU could have elevated the Hawks into the top six in the conference standings. Each club has three NJAC games remaining, with the top six of 10 schools qualifying for the conference tournament.

 

Senior swingman MARK WASHINGTON (East Orange, NJ/West Side) had game highs in four categories, finishing with 20 points (8-15 FG), nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. He is ninth in school history in scoring, and with 1489 points, is just 11 shy of the 1500 barrier, and 99 away from moving into the Top 5 all-time.

 

ABRAHAM WILLIAMS" src="/images/mbasket/2006/2/8/01-28-06%20Abraham%20Williams%205.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>Junior power forward DEVIN DAVIS (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Regional) finished with 14 points (6-8 FG), six rebounds, and matched the game high with five assists, while swatting two blocks. Junior center ABRAHAM WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) scored 10 points in 16 minutes on 5-of-7 shooting.

 

Also for NJCU, freshman forward DANA JOHN (Hillside, NJ/Pocono Mountain (PA)) collected nine points, five rebounds, and three steals, while junior point guard ALEX MIRABEL (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) added eight points. Sophomore shooting guard CHARLES COLES (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) and senior swingman SANNI OJIBARA (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) each had six.

 

While NJCU controlled the game, a key to its success was limiting senior forward Gian Paul Gonzalez (North Haledon, NJ/Manchester Regional), the frontrunner for NJAC Player of the Year honors, and the nation’s fourth leading scorer at 28.1 per game, to only 20 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Gonzalez, who ranks sixth in Division III in free throw percentage (.903), missed three free throws, shooting 10-of-13 at the line. He added six boards in 37 minutes. With 20 points, he moved into seventh place in MSU history with 1327 in just three seasons.

 

Also for MSU, junior center Eric Sylvester (Orange, NJ/Orange) added 12 points (6-9 FG), and senior guard Jamal Ford (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) had nine points, seven boards, and three assists, but shot 2-of-12. Sophomore forward Jonathan Arthur (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) matched Washington with a game-high nine caroms.

 

After a technical foul in warm-ups, MSU led 1-0 before the opening tip of the game. It was the Hawks’ only lead of the night. With the score 7-6, a 12-1 run vaulted the Knights to a 19-7 margin. NJCU led by as many as 21 in the first half, before taking a 43-23, 20-point cushion into the break. NJCU’s defensive effort limited Montclair to 20.0 percent shooting from the field (6-30) and three-point range (2-10) in the period.

 

The Knights led by as many as 31 in the second half, 67-36, with 8:55 left, and maintained a 29-point, 76-47 advantage with 4:54 remaining, before emptying the bench. The lead was trimmed to 18 with 1:19 left before NJCU prevailed by 22.

 

The Knights shot 45.3 percent overall (34-75) and nailed 11 threes (11-30), while outrebounding the opponents, 51-40. MSU shot 29.0 percent overall (18-62) and 21.1 percent from deep (4-19). NJCU owned a 36-22 margin in the paint, and 14-7 on the fast-break.

 

NJCU will play its final home contest of the 2005-06 regular season on Saturday, February 11 at 8 p.m. when the Gothic Knights host first-place William Paterson University. It will be senior day at NJCU. MSU will visit Richard Stockton College at 4 p.m. the same day.

 

During halftime of the men’s game NJCU will honor the 20^th anniversary of its 1985-86 team which reached the NCAA Division III Final Four.