BOX SCORE
MAHWAH, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...New Jersey City University continued its recent dominance of Ramapo College in women's basketball, defeating the Roadrunners for the seventh time in the last eight meetings, as freshman point guard LATIFAH JOHNSON (Newark, NJ/University) posted an impressive effort of 16 points, seven rebounds, six steals and five assists and the Gothic Knights never trailed, en route to a 58-55 New Jersey Athletic Conference North Division victory on Wednesday night at the Bill Bradley Center.
NJCU (4-11, 2-4 NJAC), which has also won the last two meetings between the schools, won its second straight NJAC contest to keep alive in the hunt for a post-season conference tournament berth. Ramapo falls to 7-10 overall and 1-5 NJAC. RCNJ continues to lead the series, 28-26, but the Knights have dominated the rivalry since late in the 2005-06 season.
NJCU, which led by as many as 13 points but never relinquished the lead, was challenged by RCNJ in the second half, when the Roadrunners tied it four times and had a chance to pull ahead in the final seconds. But Ramapo junior guard Brittany Hoffman (Belford, NJ/Middletown South) could not convert a shot with six seconds left. NJCU freshman guard PRIA DUHANEY (Union, NJ/Orange) grabbed the defensive rebound, sending Johnson down the floor for a layup with one second left that sealed the three-point win.
With the game knotted at 53-53 and 49 seconds left, NJCU rookie point guard ASHLEY FREEMAN (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech) drilled a three-pointer to put the Knights in front to stay.
For NJCU, Freeman finished with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Freshman power forward LINDIA FISCHER (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne), this week's NJAC Rookie of the Week, celebrated her award with a near double-double of 11 points (5-8 FT) and nine rebounds (seven defensive). Junior guard MIESHA COOKE (Paterson, NJ/Sports Business Academy) came off the bench to score 10 points, adding five rebounds (four offensive). Duhaney had seven rebounds (six defensive), five steals and four points.
Ramapo received a game-high 24 points on 11-of-20 shooting, and seven rebounds, from freshman forward Meghan Reilly (Morganville, NJ/Marlboro). Freshman guard Faith Flannery (Red Bank, NJ/Keansburg) tallied a double-double of 10 points (4-9 FG), 10 rebounds (eight defensive), five assists and three blocks. Sophomore forward Lindsey Gripenburg (Bloomingdale, NJ/Butler) chipped in 12 points (5-14 FG) and six rebounds. Those three players accounted for 46 of the club's 55 points and shot 20-for-43. The remainder of the Roadrunners tallied nine points on 3-of-14 shooting.
While NJCU was outsized, it used its athleticism to force 21 turnovers. NJCU chalked up 14 steals, while converting the Ramapo giveaways into a 26-14 margin in points off turnovers.
NJCU surged out of the gates for a 13-2 lead when Cooke scored with 13:07 left in the half. Reilly cut it to 15-10 with 8:54 to go in the half, but NJCU scored the next eight points to increase its margin to a game-high 13 points, 23-10, just 5:05 before the intermission. Cooke hit a triple for a 21-10 cushion before Johnson turned a steal into a fast-break bucket. NJCU went to the half ahead by nine, 25-16.
NJCU continued to lead by double digits early in the second half. Two foul shots by Fischer made it a 13-point game, 31-18 and a Duhaney free throw with 14:46 remaining maintained a 10-point, 32-22 advantage. But Ramapo would rally, using a 10-0 run to tie the game at 32-32 with 12:05 to go, as four different players scored.
A Freeman basket off a Duhaney steal made it 35-32 before Reilly tied it at 36-36 with 10:37 left. After a 38-38 tie, Freeman scored with 8:51 and converted a three-point play for a 41-38 cushion before Cooke swiped a ball and scored a fast-break field goal 13 seconds later. NJCU added its seventh point in a span of 38 seconds, seizing a 45-38 lead.
Reilly rallied her team with two baskets and a block in 16 seconds, and the hosts drew within two, 46-44, with 6:18 on the board. Gripenburg made it a one-point game (47-46) before NJCU rookie forward MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) sank a jumper. Gripenburg scored again for a 49-48 deficit with 5:16 left. Duhaney had an offensive rebound and putback for a 51-48 cushion and Johnson sank the front end of two foul shots for a 52-48 difference with 4:35 left. The lead stood at four, 53-49, with 2:16 to go, as Fischer sank a foul shot. Reilly cut it to two, 53-51 with 1:55 left before Gripenburg tied it at 53-53 with 1:08 left off a Reilly assist.
But with 49 seconds left, Johnson fed Freeman, and she drilled the decisive triple, for a 56-53 cushion. Flannery shaved the score to one, 56-55, making two foul shots with 38 seconds remaining. Duhaney missed a shot with 15 seconds left and Reilly collected the rebound. But RCNJ could not score again. Hoffman missed a go-ahead chance with six seconds left, Duhaney got the rebound, and Johnson finished off the Roadrunners for the three-point victory.
NJCU returns to action on Saturday, January 23 at 2 p.m. when it hosts Rowan University in an NJAC game on “Coach Charlie Brown Court” at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center in Jersey City, NJ.
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