BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...William Paterson University demonstrated why it ranks No. 1 nationally in scoring defense as the Pioneers, ranked #16 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, limited New Jersey City University to nine first-half points and defeated the Gothic Knights, 58-39, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game on “Coach Charlie Brown Court” at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
WPU, which owns the top winning percentage in Division III at .950, wins its 17th consecutive game to improve to 19-1 overall and a perfect 8-0 in the NJAC. Following a four-game winning streak, NJCU has dropped three straight conference games as its record evens at 9-9. But at 3-5 in the league, NJCU's conference tournament hopes suffered a setback with five league games remaining. NJCU leads the all-time series, 73-60, since 1931-32, but the Pioneers have won the last five meetings.
WPU entered the game #1 in the nation in scoring defense at 53.7 points per game, #4 in field goal percentage defense (.365) and #7 in scoring margin (+15.4), and all three of those elements were on display, as the Knights were limited to 29.8 percent shooting (14-47), and 1-of-11 from three-point range (.091). NJCU became the ninth team the Pioneers have held under 50 points this season.
The Pioneers shot 50.0 percent from the field (23-46) and three-point distance (7-of-14), and were even better in the second half, making 11-of-20 shots (.550) and 5-of-7 from long range (.714). The only deficiency was at the line, making just 33.3 percent (5-of-15).
The nine first half points is the least known modern scoring total for NJCU in one period based on box score archives available. Meanwhile, WPU's defense held the Knights below 40 points, just the third time since January 1954 that an NJCU team has not reached the 40-point threshold in a contest.
Overall, 41 of the Pioneers' 58 points came from two players. Senior guard Eric Moore (Dover, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep) scored 12 of the visitors' first 24 points and finished with a game-best 26 points, shooting 10-of-14 from the field and 5-of-7 from three-point distance. He added five rebounds in 32 minutes.
Senior guard Joseph Ellis (Newark, NJ/Science) added 15 points (5-11 FG) in 30 minutes. Senior forward Abdoulaye Ouedraogo (Newark, NJ/Science), the Pioneers' second leading scorer at 11.2 per game, was limited to four points on five shots (2-5). But he tallied six rebounds, five blocks and three steals in 27 minutes.
Freshman power forward ISAIAH JOHNSON (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus), a three-time NJAC Rookie of the Week, led NJCU with 10 points (4-9 FG) and eight rebounds.
With junior power forward TOM McDERMOTT (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), NJCU's #2 rebounder out with an injury, freshman power forward KHALID MUHAMMAD (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield) had the best game of his career, notching a game-best 10 rebounds (seven defensive) in 12 minutes. His previous high was five caroms.
Also for NJCU, freshman small forward WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) had nine points (4-10 FG) and senior guard KYLE INGRAM (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) added seven points. Junior small forward JOSH CAVER (Trenton, NJ/Fairless Hills (Pennsbury, PA)) finished with nine rebounds and two blocks.
Senior guard JOSH LOPEZ (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)), NJCU's leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, was held scoreless for only the second time since becoming a starter at the beginning of last season, and only attempted two shots in the loss.
The first half told the story of the game, as NJCU was limited to 4-of-19 shooting in the period (.211). The Pioneers scored the first 16 points of the game, with Moore responsible for eight of those points, and NJCU did not score its first marker until Johnson had an offensive rebound and putback with 13:46 remaining in the half. The Pioneers extended the lead to 18-2 on a Moore jumper and 22-4 with 7:51 left on an Ouedraogo dunk.
WPU hit 10 of its first 17 shots. Albright gave NJCU its sixth point with 6:01 left in the half, and Ingram made a jumper with 2:25 to go in the period before the Pioneers took a 26-9 margin to the break.
NJCU, which entered the game averaging 22.1 forced turnovers per game and 10.8 steals per contest, could only cause the Pioneers to commit 11 giveaways, while picking off a season-low four steals.
WPU only had four second-half turnovers. The Pioneers led by double figures the entire second half. NJCU was able to hang around, as the Pioneers outscored the hosts in the second period, 32-30. The Knights cut the deficit to 11 with 7:30 remaining on a Johnson rebound and putback. It was 11 again (43-32) when Ingram sank a jumper with 6:28 and two foul shots (45-34) with 5:29 to go. But Moore scored nine consecutive points for WPU, including a pair of triples, as WPU gained a 20-point, 54-34 cushion with 3:47 left. Its largest lead was 22 (58-36) with 40.1 seconds to go.
NJCU will next visit Kean University in an NJAC game on Saturday, January 30 at 3 p.m. in Union, NJ. WPU visits Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ at 1 p.m. that day.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Team Stat Comparison
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|
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NJCU
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WPU
|
|
Score
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39
|
58
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Half-Time Score
|
9
|
26
|
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Field Goal Percentage
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.298 (14-47)
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.500 (23-46)
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Three-Point Percentage
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.091 (1-11)
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.500 (7-14)
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Free Throw Percentage
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.556 (10-18)
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.333 (5-15)
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|
Rebounds (O-D-T)
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18-21-39
|
8-19-27
|
|
Assists
|
5
|
8
|
|
Turnovers
|
18
|
11
|
|
Blocks
|
3
|
7
|
|
Steals
|
4
|
10
|
|
Fouls
|
22
|
19
|
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Largest Lead
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None
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22
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Points in the Paint
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18
|
24
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Points off Turnovers
|
7
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12
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|
Second Change Points
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12
|
9
|
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Fast Break Points
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0
|
8
|
|
Bench Points
|
17
|
9
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