New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

NORTON, MA (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University junior forward ALNISA HERNAIZ (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) poured in an All-Tournament Team double-double effort of 17 points and 13 rebounds and the Gothic Knights used first half runs of 16-0 and 22-2 to surge out to a huge first half lead, en route to a 38-point, 67-29 rout of Lesley University in the consolation game of the season-opening Cheryl Warren-Powers '95 Memorial Tournament, hosted by Wheaton College (Mass.) on November 18 at Emerson Gymnasium.
 
NJCU (1-1) limited the Lynx (0-3) to just 20.5 percent shooting in the game and forced 33 turnovers. The Knights, facing Lesley for the first time, dominated after those giveaways, to a tune of a 30-2 margin in points off turnovers. NJCU also held a 32-10 margin in points in the paint and 16-2 on the fast break. NJCU had 15 steals as a team.
 
Hernaiz registered her 10^th career double-double, 19^th career double-digit rebounding effort and 16^th career double figure scoring outburst, shooting 7-of-16 from the field, while grabbing seven offensive caroms, seizing five steals and two blocks in 29 minutes.
 
Sophomore point guard ASHLEY VAZQUEZ (Jersey City, NJ/Marist), a transfer from Division II Slippery Rock University, had yet another solid effort, racking up 15 points (6-9 FG) with four assists in 26 minutes.
 
Senior forward MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) banked her second nine-point scoring total of the weekend (4-6 FG) while senior shooting guard GABRIELLE RIVERA (Teaneck, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) provided seven points and four assists. 
Also for the winners, freshman center DESEREE JOHNSON (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) hauled in eight rebounds (six defensive) with five steals in 23 minutes. Sophomore guard JADE MEDLEY (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) scored seven points (3-5 FG) in eight minutes and freshman forward JIANA CLARK (Cheltenham, PA/Cheltenham) collected six points and five rebounds in eight minutes of reserve action.
 
Lesley received 11 points (5-7 FG) from 6-foot-0 junior center Grace Amato (Sharon, VT) and 11 rebounds by sophomore forward Anthea Rathjens (Sudbury, MA). Outside of Amato, the rest of the Lynx squad shot a combined 4-for-37 (.108).
 
“As a team we had a strong, competitive weekend,” noted second-year head coach Amy Mulligan. “We showed that we can be tough and play with teams. I think we saw a lot of combinations that gelled for us this weekend. Our core group of returners set a strong tone for competitiveness, accountability, and toughness. In both games we distributed the ball well and played as a unit.”
 
Mulligan added: “Alnisa showed she is a force on both sides of the court. She shut down the big girls and did a tremendous job on the boards. She also showed that she has focused on her offensive game and is learning to play inside and out.”
 
NJCU largely put the game away midway through the first half. Leading 11-9 with 15:15 remaining, NJCU unleashed a 16-0 run over an eight-minute stretch, surging out to a 27-9, 18-point margin at the 7:15 mark. Vazquez bombed a three pointer to open the run before layups by Clark, Rivera, Hernaiz and Vazquez pushed the lead to 24-9. An offensive rebound led to another Hernaiz bucket to cap the run.
 
The Knights would get two more baskets by Hernaiz, who had 11 points and eight rebounds in the first half alone, and a Rivera fast-break jumper as the streak surged to 22-2 and the score, 33-11.
 
NJCU led by 24 at halftime, 38-14 and outscored Lesley in the second half, 29-15. A Clark jumper with 11 minutes on the board elevated the advantage to 30 points. The 38-point final result was NJCU's largest lead of the contest.
 
“Gabby Rivera really stepped up her ability to hit the shot off the dribble and off screens. She came up big every time we needed it or made a big run,” Mulligan summarized. “We had some big defensive plays by freshman DESEREE JOHNSON, who is showing as she develops she is going to be tough to handle. JIANA CLARK had a great second game coming back from injury and started to get her legs under her. She was tremendous on the boards and making things happen, especially in the Lesley game.”
 
NJCU will return home and open its 12-game home schedule and 18-game New Jersey Athletic Conference slate when it hosts Ramapo College on Tuesday, November 20 at 6 p.m. at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on “Coach Charlie Brown Court.” All ticket sales from the game will be donated by the NJCU Department of Athletics to a charity benefitting Hurricane Sandy victims.