New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

NEWARK, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University sophomore point guard ASHLEY VAZQUEZ (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) scored a career high 22 points, including four three-pointers and NJCU had a number of opportunities to claim a victory in the final minutes of play before host Rutgers-Newark held on for a 67-62 victory on Wednesday (November 28), in a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball game at the Golden Dome Arena.
 
The Scarlet Raiders improve to 4-1 and 2-0 in the NJAC and lead the all-time series, 41-21, having won the last five meetings. With the loss, NJCU falls to 1-3 and 0-2 in conference play. Each school shot better than 40 percent for the game. R-N had a more than 3-to-1 ratio in free throws, making 23-of-38 versus 7-of-11 for NJCU.
 
Vazquez scored 13 of her 22 in the first half to stake the Knights to a 35-33 halftime lead—its first halftime lead over a conference opponent since a 22-19 margin against Rutgers University-Camden on January 29, 2011. Vazquez shot 7-of-18 from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point range, while making all four foul shots she attempted and dishing three assists.
 
In defeat, senior guard GABRIELLE RIVERA (Teaneck, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) added nine points (4-10 FG) and four assists while junior forward ALNISA HERNAIZ (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) chipped in eight points (4-6 FG), four rebounds and three steals.
 
Senior forward MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) supplied seven points and five rebounds and senior guard DELIA CHERNEZ (Union City, NJ/Union City) grabbed eight rebounds and three assists.
 
“We had a lot of moments where we should have capitalized and didn't,” said second-year coach Amy Mulligan. “We need to be more sound with the basketball and take advantages of the opportunities we create with our defense.”
 
For the Scarlet Raiders, sophomore forward Jade Howard (Sicklerville, NJ/St. Joseph's) scored a team-high 20 points (7-10 FG) and grabbed seven rebounds with two blocks. Junior forward Jewell Palmer (Port Reading, NJ/Woodbridge) chipped in 13 points, primarily from the line where she was 9-for-15, and added six rebounds (five defensive) while junior forward Jasmine Daniels (Lodi, NJ/Lodi) supplied 10 rebounds, eight points (4-8 FG) and three assists).
 
Also for Rutgers-Newark, rookie guard Laura Shakiri (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) chipped in 11 points, making 3-of-5 from three-point distance, and rookie guard Maria Simmons (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) contributed six assists and six steals, while blocking three shots.
 
In a back and forth first half, where the largest lead was no greater than five points, NJCU shot 42% from the field (14-33 FG) and outscored Rutgers-Newark, 16-6 in the paint. The Gothic Knights were able to take the lead in the final seconds of play in the first half when Vazquez made two free throws to give her team a 35-33 lead at the break after a three by Shakiri had tied it at 33-33 with 58 seconds left. Vazquez earlier put NJCU in front, 33-28, at the 2:00 mark with a triple.
 
The final 20 minutes of play were just as thrilling between the rivals as both teams traded baskets until the final minutes. The clubs saw ties at 35, 38 and 43-43 with 14:17 remaining before R-N worked a seven-point lead, 52-45, with 10:35 on the clock as Shakiri hit a three, sophomore center Sharee Gordon (Newark, NJ/University) added a three-point play and Howard scored in the paint. Baskets by senior swing player KERRI CASSARELLO (Keansburg, NJ/Keansburg), rookie center DESEREE JOHNSON (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) and Vazquez cut the deficit to one, 52-51, with 8:42 to play.
 
That was as close as NJCU would get. An offensive rebound and putback by Gordon at 8:15 and Howard jumper pushed the lead to five. NJCU went 3:34 without scoring before a jumper at 5:08 by rookie guard KIANA BRIGGS (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) made it a three-point game. A layup by Vazquez with 4:30 to go kept the deficit at three.
 
But Howard sank layups at 4:10 and 3:39 to claim a seven-point, 62-55 lead for the hosts. Vazquez sank a pair from the line with 2:19 left to make it 63-59. NJCU had opportunities to draw closer, but turned it over four times in less than two minutes—the final giveaway a steal by Simmons with 37 seconds to play that led to two made two free throws. NJCU would respond as Vazquez fired back a three-pointer with 17 seconds to play to make it a 65-62 game.
 
However, NJCU's late rally would be cut short as Howard would make a key free throw with 13 seconds left on the back end of two shots. NJCU missed a late jumper and Palmer would seal the win with one free throw.
 
NJCU will look to bounce back from the loss on Saturday, December 1 at 2 p.m. when it hosts Rowan University in a conference game on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court' at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.