New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University junior swingman KAIHRIQUE IRICK (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) scored all 16 of his points in the first half, junior guard WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) had 17 points, and five players scored in double figures for the second straight game as the Gothic Knights opened their 11-game home schedule with a 99-79 rout of Medgar Evers College, in non-conference  action on Tuesday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.'
 
The game was a matchup of a pair of 2011 conference champions. Defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champs NJCU, which shot 52.3 percent in the win (34-65), including 59.4 percent in the first half (19-32), improved to 3-0 on the season. Medgar Evers, last year's City University of New York Athletic Conference titlists, falls to 2-2 on the season.
 
NJCU leads the all-time series against Medgar Evers, 5-1. The Knights have now won 15 of their last 17 home games dating back to the 2009-10 season. It was the 225^th victory in program history when scoring at least 90 points; the Knights are 225-15 (.938) in 240 all-time games when reaching 90-plus on the scoreboard.
 
Albright, at 6-foot-5, played a balanced game, including extended minutes running the point, and finished with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, with six rebounds (six defensive), five assists and three steals in 28 minutes. Irick shot 6-of-10, including 2-of-3 from three-point territory, adding three steals and two blocks in 24 minutes to accompany his 16  points. Irick was instrumental in sparking the Knights to a 50-36 advantage at halftime.
 
Also for NJCU, junior point guard NAADIR WILLIAMS (Newark, NJ/Weequahic) notched his fourth career double digit scoring effort with 13 points (5-8 FG), including 2-of-3 from three-point range, adding four assists in 19 reserve minutes.
 
Freshman small forward XAVIER CORPORAN (Union City, NJ/Union City) tallied a career high 13 points in just 17 minutes, knocking down both three-pointers he attempted, 3-of-3 from the line and 4-of-6 field goals overall. Senior forward TAQUAN ABDULLAH (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley) added 11 points (4-10 FG) and three assists. Senior center MATT WASHINGTON (Hackensack, NJ/Paterson Catholic) had eight points (2-5 FG, 4-4 FT) and rookie forward JAQUAN COOK (New Brunswick, NJ/New Brunswick), who didn't score in his first two career games, netted seven points on 3-of-4 shooting in just nine minutes.
 
The Cougars received a game-high in points and rebounds from junior forward Winston Douglas (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale), with a double-double of 24 points (8-11 FG, 2-4 3FG, 6-7 FT), 13 rebounds and four steals. Junior forward Jovan Deare (Brooklyn, NY/Thomas Jefferson) finished with 16 points (4-10 FG, 8-12 FT) and four blocks and junior guard Jarrel Deare (Brooklyn, NY/Mt. Zion Academy) matched him with 16 points (10-13 FT, 3-9 FG). Sophomore guard Tony Sims (Westbury, NY/Holy Trinity) collected nine points (2-9 FG) and three assists.
 
“I'm pleased with the win,” said fifth-year head coach MARC BROWN. “I thought Walik did an excellent job and Kaihrique was great in the first half. We have a couple of injured players and I'm glad we got out of the game without any more injuries. Walik got minutes at the point and performed.”
 
“However, we have a lot of work to do if we want to be a championship team,” Brown continued. “I thought we had too many lapses on defense and lost concentration too much on the floor. This team could really be great if they put their minds to it and I'm trying to get us to that level where we can be great. The bottom line though is we got the win pretty easily tonight.”
The Knights shot 46.2 percent from three-point distance (6-of-13) and connected on 25-of-35 from the foul line (.714). Meanwhile, NJCU's bench got involved in the scoring, owning a 3:1 margin in bench points (42-14). NJCU and Medgar each committed 22 turnovers, but the Knights took advantage when they were presented with the chance, outscoring the guests 23-6 on the fast break. NJCU also demonstrated solid ball movement, picking up assists on 23 of 34 baskets.
 
NJCU, which never trailed in the game, opened up an 18-9 lead in the first six minutes of the game as Irick poured in 10 points during that stretch. MEC pushed back to tie at 19-19 at the 11:13 mark and again at 26-26 with 6:19 to play.
 
Clutching a two-point cushion with 4:17 remaining in the first half, NJCU outscored the Cougars 18-6 in the final minutes of the period. Albright scored six straight NJCU points, including a layup with 2:33 left that made it 40-32 and when Medgar coughed up the inbounds pass, Abdullah grabbed the loose ball and stuffed a fast-break dunk for a double-digit edge. Corporan drilled a three with 54 seconds left in the half, then stole the inbounds pass and scored a fast-break bucket and drawing a foul, before converting another three-point play for the 14-point lead at halftime.
 
After MEC scored the first points of the second half, it was all NJCU from there, scoring the next nine points—two Albright layups and a jumper by Abdullah. NAADIR WILLIAMS, who assisted on two of those baskets, drained a three off a feed from Albright to make it a 21-point, 59-38 lead with 17:09 still to play.
 
However, unlike the 2011 season when NJCU could not maintain a second half lead against the Cougars in Brooklyn, the Knights controlled the second half, twice gaining margins of 22 points before prevailing by 20.
 
On Sunday, November 27, the Knights will take on yet another 2011 conference champion and NCAA qualifier with a 3 p.m. home game against Alvernia University (1-1), last year's MAC Commonwealth Conference winners. The two teams met last year for the first time with the Crusaders surviving by two points, 65-63, in Reading, Pa.