BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
HIGHLIGHT VIDEO (coming soon)
JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...New Jersey City University senior point guard JOSH LOPEZ (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) continued his week of second half heroics, scoring 22 of his game-high 27 points in the second period as the Gothic Knights earned an important New Jersey Athletic Conference North Division victory, cruising past Montclair State University, 69-55, on Wednesday night on “Coach Charlie Brown Court” at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
NJCU (7-6, 2-2 NJAC) surged out to a 14-1 lead to open the game and never trailed. MSU (9-6, 2-3 NJAC) was able to draw within two points on two possessions in the early portion of the second half, before the Knights pulled away for their second straight win. MSU was handed their third straight defeat and had its three-game winning streak in the series snapped. MSU leads the all-time series, which dates to 1932-33, 86-64.
Lopez, who also scored 27 on Monday in a win at Lehman College—all in the second half—has 54 points in his last two games and 49 of those markers in the second half. He finished with 27 on 7-of-16 shooting, highlighted by 6-of-11 three-point and 7-of-8 free-throw accuracy. He added four assists, while scoring more points than minutes played (26).
The 27 points match his season high and the second highest scoring total in his career. It also matches the most he has ever scored in a regulation game. Lopez, who went over the 700-point mark for his career (726) and upped his career tally for three-pointers to 145, netted his seventh career 20-point performance and third of the season.
Meanwhile, two-time NJAC rookie of the week and freshman power forward ISAIAH JOHNSON (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus) notched his second double-double of the season, finishing with a game-best 14 rebounds, with 11 points (4-8 FG), three assists and two blocks.
Freshman small forward WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) was the third NJCU player in double figures, adding 14 points (6-11 FG), six rebounds, and four assists. Junior small forward JOSH CAVER (Trenton, NJ/Pennsbury (Pa.)) tallied seven points, three steals and two blocks in 15 minutes and junior shooting guard COREY DIXON (Linden, NJ/David Brearley) also played well off the bench, adding seven rebounds (all defensive) and two assists.
Montclair's top player was sophomore guard Ali Mix (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus), who collected 15 points (6-17 FG), six rebounds, four steals and two assists. Senior forward Daniel McRae (Orange, NJ/Newark Tech), MSU's top scorer and rebounder this season, was limited to 3-of-12 shooting, eight points and seven rebounds. Junior forward Tyrone Prewitt (Trenton, NJ/Trenton) had seven points and four rebounds in nine minutes.
Third-year head coach MARC BROWN was pleased with his team's performance. “The difference tonight was execution and making our shots. Nothing has changed [since NJCU's five-game losing streak]. ANTOINE ROGERS (Trenton, NJ/Ewing) (junior, forward) made us better in the starting lineup because of his defense. Josh [Lopez] was able to play more of the two guard and Corey [Dixon] helped control the tempo of the game.”
Literally from the opening tip, NJCU was in control as Johnson batted the opening jump ball to Albright for a 2-0 lead just two seconds into the game. A jumper by Albright made it 6-1 and Lopez sank a shot for a 9-1 lead 2:43 into the contest. With 15:45 left, Lopez drilled his first triple, and the lead exploded to 13, 14-1. MSU did not make a field goal until 4:48 had been played.
A three by senior guard KYLE INGRAM (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) with 14:47 to go made it 17-5 and Caver finished a fast-break play from Dixon for a 14-point margin, 19-5. NJCU dominated the half, concluding the period when Johnson stripped the ball away from the Hawks under their own basket, before converting a layup for a 32-23 cushion as time expired.
MSU would score the first seven points of the second half to shave the lead to 32-20 on a McRae jumper just 2:54 into the period. Lopez pushed the lead to eight, 38-30, with the first of his 22 second half points before hitting another trey with 15:03 left for a nine-point advantage, 41-32. Two free throws by Mix, followed by five points by McRae, including a jumper with 13:50 remaining, allowed MSU to again draw within two points, 41-39.
But NJCU unleashed a 9-0 run and scored 13 of the next 14 points to seize a 14-point, 54-40 edge with 9:43 left. After Caver and Johnson each converted layups to make it 45-39, Lopez was responsible for the next nine NJCU points. He drained threes with 10:46 and 10:02 left as the lead swelled to 53-40, before making a foul shot. Dixon added a three with 8:00 left for a 57-43 margin and the Red Hawks never challenged again. NJCU's largest lead was 17—62-45—after Lopez sank a pair of free throws with 7:13 left.
MSU only committed 15 turnovers in the game but was 0-for-7 from three-point distance. Meanwhile, NJCU, behind the lights-out shooting of Lopez drained nine threes (9-25, .360). NJCU posted assists on 17 of its 24 made field goals.
Both teams return to NJAC action on Saturday, January 16 at 1 p.m. NJCU visits Rutgers University-Camden in a game that can be watched live at NJCUGothicKnights.com. Montclair hosts Rowan University in Montclair, NJ.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
|
Team Stat Comparison
|
|
|
NJCU
|
MONTCLAIR
|
|
Score
|
69
|
55
|
|
Half-Time Score
|
32
|
23
|
|
Field Goal Percentage
|
.393 (24-61)
|
.295 (18-61)
|
|
Three-Point Percentage
|
.360 (9-25)
|
.000 (0-7)
|
|
Free Throw Percentage
|
.632 (12-19)
|
.559 (19-34)
|
|
Rebounds (O-D-T)
|
12-33-45
|
15-25-40
|
|
Assists
|
17
|
6
|
|
Turnovers
|
22
|
15
|
|
Blocks
|
9
|
1
|
|
Steals
|
7
|
11
|
|
Fouls
|
28
|
17
|
|
Largest Lead
|
17
|
None
|
|
Points in the Paint
|
28
|
28
|
|
Points off Turnovers
|
12
|
21
|
|
Second Change Points
|
8
|
8
|
|
Fast Break Points
|
6
|
12
|
|
Bench Points
|
17
|
20
|
