New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

JAMAICA, QUEENS, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | All five starters for New Jersey City University registered double figures and combined to score 70 of the Gothic Knights' 76 points, as NJCU remained undefeated with a 76-70 non-conference road win over York College (NY) on Monday night. Junior swingman KAIHRIQUE IRICK (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) scored a team-high 21 points in the win.
 
NJCU, now 6-0, has won 18 of its last 20 games since going on a tear at the end of the 2010-11 season en route to its 12^th New Jersey Athletic Conference championship. NJCU is 6-2 all-time against York; the Cardinals fall to 1-6 with the loss.
 
Irick shot 10-of-18 overall and had five rebounds to go with his 21 points in 31 minutes before fouling out. Senior power forward TAQUAN ABDULLAH (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley), who entered the game 0-for-9 from three-point range  this year, finally heated up. He knocked down 4-of-7 from long distance, shot 5-of-10 overall and tallied 14 points and five rebounds.
 
Senior center MATT WASHINGTON (Hackensack, NJ/Paterson Catholic) powered his way to his second double-double of the season, matching his NJCU career high with 14 rebounds, while adding 13 points (7-10 FT, 3-7 FG), five assists and two blocks.
 
Junior swingman WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) had another solid effort, scoring 12 points on 3-of-7 shooting, including 6-of-8 from the line. Senior point guard KEITH WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) collected 10 points (3-6 FG, 3-4 FT) and six assists.
  
The Cardinals received a game high of 22 points (7-14 FG, 8-14 FT) by junior guard Tony Vails (Brooklyn, NY), with five assists and five rebounds. Junior guard Mark Evans (Baltimore, MD) was a point shy of Vails, collecting 21 points and seven rebounds, while shooting 7-of-14 from the field, 3-of-7 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the line. Senior center Phillipe Gregoire (Jamaica, NY) added 11 points before fouling out. Freshman point guard Du'Quan Lawson (Hollis, NY) had six assists.
 
NJCU shot 54.2 percent from the field (13-24) and 5-of-8 from three-point range (.625) in the first half, yet only led by three at halftime, 33-30, due to 2-of-8 foul shooting. York was 1-for-7 from three-point distance in the first half.
 
The Knights improved dramatically from the line in the second half, converting 16-of-19 (84.2 percent). NJCU finished the game shooting 49.1 percent from the floor (26-53) and 6-of-14 from three-point territory (.429).

“They [York] played tough and we played good enough to win,” admitted fifth-year head coach MARC BROWN. “York is a good team, especially at home and they are 1-5 so they are fighting to get a win. We were lucky to come out of here with a win. In the second half we made our free throws and that made the difference. We are trying to get better every game and every game is important.”
 
NJCU only trailed in the opening minute of the first half and jumped out to an 18-7 lead with 10:52 to go when junior guard MICHAEL MORRIS (Burlington, NJ/Burlington City) drilled a three. York cut it to 18-16 before threes by Williams and Abdullah kept the lead at five and Williams laid home a basket with 1:17 on the board for a 33-26 lead. Evans and Vails scored in the final 50 seconds to make it a three-point game at halftime.
 
NJCU led by eight at the 16:30 mark of the second half before suddenly finding themselves in a close contest. York scored eight of the next points before tying it at 40-40. NJCU pushed back for a pair of two-point leads but the Cardinals managed to tie it four times in the second half and moved in front when senior guard Kevin Lausell (Brooklyn, NY) hit a three for a 49-48 lead with 10:45 left.
 
The lead lasted 32 seconds as NJCU responded with an 11-2 run to seize control of the game, capped by a three-point play by Washington with 7:52 remaining for an eight-point, 59-51 margin. A three by Evans with 5:37 left made it a four point game and it was 63-59 with 4:47 to go.

But NJCU unleashed the thunder to put York away, as WALIK ALBRIGHT slammed a dunk off a Williams feed at 3:38 and Albright set up Irick for a dunk with 2:56 to play as the lead swelled to eight, 67-59. A triple by Abdullah with 1:42 left and a layup by Irick with 66 seconds left made it 72-63, before the Knights iced the win from the line.
 
“Walik has been playing well,” said Brown on Albright's continued production. “He's a good all-around player and he's playing well on both ends. He's probably our most versatile player.”

NJCU is back in action in a neutral court non-conference game on Wednesday, December 7 at 9 p.m. when the Knights face Lehman College, now 5-1 on the year, at Baruch College.