New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

ST. MARY'S CITY, MD (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Freshman point guard LUISA MONTALVO (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) hit a running jumper from a step inside the foul line at the buzzer to force overtime and finished with a game-high 26 points in her second game at New Jersey City University, and NJCU and Cabrini College went back-and-forth in the extra session before the Cavaliers outlasted the Gothic Knights, 59-53, in one overtime in the consolation game of the 2011 Cherry Cove Seahawk Tip-Off Tournament on Friday evening, hosted by St. Mary's College (Md.) at O'Brien ARC Arena on Saturday.
 
Junior forward MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) was named to the All-Tournament Team after a two-game effort of 22 points and 10 rebounds.
 
NJCU (0-2) and Cabrini (1-1) were meeting for only the second time ever and the first time in 22 years; the Cavaliers defeated the Knights on November 18, 1989.
 
Montalvo scored 10 points in the first half and 12 in the second period, finishing with 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 6-of-9 from the line in 35 minutes. It's the second straight year a Gothic Knight rookie has scored 26 points in a game; current sophomore MARIA SUAREZ (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) tallied a team season-high 26 points in a win over Medgar Evers College on November 22, 2010.
 
Also for NJCU, sophomore power forward ALNISA HERNAIZ (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) seized 11 rebounds for the second game in a row with 10 on the defensive glass. She added three steals in 41 minutes. Freshman JADE MEDLEY (Newark, NJ/Hudson Catholic), who was the top performer on the NJCU women's volleyball team in the fall season, finished with eight points (3-7 FG).
 
Cabrini received 16 points (6-9 FG, 2-4 3FG) from sophomore guard Amanda Cundari (Farmingdale, NJ/Howell). Sophomore forward Annie Rivituso (Wilmington, DE) earned All-Tournament team honors with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, five rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Sophomore forward Colleen Stewart (Scarsdale, NY) had nine rebounds, six points and four steals.
 
“Max played with heart, drive and intensity all weekend,” said first-year head coach AMY MULLIGAN on Kaminski's All-Tournament Team selection. “She truly gave 110 percent the entire tournament. She drew six charges and her relentless play on the offensive end—taking it strong to the basket or helping to get a teammate open—was pivotal to our comebacks in both games.”
 
In a game where the two schools combined for 68 turnovers (36 NJCU, 32 Cabrini), the Cavaliers moved in front in the first minute and twice built 10-point leads in the period (17-7 and 27-17) before heading to the half ahead 27-19.
 
After NJCU cut the deficit to six in the opening moments of the second half, Cabrini reclaimed a double digit lead, extending the margin to 14, 39-25, when Cundari sank a three with 11:19 to play. Cabrini continued to lead by 10, 43-33, when Rivituso converted a layup with 4:58 to go.
 
But for the second time in the tournament, NJCU rallied late to make it a ball game. In a 67-64 loss to host St. Mary's yesterday, the Knights trailed by 11 midway through the second half and by eight points with 4:02 left, before reeling off a comeback to tie it.
 
Montalvo would fuel the surge for NJCU. She hit two foul shots before converting a layup with 3:44 to play, cutting it to six. Two foul shots by junior guard GABRIELLE RIVERA (Teaneck, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) made it 43-39 and Montalvo turned a Cabrini turnover into two points with 2:34 left, as the Knights clawed within two, 43-41. Medley, who scored all eight of her points in the second half, stole the ball from Stewart and dashed down court for a game-tying, fast-break basket with 43 seconds remaining.
 
Stewart missed a jumper with 12 seconds left but Cabrini got the offensive rebound and with eight seconds on the clock sophomore guard Brittany Sandone (Harleysville, PA) put the Cavs in front 45-43. That basket ended a 4:50 scoreless drought for Cabrini.
 
NJCU in-bounded the ball and Montalvo pushed the ball upcourt, forcing overtime when she drilled her pull-up jumper with time expiring.
 
In the extra session, Cabrini never trailed, but was not able to build more than a three-point lead until the final seconds of the extra session.
 
Two foul shots by Sandone put Cabrini in front. After a Stewart layup, Hernaiz made it a one-point game and Montalvo hit the back-end of two foul shots to tie it again, 49-49. A three-point play by junior guard Renee Deas (Philadelphia, PA) made it 52-49 with 2:02 remaining. Montalvo scored with 1:46 left before Cundari sank a jumper with 66 seconds to go for a 54-51 edge.
 
NJCU committed one of its four turnovers in the final 2:22 of the game, but Rivituso missed both free throws with 28 seconds to play and after Medley missed a potential tying three-pointer, Rivera grabbed the offensive rebound and sank a jump shot with 10 seconds left. Trailing by one, 54-53, NJCU was forced to foul and Cundari sank both free throws, giving Cabrini a 56-53 lead with nine seconds remaining.
 
The Knights were still alive but committed another giveaway and Rivituso turned a steal into two points before being fouled. She finished off the win with a foul shot for a three-point play with six seconds to go as Cabrini held on for the six-point decision.
 
On Tuesday, November 22 at 6 p.m., NJCU will open its 2011-12 home schedule in a non-conference game against Medgar Evers  on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court' at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.