BOX SCORE
CAMDEN, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...Freshman power forward LINDIA FISCHER (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) became the first New Jersey City University women's basketball player in more than 13 years with at least 20 rebounds and 20 points in the same game, and the Gothic Knights posted their highest team field goal percentage in almost two seasons as NJCU defeated Rutgers University-Camden, 77-71, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game on Saturday afternoon at the Rutgers-Camden Gymnasium. NJCU never trailed in the game and led by as many as 18 points.
NJCU (3-11, 1-4 NJAC) snapped a four-game losing streak by shooting 48.3 percent overall (29-60) and an astounding 62.1 percent (18-29) in the second half, while making 5-of-10 from three-point range (.500). It was NJCU's highest field goal percentage since shooting 33-of-66 (.500) vs. Ramapo College on February 6, 2008. Meanwhile, the .500 three-point accuracy was NJCU's best in a game with at least 10 attempts since making 10-of-19 (.526) at City College of New York on January 30, 2008.
Rutgers-Camden (2-12, 0-6 NJAC) has lost 10 straight and suffered its 20th consecutive NJAC loss, spanning three seasons. RUC still leads the all-time series, 27-20, but NJCU has won the last four meetings between the clubs and five of the last six.
Fischer finished with game and career highs of 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 20 rebounds (nine offensive, 11 defensive) with three steals in 29 minutes before fouling out. She became the first NJCU player to record a 20-20 game since Alexis Nelson had 28 points and 26 rebounds at Richard Stockton College on November 27, 1996.
NJCU rookie point guard ASHLEY FREEMAN (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech) netted a career high for the second time this week, finishing with 18 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3FG) and four steals, despite 11 turnovers.
Junior guard MIESHA COOKE (Paterson, NJ/Sports Business Academy) came off the bench to score 15 points in 18 minutes before fouling out, as she shot 5-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point territory.
Freshman forward MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) had eight points (4-10 FG) and seven rebounds while freshman guard PRIA DUHANEY (Union, NJ/Orange) contributed eight points (4-7 FG), six rebounds, and five assists in 38 minutes in just her second career start. Freshman point guard LATIFAH JOHNSON (Newark, NJ/University) has six steals, five points and three assists but committed 13 turnovers.
For the Raptors, senior guard Morgan Kippley (Riverton, NJ/Delran)tallied a career-best 18 points (7-17 FG), including 3-of-7 three-point shooting, doubling her previous career high of nine. Junior guard Samantha Bragg (Lindenwold, NJ/Lindenwold)added 15 points, eight rebounds and a career-high eight steals but shot 5-of-20. Sophomore guard Casey Crenny (Blackwood, NJ/Camden Catholic) scored 11 (4-9 FG), making 3-of-8 from long-range. Sophomore guard Brooke Keenan (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape)led the Raptors with a career-high 12 rebounds, while also adding career highs of nine points, three steals and three assists.
The Gothic Knights scored the first eight points of the game and never trailed, although the Raptors sliced the gap to two points on a pair of occasions in the first half. The Raptors got back into the game on back-to-back three-pointers by Kippley to make it 8-6 and later 16-14. Kippley scored nine points and shot 3-of-4 in the first half, but the remainder of the RUC squad shot just 3-of-21 as the team was 6-of-25 overall in the period (.240).
But the first half truly belonged to Fischer who had 13 points (5-8 FG) and 11 rebounds in 13 minutes. She had a layup with 4:28 left for a five-point lead, extending it to six with a later free throw. After Camden cut it to three, Cooke sank a triple with 2:58 left in the half for a 24-18 lead and Freeman drilled another trey 20 seconds later for a nine-point margin. NJCU would lead 29-21 at the break.
Freeman hit a triple coming out of the locker room and scored NJCU's first five points of the second half to extend the lead to double digits at 34-21. The margin remained double figures most of the remainder of the game and stood at 18 points with 8:04 left on a fast-break bucket by Duhaney, putting the visitors ahead 61-43. Camden did score 13 of the next 16 points to cut it to an eight-point margin with 5:56 left (64-56), but the Raptors could not get any closer than eight the remainder of the contest, until hitting a three in the final seconds.
NJCU won despite committing at least 40 turnovers in a game for the second time this year. NJCU committed 40, while Camden coughed up 27. However, NJCU was able to limit the opponent to 27 points off its 40 giveaways. The Knights also were not hurt by 14-of-37 free throw shooting (.378).
NJCU returns to action on Wednesday, January 20 at 5:30 p.m. in an NJAC road game at Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
|
Team Stat Comparison
|
|
|
NJCU
|
RU-CAMDEN
|
|
Score
|
77
|
71
|
|
Half-Time Score
|
29
|
21
|
|
Field Goal Percentage
|
.483 (29-60)
|
.338 (24-71)
|
|
Three-Point Percentage
|
.500 (5-10)
|
.350 (7-20)
|
|
Free Throw Percentage
|
.378 (14-37)
|
.552 (16-29)
|
|
Rebounds (O-D-T)
|
21-38-59
|
14-23-37
|
|
Assists
|
10
|
8
|
|
Turnovers
|
40
|
27
|
|
Blocks
|
1
|
2
|
|
Steals
|
18
|
19
|
|
Fouls
|
25
|
29
|
|
Largest Lead
|
18
|
None
|
|
Points in the Paint
|
36
|
26
|
|
Points off Turnovers
|
23
|
27
|
|
Second Chance Points
|
12
|
13
|
|
Fast Break Points
|
Not Tracked
|
by Camden
|
|
Bench Points
|
18
|
18
|
