New Jersey City University Athletics

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Junior center Omar Alston (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) sank a seven-foot jumper from the right of the lane with 3.8 seconds remaining in overtime, finishing with 29 points, as Ramapo College rallied from an 11-point second half deficit to force an extra session, and held on to defeat New Jersey City University, 83-81, in the 2007 New Jersey Athletic Conference men's basketball championship, Friday at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. There were 18 lead changes and eight ties in what may be considered as one of the greatest NJAC games ever played.

Senior guard Antoine Pryor (Elizabeth, NJ/St. Patrick's) forced overtime with 7.5 seconds remaining, when he sank a three-pointer from the left wing to tie the game at 68-68. NJCU led by seven with 1:38 left in regulation. NJCU sophomore swingman DANA JOHN (Hillside, NJ/Pocono Mountain East (Pa.)) tied the game at 81-81 with 21.9 seconds left in overtime with a three from the right corner before Alston won it.

Ramapo (21-7, 9-4 NJAC) wins its second NJAC championship in school history, and earns the conference's automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Division III Tournament. NJCU (18-9, 11-2 NJAC) now must wait to see if it will receive an at-large bid to the NCAAs; that announcement will be made on Sunday night. If NJCU does not qualify for the NCAAs, it will likely garner a high seeding in the ECAC Tournament. It was the 70^th meeting between the schools in a series NJCU leads 56-14.

Ramapo was appearing in the NJAC finals for the third consecutive year and the fourth time in five seasons. Its only other title came in 2005. This is the 50^th year of the NJAC.

Alston, who only scored 16 points in the first two meetings with NJCU this year—both Ramapo losses—scored 29 on 13-of-22 shooting, including 3-of-3 from three-point range, adding nine rebounds.

Sophomore forward Tim Wesley (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) had 18 points (8-14 FG) and nine rebounds (seven offensive). Pryor had 13 points (5-11 FG; 2-6 3FG) and three assists before fouling out. Junior guard Ahmad Mosby (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony), also fouled out, after providing 11 points (4-15 FG) and four assists in 40 minutes. In all, RCNJ was called for 31 fouls and three players were disqualified.

For NJCU, senior center ABRAHAM WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) notched a double-double with 18 points (6-21 FG), 11 rebounds, and four assists. John collected 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three-point range, and junior forward MARQUES HILL (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) contributed a game-high 14 rebounds, 10 points, five assists and four blocks in 43 minutes.

Also for NJCU, senior point guard ALEX MIRABEL (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) had 11 points (5-5 FT), five rebounds and four steals, and junior guard AARON DESIR (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) finished with 10 points and five rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench. He hit 2-of-4 from three-point range. Sophomore guard KEVIN TUCKER (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) collected seven points, seven assists and three steals.

In a first half with 10 lead chances and four ties, Alston, who had 13 points in the period, hit his fifth three of the season, giving RCNJ a 29-25 edge. The Roadrunners led at the half, 31-30.

Ramapo picked up six fouls in the first 2:55 of the second period, but still held a 35-34 lead with 15:53 left. From there, NJCU uncorked a 13-1 run to gain its largest lead of the game, 47-36, with 10:49 left, as Desir drilled a three; he had five points during the spurt.

The teams traded baskets, and maintained a nine-point, 59-50 margin with 4:43 left as Williams converted two free throws. Pryor made it 59-53 with a triple at 4:32, but Mirabel added two freebies at 4:15, extending NJCU's cushion to eight, 61-53. It stood at six, 61-55 with 3:52 left when Wesley drove for a lay-up. After NJCU committed turnovers on two straight possessions, a three by Wesley cut the deficit to three, 61-58, with 2:17 left.

Tucker took a bounce pass from Williams with 1:57 left, converting a lay-up and free throw for a 64-58 lead, and with 1:38 left, Tucker made the back-end of two free throws, as NJCU led by seven with 1:38 remaining.

With 1:29 left, Alston hit a straightaway three to make it 65-61, and an off-balance jumper by Pryor trimmed the score to 66-63 at 1:05.

With 33.7 left, Alston went to the line and missed two free throws, but Wesley grabbed the offensive rebound and putback the second chance, making it 66-65 with 30.6 seconds. RCNJ fouled junior guard SHY MARTINEZ (Union City, NJ/Union Hill), who transferred to NJCU from Ramapo, and he made two free throws with 25.4 on the board, extending the lead to three, 68-65.

With 13 seconds left, Hill blocked a jumper by Mosby, who caught the rebound on the right wing, before sending a cross-court pass to Pryor for the tying three. The Knights had the ball with 7.5 seconds left, but John missed a potential winning jumper at the buzzer.

In overtime, Mosby put RCNJ ahead, 72-70, before Mirabel made two free throws (3:47), and after a Roadrunners turnover, John drained a three from the right wing (3:32) off an inbounds pass from Tucker, for a 75-72 advantage. Mosby hit two free throws at 2:45. After NJCU committed back-to-back turnovers, Mosby's fast-break lay-up with 2:16 left put Ramapo in the lead at 76-75.

A lay-up by Williams put NJCU back in front, 77-76 (1:59), and John made the back-end of two free throws for a 78-76 score at 1:25. With 1:01 left, Alston buried his third three-pointer of the game from the left side, and RCNJ led 79-78. With 28.3 remaining, junior guard Jason Marshall (Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack) finished a lay-up and Ramapo led by three, 81-78. John received a pass from Tucker with 21.9 remaining, splashing home a three-pointer from the right corner to tie it at 81-81.

But Alston took a feed from senior guard John Wojcik (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville) on the right baseline, drove to the basket, before pulling up for the title-clinching jumper. Tucker's running jumper on the right wing rimmed out at the buzzer.

NJCU was playing in its third NJAC championship game of the season in any sport. Men's soccer and women's volleyball also lost in their conference finals.