New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES: Inside-the-Athlete feature, DAVID COLE

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | No. 17 ranked Ramapo College opened the second half on an 18-6 run to build a nine-point lead midway through the period and New Jersey City University was unable to draw any closer than four points the rest of the contest as the Roadrunners outlasted NJCU, 67-60, in the 2012-13 New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both schools on November 20 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.'
 
Ramapo, ranked 17^th in the D3hoops.com preseason national poll, improved to 2-0 (1-0 NJAC) while the Gothic Knights, also playing in its home opener, dropped to 1-2 (0-1 NJAC). NJCU continues to lead the all-time series, 61-20.
 
Ramapo, the preseason favorite to win the NJAC in the league's coaches' poll, had four players score in double figures, and two tally double doubles.
 
NJCU freshman shooting guard KHALID MUHAMMAD (Orange, NJ/Orange), the reigning NJAC Rookie of the Week, scored in double figures for the third straight game to open his career, finishing with 10 points (5-12 FG) and three steals while senior shooting guard NAADIR WILLIAMS (Newark, NJ/Weequahic) also collected 10 points, and three assists, but struggled from the field (2-12 FG, 1-10 3FG).
 
Ramapo senior guard Will Sanborn (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Regional), a D3hoops.com Preseason Third-Team All-American, entered as the league's scoring leader at 22.0 points per game but was limited to 3-of-9 shooting. However, Sanborn managed to notch an all-around effort of 12 points, 10 rebounds (eight defensive) and four assists, shooting 5-of-7 from the line.
 
Senior forward Elgin Brown (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) had a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds (4-13 FG). Senior guard Anthony LoRusso (Mahwah, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) put up a game-best 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, adding four assists and two steals and senior forward Stephon Treadwell (Newark, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) chipped in 14 points, making 10-of-12 from the line, with seven rebounds and three blocks.
 
NJCU struggled from the field, shooting 32.4 percent (24-74) and converted just 3-of-19 from three-point distance (.158). The Knights also hit just 9-of-20 foul shots (.450), while the Roadrunners converted 27-of-36 (.750).
 
Sophomore shooting guard DAVID COLE (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) chipped in seven points (3-8 FG). No other Gothic Knight had more than six points or six rebounds. The Knights did haul in 28 offensive rebounds and had a 28-10 edge in second chance scoring (30-11 off turnovers).
 
“We are a young team and we are going to have games like this when we can't score,” said sixth-year head coach Marc Brown. “Their [Ramapo's] two top players [Sanborn and Treadwell] struggled [shooting, offensively] but we struggled greatly as a team. They are an experienced and better team than we are and when it came down to it, they made plays when they needed to in the second half."
 
In what was a competitive game for most of the night, NJCU led 30-27 at the half. The Knights score the first eight points of the night, including four by Muhammad, culminating in a dunk. The lead continued until RCNJ tied it at 14-14 and the visitors built a 17-14 advantage at the end of an 11-2 spurt. RCNJ pushed the lead to five, 23-18, with 6:43 left in the half. NJCU's defense held the Roadrunners scoreless for the next 4:49, and without a field goal to end the period. Cole scored all seven of this points in the final 3:42 of the period—including a three-pointer, and a pair of baskets following offensive rebounds, to help seize the three-point edge at the break.
 
The clubs traded a pair of early second half leads and a layup by Muhammad with 17:31 to go in the game put NJCU back on top, 36-34, for the final time.
 
But Ramapo would score the next 11 points as Brown and LoRusso each scored twice for a 42-36 advantage at the 15:08 mark before sophomore forward John Martens (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North) knocked down a three at 14:28 for a 45-36 margin.
 
From there, Ramapo was able to keep NJCU at bay. The Knights got within four with 9:55 left on a steal and transition basket by senior small forward JOSH CAVER (Trenton, NJ/Pennsbury (Fairless Hills, Pa.) that made it a four-point game (50-46) before RCNJ pushed the lead back top nine with 5:56 to play on a pair of Treadwell foul shots. With 5:35 to go, senior center DAVID JONES (Millville, NJ/Cumberland Regional) sank a jumper and Williams converted a three with 5:13 on the board to once again whittle the deficit to four (57-53).
 
But Ramapo held NJCU scoreless for the next 3:37, extended the lead to 10 (63-53) with just 2:43 to play, and the Knights were unable to draw closer than five in the final 90 seconds.
 
“Each game, we are trying to get better,” Marc Brown noted. “We have a tough one against Rutgers-Newark next week, but we have some time to prepare. Overall, it's going to be tough year and our goal is to play hard every game.”
 
Next on the slate after the Thanksgiving holiday is an NJAC contest on Wednesday, November 28 against Rutgers-Newark at The Golden Dome in Newark, NJ at 8 p.m.