New Jersey City University Athletics

MAHWAH, NJ…Senior point guard LATRESE McNAIR (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) forced overtime with 2.6 seconds remaining, and she scored four of her 22 points in the extra session before fouling out, and junior power forward TIFFANY BOYD (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) notched 20 points and seven blocks, as New Jersey City University rallied from a 14-point, second half deficit to defeat Ramapo College, 81-78 on overtime. The game on Saturday at the Bradley Center was the New Jersey Athletic Conference finale for both schools.

 

NJCU improves to 9-15 overall and 4-9 in the NJAC, snapping a three-game losing streak. The .308 NJAC winning percentage is NJCU’s highest in league play since going 8-10 (.444) in 1998-99. That was also the last season in which NJCU swept a two-game season series from Ramapo, after winning the initial meeting on January 24. Ironically, it was NJCU’s first overtime game since a 54-50 win, also at Ramapo, on January 21, 2006.

 

McNair, who scored 15 of her 22 points in the second half and overtime, collected her seventh 20-point game of the season and the 13^th of her career, upping her career scoring mark to 1,229. She shot 10-of-19, with six rebounds.

 

Boyd shot 10-of-17 for a season-high 20 points, one shy of her career high, finishing close to a triple-double with 10 rebounds and seven blocks. The No. 2 ranked shot blocker in Division III, Boyd notched her eighth game with five or more blocks this season and the 13^th of her career.

 

Freshman guard CAROLINA GARCIA (Franklin Park, NJ/Franklin) scored 13 points (5-10 FG; 2-5 3FG), adding eight rebounds and three assists. Sophomore forward TRISHA SANON (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) notched her first career double-double, with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The rebounds were a career-high and the 10 points matches a career best. Senior guard BERNICE AMADEO (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) had 10 points (2-6 3FG), six rebounds and three assists.

 

Five players reached double figures for Ramapo, led by freshman center Beth Weinmann (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) with 17 points (7-10 FG), 11 rebounds, and four blocks. Junior Natasha Gross (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) had 13 points and five steals, while senior guard Kelly Bartz (Madison, NJ/Madison) added 11 points and six assists, but shot 2-of-15.

 

The Roadrunners also received 11 points from sophomore guard Lauren Moschel (Fair Lawn, NJ/St. Mary’s),  and 10 points and six rebounds from freshman guard Stephanie Cannizzaro (Pequannock, NJ/Pequannock).

 

NJCU shot 47.9 percent overall, but sizzled from the field in the second half, for a 52.9 percent rate (18-34), and made 4-of-7 shots in overtime (57.1 percent). NJCU had a 44-32 advantage in points in the paint. Ramapo lost despite NJCU committing 26 turnovers, and its bench outscoring the Knights, 28-6.

 

In the first half, with NJCU leading 20-16 at 8:50, Ramapo uncorked a 9-0 run to move ahead 25-20 at 6:25. The Roadrunners extended that spurt to 20-4, and RCNJ led 36-24 with 2:10 remaining in the first period. Weinmann had nine points, and Moschel chipped in six during the spurt. RCNJ led at the half, 42-31.

 

Ramapo continued to lead throughout the second half, twice owning 14-point advantages, including 59-45 with 11:14 remaining. But from there, the tandem of Boyd and McNair began to systematically chip away at the lead. An 11-0 run over a span of 2:58, capped by an Amadeo lay-up made it a three-point game, 59-56, with 8:16 left. Boyd had six points during the spurt.

 

The game remained a one or two-possession lead for Ramapo for the remainder of the half, with NJCU trimming the Roadrunner advantage to one point on four occasions. With 4:44 left, Garcia nailed a three-pointer making it 64-63, and Boyd sank jumpers at 4:00 (66-65) and 1:43 (68-67) to prevent RCNJ from expanding their lead.

 

With 41 seconds left, Sanon hit a short jumper for a 70-69 deficit and Moschel missed the front end of two free throws with 13 seconds remaining. NJCU had the ball with a chance to tie, and McNair drove down the right side of the lane, tossing an off-balanced shot off the window to tie the contest at 71-71, forcing overtime. RCNJ made just eight field goals in the second half (8-22, .364).

 

In overtime, a jumper by Garcia gave NJCU its first lead since the 8:14 mark of the first half, and McNair added a lay-up for a 75-71 margin. A triple by freshman guard JERICA HAYES (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) put NJCU ahead 78-72 with 3:34 left, and McNair added a lay-up with 2:35 on the board for an 80-74 lead, providing what proved to be the winning margin. She fouled out with 1:20 remaining and NJCU ahead 80-76. After Cannizzaro hit two free throws to make it 80-78 and a Bartz steal, Moschel missed two from the line with 55 seconds left, and Garcia added one with 23 ticks remaining, for the 81-78 final.

               

NJCU will play its final game of the 2006-07 season on Tuesday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m. when it visits St. Joseph’s College-Brooklyn for the second time this season, for a game added to the schedule last week. NJCU won the initial meeting on January 17, 79-66.