BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | For the third consecutive game, the New Jersey City University men's basketball team put away an opponent before halftime. NJCU reached double figures in victories for the 45th consecutive season and the 51st time in 52 years by jumping out to a decisive 30-5 lead at the 7:31 mark of the first half and crushed York College (NY), 70-47, in a non-conference game on Monday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on “Coach Charlie Brown Court.” NJCU notched its sixth win by at least 20 points this season.
NJCU, which in the last week has jumped out to a 26-6 lead on William Paterson University and 29-2 against Rutgers-Camden, won its third straight game and for the seventh time in nine outings since a sluggish start to the year and improves to 10-8. York falls to 5-14. The Gothic Knights lead the all-time series, 5-2. Since 1959-60, NJCU has reached double figures in every season except 1965-66 (8-13).
NJCU, which entered the game ranking No. 3 in Division III among 403 schools in steals per game (13.1) and 11th in the country in turnover margin (+5.7), dominated in those categories in the win. The Knights had a 15-3 advantage in steals and 24-11 (+13) in turnovers, committing just four giveaways in the second half.
NJCU produced a 24-1 margin in points off turnovers, 14-4 edge on the fast break and a 30-4 cushion in bench scoring. The Knights held an opponent to fewer than 50 points for the third game in a row and the fourth time this season, winning at home for the ninth time in its last 11 games.
NJCU had four players reach double figures, led by sophomore forward WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter), who collected 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting (2-5 3FG), with a season-high six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Senior shooting guard DA'SHON BARRINO (East Orange, NJ/Malcolm X. Shabazz) added 12 points (4-10 FG) and three steals in 17 minutes. Sophomore guard ASHMERE WILSON (Newark, NJ/Weequahic) continues to provide a spark off the bench, notching his ninth double digit scoring game without making a start, as he registered 11 points (4-11 FG) including 2-of-3 three-pointers, and five rebounds.
“We've been doing that all year—going into halftime with leads,” noted fourth year head coach MARC BROWN. “In the second half I wasn't pleased with the effort because York cut it to 14. But Ashmere provided instant offense, hitting two threes, to bring it back up. We have had a problem [this year] focusing for 40 minutes. But a win is a win. We're happy we are winning and now we have to get ready for the game of the year [Rutgers-Newark] in 48 hours.”
Also for NJCU, freshman guard MICHAEL JOHNSON (Newark, NJ/Irvington) scored a career best eight points (3-5 FG) with four of his five rebounds on the offensive glass. Junior point guard KEITH WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) chalked up five points, four assists and three steals.
York senior All-American center Marcel Esonwune (Lagos, Nigeria/Marist Brothers) notched his 18th double-double in 19 games, finishing with game highs of 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. But despite scoring close to half of the Cardinals' points, Esonwune, the NCAA Division III national leader in rebounding at 14.5 per game and No. 3 shot blocker (4.2), was largely held in check by the defense of NJCU senior swingman ROB ROBINSON (East Orange, NJ/Malcolm X. Shabazz), who twice blocked the Second-Team All-America and reigning CUNYAC Player of the Year and helped to limit him to 6-of-18 shooting. Esonwune scored eight of his 10 from the line. Robinson scored three points for NJCU with four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two assists but only attempted three shots on the night.
Brown, who is extremely satisfied with the unselfish play of his senior tri-captain, said: “Rob has completely given up his offensive game for the team and has become our best interior defender hands down.”
Also for York, junior forward Kevin Lausell (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) finished with 11 points for the Cardinals. Senior guard Ike Iwu (Jamaica, NY/Queensborough CC) had nine rebounds (eight defensive).
NJCU, which led by 25 at halftime, 39-14, scored the first seven points of the game—with the opening five from Albright—and led 11-3. Ahead 11-5 at 14:14, NJCU scored 19 consecutive points over a span of 7:29 and built a 30-5 lead on a jumper by junior forward TAQUAN ABDULLAH (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley) at the 7:31 mark. York, which was forced into seven turnovers and missed six straight shots—three by Esonwune during the 19-0 run—did not score again until a layup by Esonwune at the 6:44 mark.
NJCU, which has seven active players averaging 5.3 points per game in its balanced scoring attack, had seven different players collect a field goal during the 19-0 run. NJCU's largest lead of the opening half was 27 when Albright sank a jumper at the 2:28 mark.
York tried early in the second half to make a game of it, opening the second period on a 16-5 run, highlighted by eight points by Esonwune, to cut the deficit to 14 points (44-30) with 14:15 remaining. But Wilson, who entered the game with only two three pointers in seven attempts, and with 48 of his first 50 field goal of the season coming from inside the arc, showed he has long range shooting abilities as well, knocking down back-to-back triples at 14:05 and 13:32—both off assists from senior guard JAMES LIVINGSTON (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central)—to push the lead back to 20 points, 50-30, and end any comeback hopes the Cardinals might have.
NJCU led by at least 20 the remainder of the night and by as many as 27 at the 3:31 mark of the second half, 69-42, when the defensive-minded Robinson drilled a three.
NJCU returns to the court on Wednesday, February 2 with a road NJAC North Division game at the Golden Dome versus Rutgers-Newark at 8 p.m. The Raiders (5-4) are just a half-game ahead of NJCU (4-4) in the conference standings and it's another critical game for the Knights' in their post-season bid. Newark won the first meeting between the schools on December 1, 118-116, in an epic triple overtime thriller. York plays at the same time at home against City Tech in a CUNYAC game in Jamaica, NY.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Team Stat Comparison
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|
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NJCU
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YORK
|
|
Score
|
70
|
47
|
|
Half-Time Score
|
39
|
14
|
|
Field Goal Percentage
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.382 (26-68)
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.341 (15-44)
|
|
Three-Point Percentage
|
.300 (6-20)
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.000 (0-4)
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|
Free Throw Percentage
|
.667 (12-18)
|
,654 (17-26)
|
|
Rebounds (O-D-T)
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16-24-40
|
9-28-37
|
|
Assists
|
17
|
7
|
|
Turnovers
|
11
|
24
|
|
Blocks
|
6
|
5
|
|
Steals
|
15
|
3
|
|
Fouls
|
22
|
13
|
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Largest Lead
|
27
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None
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|
Points in the Paint
|
32
|
28
|
|
Points off Turnovers
|
24
|
1
|
|
Second Change Points
|
17
|
12
|
|
Fast Break Points
|
14
|
4
|
|
Bench Points
|
30
|
4
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