New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | On the 18^th of January, each school entered Wednesday night's New Jersey Athletic Conference men's basketball game with a key 18 on the line. In the first of two NJAC meetings this year between the schools, No. 18 ranked William Paterson University outscored New Jersey City University, 45-26 in the second half, taking advantage of points off turnovers and second chance scoring as the Pioneers snapped NJCU's two-year, 18-game home court winning streak, 72-58, on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court' at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
 
WPU, ranked No. 18 by D3hoops.com, extended its winning streak to five straight while NJCU (12-4, 3-3 NJAC) dropped its second in a row while losing at home for the first time since a 70-67 setback to Kean University on December 4, 2010. In the 137^th meeting between the schools, NJCU leads the all-time series, 75-62. The Gothic Knights fell into fourth place in the NJAC North Division—one game behind Montclair State University (4-2) and Ramapo College (4-2) and two behind the Pioneers with seven league games remaining.
 
NJCU, which committed 23 turnovers in a loss at Richard Stockton College on January 14, coughed up 21 in tonight's loss—its six 20-plus turnover game and the fourth in six outings. The Pioneers only committed nine turnovers—and just three in the second half—and owned a 23-5 difference in points off turnovers.
 
Despite NJCU having the clear size advantage, WPU had a nearly 3-to-1 margin inside, outscoring NJCU 38-14 in the paint. Meanwhile, WPU, which also had a 28-6 edge in bench scoring, outrebounded NJCU 34-23, including 14-4 on the offensive glass. That helped the Pioneers claim a 12-2 margin in second chance scoring.
 
“They wanted it more,” fifth-year head coach Marc Brown summed up. “We had bad guard play and too many turnovers. The last couple of games we have averaged 22 turnovers. Tonight, they had more toughness. Every big possession they needed to get a rebound, they got it. We lacked toughness and we were poor defensively; both the perimeter and interior defense was awful and that's what we have to work on to get better. Our defense could not contain.”
 
The Pioneers have been led all season by its two dynamic scorers, three-time NJAC Player of the Week and junior guard Corey Chandler (Newark, NJ/Newark East Side) and junior guard/forward Lance Brown (Teaneck, NJ/Paterson Catholic). The duo entered the contest averaging nearly 42 points per game between them with Chandler at an NJAC-best 22.4 and Brown adding 19.1. The two players struggled from the floor, shooting a combined 10-for-29 (.345).
 
But the Pioneers were picked up by freshman guard Jaques Conceicao (Massama-Lisboa, Portugal/Francias Charle Lepierre), who had a team-high 16 points (5-for-8 FG, 6-8 FT) and seven steals with six rebounds in 35 minutes. He scored eight in each half.
 
“Their two big guys [Chandler, Brown] shot low percentages but the kid from Portugal [Conceicao] had a great game. He established himself early. When we've played some of the other teams, we have had better players, but tonight they had similar talent and we could not match their toughness.”
 
Junior swingman WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) equaled Conceicao with a game-high 16 points (6-9 FG) and six rebounds and connected on three of five three-pointers.  Senior center MATT WASHINGTON (Hackensack, NJ/Paterson Catholic) matched his career high with 15 points (4-6 FG, 7-9 FT) and had five rebounds and proved to be a difficult matchup inside.
 
Junior swingman KAIHRIQUE IRICK (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) had 10 points (3-7 FG), including a pair of threes (2-4) but faced foul trouble down the stretch. Senior point guard KEITH WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) had eight points (3-6 FG), making two of three from long range, but committed five turnovers, as did Washington. No other NJCU player had more than four points.
 
Brown chalked up his ninth double-double of the season, contributing 15 points, 11 rebounds and three steals in 34 minutes. He shot 6-of-18 from the floor.
 
Chandler did not start for only the second time this season and did not enter the game until 9:15 remained in the first half. Chandler, who was the league's leading scorer in conference games at 23.3, had just three points in the first half, shooting 1-for-5 from the field. While he struggled from the floor and had his second lowest scoring total of the season, he managed 13 points with three steals in 22 minutes.
 
Junior guard Rick DeStefano (Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro) and freshman forward James McLane (Belleville, NJ/Queen of Peace) each finished with seven points for WPU.
 
Washington (9), Irick (8) and Albright (7) combined for 24 of NJCU's 32 first half points. NJCU shot 12-of-23 in the first half (52.2 percent), including 5-of-10 from three-point range while limiting the guests to .387 shooting (12-31) and 1-of- 6 from beyond the arc (.167).
 
Conceicao scored six of WPU's first 12 points but Washington accounted for seven of the Knights' first 15, including a three-point play that made it 15-11. Irick extended the lead to 27-22 when he beat the shot clock with a jumper just inside the top of the arc and he drained another triple with 4:39 on the board for a 10-point, 32-22 advantage, as NJCU scored seven in a row. WPU cut it to five, turning a bad pass at midcourt into a fast break basket and that 32-27 score stood at the intermission.
 
But in the second half, there were nine lead changes and three ties, as WPU became a more consistent team, shooting 52.0 percent (13-of-25) in the final 20 minutes.
 
NJCU continued to lead by six after Washington hit a pair from the line for a 37-31 cushion before Brown and Chandler combined for the next seven points and the visitors gained their first lead when Chandler drove to the hoop with 14:59 left. A three by Albright put NJCU back in front (40-38) before Brown scored over three players on the low post for a 41-40 Pioneer edge. Albright gave NJCU back the lead with an electric three-point play for a 43-41 edge and the Knights led 45-41 after a Williams' jumper.
 
Chandler knocked down a three and Conceicao sank two from the line as the Pioneers regained a one-point lead before junior guard MICHAEL MORRIS (Burlington, NJ/Burlington City) hit a three with 11:03 left for a 48-46 edge. After Conceicao put WPU back in front with two more from the line (50-48), Williams connected on an NBA-range three as NJCU reclaimed its final lead of the night, 51-50 with 9:17 to play.
 
From there the Pioneers scored the next eight points and built an 11-point lead courtesy of a 14-2 run that made it 64-53 with 2:35 to play. After two foul shots by Conceicao put WPU back in front, junior guard Julio Rosario (Perth Amboy, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) scored his only four points of the night. His offensive rebound and follow with 8:11 to play and driving layup with 7:21 left made it 56-51 before McLane and Brown added buckets and Chandler hit two from the line; the final four points were off of NJCU turnovers.
 
After the Williams three, NJCU missed its next six shots from the field and committed three costly turnovers before Albright sank a three with 29 seconds remaining. WPU was able to maintain a double-digit lead, making late foul shots and the final 14-point margin was its largest lead of the night.
 
NJCU will seek a return to the win column on Saturday, January 21 at 7 p.m. when it hosts The College of New Jersey in NJAC action. It will be Green and Gold Day at NJCU with a pair of alumni basketball games—the women at 11 a.m. followed by the men at 1 p.m.  The Pioneers host Rutgers University-Camden that day at 3 p.m.