New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

CAMDEN, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior swingman WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter)  scored 17 points and added nine rebounds as New Jersey City University never trailed and won its 10^th game of the season with a 65-54 triumph over Rutgers University-Camden in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game on Saturday afternoon at the RUC Gymnasium.
 
NJCU improved to 10-2 and 2-1 in the NJAC while defeating Rutgers-Camden (2-10, 0-3 NJAC) for the 14^th consecutive meeting and the 42^nd time in 43 outings. NJCU has dominated the all-time series, 52-4.
 
Albright shot 9-of-10 from the foul line and 3-of-7 from the field, making a pair of three-pointers, while adding three assists in 35 minutes of action. Junior guard MICHAEL MORRIS (Burlington, NJ/Burlington City) collected NJCU career highs in points with 10 (3-9 FG) and rebounds (7), making 2-of-4 three-pointers. Morris also contributed three assists and three steals.
 
Also for NJCU, senior point guard KEITH WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) netted 10 points despite shooting 2-of-9, and picked four steals. Senior forward TAQUAN ABDULLAH (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley) had nine points (2-4 FG, 5-5 FT) and two blocks.
 
Camden sophomore guard Kyle Bowman (Camden, NJ/Collingswood) led the Scarlet Raptors with 13 points in just 12  reserve minutes, converting every shot he took—4-for-4 from the field including two threes, and 3-for-3 from the line.
 
Freshman forward Joshua Stevens (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) had 10 points (4-7 FG) and seven rebounds while sophomore forward Michael Williams (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) finished with 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Woody Redding (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) tallied nine points, but committed 10 turnovers and shot 3-for-10 (1-of-6 3 FG).
 
In a lackluster first half of shooting, NJCU shot just 26.1 percent (6-23) and struggled from three-point distance, making 2-of-11 (.182). But the Raptors experienced even greater shooting woes, converting just 4-of-21 in the period or 19.0 percent and missed all five threes attempted.
 
NJCU's success came from the foul line. It shot 11-of-12 from the line in the first half (91.7 percent) and shot 81.5 percent for the game on 22-of-27 from the stripe.
 
In the first half, the Knights scored the first seven points of the contest. After the Raptors drew within 7-4, NJCU netted eight of the next 10 points for a 15-6 lead and moved in front 18-9 on a three by freshman guard DAVID COLE (Avenel, NJ/Colonia).
 
After the hosts whittled the margin to four (19-15) with 4:29 left in the opening period, NJCU scored six of the final eight points of the half and led by eight, 25-17, at the intermission. Albright and Morris each combined for four points heading to the break.
 
The second half saw quite a turnaround, with Camden shooting 63.6 percent in the period (14-22) and 4-of-9 from three-point distance (.444). NJCU shot 12-of-24 for 50 percent and made five threes (5-for-11, .455) in the final 20 minutes.
 
After Albright hit a three on NJCU's first possession of the second half, junior swingman KAIHRIQUE IRICK (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck), who did not score in the first half when he played just two minutes after picking up a pair of quick fouls, scored all six of his points on the day in sequence to build a 34-20 lead.
 
The Knights gradually extended the advantage, claiming a 15-point cushion, 47-32, when Cole buried another three with 10:59 left and seized their largest lead, 50-32, when senior center MATT WASHINGTON (Hackensack, NJ/Paterson Catholic) converted a three-point play with 8:41 left. The Knights maintained a double-digit lead for most of the remainder of the game. A Bowman three with 4:21 left made it an eight-point game (54-46) before NJCU pushed the margin back into double figures and prevailed by 11.
 
NJCU is back on the court on Monday, January 9 at 7 p.m. when it hosts John Jay College in a non-conference game at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.