New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE
ARCHIVED AUDIO BROADCAST


MAHWAH, NJ…In a matchup of the top two scorers in the New Jersey Athletic Conference all season long, freshman small forward RASHAWN SMALLS (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) and senior swingman Tim Wesley (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) both had 17 points and four players reached double figures in scoring for each school, but Ramapo College shot above 50 percent in each period and 53.8 percent overall, defeating New Jersey City University, 79-72, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference North Division game on Wednesday night at the Bill Bradley Center.

In what was an important game for both schools, trying to stay out of last place in the competitive NJAC North Division, it was Ramapo able to accomplish that task, improving to 10-8 overall and 3-4 in the NJAC with six league games remaining. NJCU leads the all-time series, 57-16. 

Meanwhile, NJCU, which had been 6-6, loses its third straight game to fall to 6-9 on the season and 2-4 NJAC. It marks the first time NJCU has been 6-9 after 15 games since the 1992-93 team went 6-12 before finishing 15-12, winning its final nine games.

NJCU's streak of 33 consecutive winning seasons (1975-2008) and 38 straight non-losing seasons (1970-08), both the second longest active streaks in Division III, are in jeopardy if the team continues to falter. NJCU is 1-7 in games not played at home this year.

Smalls, this week's NJAC Player of the Week after being a five-time Rookie of the Week, finished with 17 points (7-16 FG), four rebounds and one dunk. While he still leads the NJAC in boards (8.7), he is second in scoring at 16.5 per game.

Wesley, who averages 16.6 per contest, had 17 in the win on 5-of-10 shooting, including 7-of-8 free throws, with six rebounds, but committed six turnovers.

RCNJ also received 16 points (5-8 FG) and eight rebounds from senior forward Kevin Findlay (Roselle, NJ/Roselle Catholic). Junior guard Andre Kenny (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) and freshman guard Garret Thiel (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) each collected 12 points; Thiel was 6-of-6 from the line. 
Freshman forward Davian Plunkett (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Kennedy) had nine points and six rebounds.

In defeat, freshman power forward FARRAKHAN WELLS (Newark, NJ/Westside) added 13 points (5-13 FG, two dunks) and a game-high eight rebounds, but committed six turnovers. Junior point guard JOSH LOPEZ (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) netted four three-pointers (4-10 3FG) and finished with 13 points, three assists and three steals. 

Freshman guard GABRIEL GARCIA (Elizabeth, NJ/St. Mary's) tallied a career-high 10 points while senior guard KYLE INGRAM (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) finished with eight points and seven rebounds.

Ramapo, which never trailed, led 40-27 at the half, shooting 54.8 percent in the period (17-31), while NJCU was 9-of-33 in the same span (.273), including 4-of-15 from long distance (.267). RCNJ led 14-10 midway through the opening half before a 13-2 lead cemented a 15-point, 27-12 margin with 7:21 on the clock. Plunkett had six points during the spurt, including a fast-break steal and slam, while Findlay added five points.

RCNJ led by as many as 19 points in the second half and shot .524 for the period (11-21). NCU, which shot .516 for the half (16-31), began heating up from the field late. Trailing by nine with 1:51 left, Wells hit a three from the corner (0:52) and Lopez canned a three with 20 seconds remaining to shave the deficit to 75-71, before Thiel hit four free throws to ice it.

The road to .500 doesn't get any easier for NJCU, which is back in action on Saturday, January 24 at 7 p.m. when it hosts #13 ranked Richard Stockton College in an NJAC game at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on Homecoming 2009.