New Jersey City University Athletics

 

GLASSBORO, NJ…Senior point guard LATRESE McNAIR (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) scored at least 25 points for the third time in the last five games and New Jersey City University rallied from an eight-point deficit late in the second half with a 19-4 run as the Gothic Knights held off Rowan University, 62-59, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference interdivisional game, Saturday at Esby Gymnasium. NJCU has knocked off Rowan in Glassboro in consecutive years for the first time in program history.

 

After starting the year winless in the league, NJCU (6-11, 2-6) has won two conference games this week. Rowan falls to 8-11 overall and 1-6 NJAC.

 

Coming off a 31-point performance on Wednesday, McNair was magical again, scoring 25 on 8-of-20 shooting. The two-time defending national steals per game champion had seven picks, six assists and five rebounds while playing all 40 minutes for the fourth straight game and the sixth time this year.

 

McNair moved into a tie for 12^th place in Division III history with 431 steals, and increased her career scoring total to 1,112. It was her fifth 20-point game of the season and the 11^th of her career.

 

Senior guard BERNICE AMADEO (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) had 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting and 3-of-6 three-point accuracy in 36 minutes, and the veteran played a critical role in NJCU’s come-from-behind victory. Junior power forward TIFFANY BOYD (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) had 10 rebounds in 17 minutes in her first action since January 13 after missing three games. Junior forward ARNESE GOODMAN (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) had eight points.

 

Senior forward Lauren Byrne (Paulsboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) registered a double-double in defeat for the Profs, scoring 15 points (6-13 FG) with 12 rebounds. Junior guard Susan Massara (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) had 13 points, and junior center Katie Shaw (Wallington, NJ/Wallington) added 10 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Kaitlin Guy (Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn) had nine points.

 

In a game with 10 lead changes and seven ties, neither side could get an upperhand in the first half, and the game was knotted at 25-25 at the break.

 

Rowan held modest leads throughout the second period, and extended its margin to as many as eight points, 45-37, with 7:37 left. But the three-point shooting of Amadeo sparked the decisive 19-4 run that ultimately lifted NJCU to victory. She buried a three at 7:32, Goodman drove to the hoop for two points, and McNair turned a defensive rebound into a fast-break lay-up, to trim the deficit to 47-44 at 6:48.

 

A beautiful spin move through three defenders by Goodman made it 47-46 at 5:52, before rookie guard MICHELLE VASQUEZ (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) tied the game at 49-49 at 5:08 with the first three-pointer of her career. A free throw by McNair at 4:28 gave her 20 points and NJCU a 50-49 edge. It was NJCU’s first lead of the second half and they would not relinquish it. Back-to-back threes by Amadeo at 4:21 and 3:44 gave NJCU its largest lead of the game, 56-49, and a huge block by sophomore center TRISHA SANON (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) during the spurt provided a key defensive lift.

 

Three consecutive layups by Massara allowed Rowan to chip the NJCU lead down to 56-55 with 1:31 remaining, and after a missed free throw, she attempted to make it a fourth bucket. But with 59 seconds left, McNair picked Massara’s pocket as she raced down court, and after burning clock, drove to the basket for a key lay-up with 39 seconds left and a 58-55 lead.

 

Shaw hit a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left, making it 58-57. McNair was fouled and hit one free throw with 21 seconds remaining. She missed the second attempt, but Boyd seized the offensive rebound, was fouled, and hit a free throw. As NJCU led 60-57, Byrne hit a turnaround jumper with eight seconds left, again trimming the lead to one, 60-59. However, freshman guard CAROLINA GARCIA (Franklin Park, NJ/Franklin) continued to play an important role in NJCU’s recent success, as she hit a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining, making it 62-59, and Rowan turned the ball over before attempting a final shot.

 

Rowan lost despite outshooting NJCU from the field (40.0 vs. 35.6 percent) and owning a 45-36 rebounding cushion.

NJCU will return to action on Monday at 6 p.m. when it hosts New York City College of Technology in a non-conference game at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

 

Team Stat Comparison
	NJCU	Rowan
Score	62	59
Half-Time Score	25	25
Field Goal Percentage	.356 (21-59)	.400 (24-60)
Three-Point Percentage	.412 (7-17)	.231 (3-13)
Free Throw Percentage	.619 (13-21)	.533 (8-15)
Rebounds (O-D-T)	13-23-36	16-29-45
Assists	11	14
Turnovers	18	23
Blocks	2	2
Steals	11	10
Fouls	15	19
Largest Lead	7	8
Points in the Paint	26	30
Points off Turnovers	17	10
Second Change Points	12	11
Fast Break Points	6	8
Bench Points	9	14