BOX SCORE
NEWARK, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In a game New Jersey City University had to win if it wanted to control its own post-season destiny, five players scored in double figures, led by senior guard JAMES LIVINGSTON (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) with 17 points, six rebounds, four steals and two blocks as the Gothic Knights pulled away from Rutgers-Newark midway through the second half and moved into sole possession of third place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference North Division with an 83-67 win over Rutgers-Newark, in an NJAC game on Wednesday night at The Golden Dome.
NJCU wins its fourth consecutive game and for the eighth time in its last 10 games to improve to 11-8 overall and 5-4 in the league, surpassing Rutgers-Newark (15-6, 5-5 NJAC) and William Paterson University (12-9, 4-5 NJAC) for sole possession of third place in the NJAC North Division with four conference games remaining. The top three in each of the league's two divisions advance to the NJAC Tournament beginning on February 19.
Newark suffers only its second home loss of the year (9-2) and third in its last 22 home games and was its most lopsided home defeat since the 2008-09 season. NJCU leads the all-time series, 58-11. The schools split the 2010-11 season series, with Newark surviving the first meeting on December 1 in a triple-overtime thriller, 118-116.
Livingston came off the bench and in 22 minutes shot 3-of-5 from three-point distance and 4-of-9 from the field and had four of the 11 steals for an NJCU team which ranks No. 2 in Division III in swipes. That led to a 2:1 turnover ratio with Newark committing 20 giveaways to NJCU's 10. The Knights registered a dominant 20-2 advantage in points off turnovers, including 16-2 in the second half when NJCU outscored the Raiders, 50-39 and shot 55.6 percent as a team (15-27).
Senior shooting guard DA'SHON BARRINO (East Orange, NJ/Malcolm X. Shabazz) came off the bench to collect 13 points (4-10 FG, 5-6 FT) in 17 minutes. Sophomore forward WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) had 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting and junior point guard KEITH WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) chalked up 11 points (4-4 FT) while junior center JOSH HOSANG (Hackensack, NJ/Palm Beach Central (Fla.)) compiled 10 points and two assists.
Also for NJCU, senior swingman ROB ROBINSON (East Orange, NJ/Malcolm X. Shabazz) grabbed a game-high eight rebounds (seven defensive) and added eight points and two assists. Sophomore guard ASHMERE WILSON (Newark, NJ/Weequahic) dished three assists in his first career start and senior power forward TOM McDERMOTT (Kearny, NJ/Kearny, NJ) added six rebounds and five points (2-2 FG).
In defeat, Scarlet Raider junior guard Pedro Burgos (Fort Lee, NJ/Fort Lee), the No. 2 scorer in the NJAC, scored 19 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, shooting just 9-of-22 overall but a torrid 6-of-12 from three-point range, adding six rebounds in 39 minutes. Newark junior forward Jeremiah Rivers (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony's) added 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting and six rebounds.
Junior guard Greg Moore (Jersey City, NJ/Bayonne) finished with 11 points, including 3-of-7 from three-point range as he and Burgos made all three of the Raiders' triples. Sophomore forward Hussein Abdelmaksoud (West New York, NJ/Memorial) had eight points (4-5 FG) and seven rebounds.
More details to come.
