New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES: Inside-the-Athlete feature on DAKWAN SIMMONS

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Kean University shot 93.8 percent from the foul line and made half of its shots in the second half, without trailing in the game as the Cougars outlasted New Jersey City University, 55-48, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men's basketball game on December 8 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.'

NJCU (2-6, 0-5 NJAC) drops back-to-back NJAC games since upsetting #21 New York University on Monday. Kean, which shot 15-of-16 from the line and 40.5 percent overall (17-42), wins consecutive conference games after starting the year with five losses and is now 2-5 (2-3 NJAC).
 
Despite only committing 14 turnovers in the game and using its pressure defense to force the Cougars into 23 giveaways, the Knights could only muster 16 points off those mistakes.
 
Moreover, NJCU did not shoot well in the game, finishing at 27.3 percent from both the field (15-55) and three-point range (6-22), while making 12-of-22 from the line (.545).
 
The Knights were shooting below 15 percent for much of the first half and fell behind 21-7 before scoring the final 10 points of the opening period to make it a four-point game (21-17) at the intermission. However, NJCU shot just 20 percent from the field (4-20) and three-point distance (2-10) in the opening 20 minutes. Kean's first half field goal percentage dipped to 33.3 percent (8-24) and 3-of-11 from three-point range (.273) during NJCU's late first half spurt.
 
In defeat for the Knights, sophomore point guard DAKWAN SIMMONS (Newark, NJ/University) more than doubled his first-year career high for NJCU, finishing with a game-high 16 points, making 4-of-4 from the field and both three-pointers attempted, while adding 6-of-8 foul shooting in 16 minutes of action.
 
Two-time and reigning NJAC Rookie of the Week KHALID MUHAMMAD (Orange, NJ/Orange) was held to single digits in scoring for the second straight outing and only the third time this season, scoring seven points (3-13 FG, 0-5 3FG), with a game-best seven rebounds. No other Gothic Knight scored more than six points.
 
Kean junior guard Michael Burton (Irvington, NJ/South Plainfield), who entered as the NJAC's leading scorer (16.7 per game), managed a team-best 15 points (5-12 FG) with three triples (3-8 3FG), five rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. Senior guard Mike Shaughnessy (Linwood, NJ/Mainland Regional) delivered nine assists as Kean managed an assist on 15 of 17 made baskets.
 
Junior forward Kyle Latorre (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights) and senior guard Anthony Gibson (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional) each had nine points and seven rebounds for the Cougars; Latorre was 2-of-3 from the field and 5-of-5 from the line while Gibson shot 4-of-4 from the stripe.
 
Burton, who scored nine points in the first half, made two threes in the period, including a triple with 6:20 to go to stake the Cougars to the 14-point, 21-7 lead—its largest margin of the game. Simmons scored the next seven points for NJCU—four free throws and a trey with 3:01 left in the half. With time winding down in the half, sophomore guard DAVID COLE (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) drained an NBA range three-pointer inside the near sideline to make it a four-point game at the break.
 
Kean managed to keep the Knights at arms' length for most of the second half, with NJCU not getting closer than three points and the Cougars lead never more than seven until the hosts rallied.
 
After scoring with 11:20 left in the game, Kean was held scoreless for a stretch of 5:57. NJCU struggled itself, but Simmons scored on the fast break with 10:45 on the clock and freshman forward MATT BREWER (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy) put back a third chance basket for the Knights with 7:31 to go, cutting the deficit to 38-36. With 6:50 on the Simmons sank two foul shots to tie the game at 38-38—the first deadlock since 3-3.
 
But Kean snapped out of its dry spell and scored 12 of the next 14 points over a span of 5:12 to seize control of the game. A three by Gibson put Kean back on top, 41-38, with 5:27 left and Shaughnessy scored on the fast break. Free throws by Latorre and Shaughnessy pushed the lead to 47-40 with 3:02 to play and with 2:01 left, freshman forward Frank Nock (Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton) banked in a three-pointer to extend the lead to 50-40.
 
Simmons attempted to single-handedly rally the troops, drilling a three with 1:38 left, before converting a steal into a fast break basket with 1:08 to play, slicing the deficit to 50-45. But Gibson hit his next four shots from the line after NJCU could not capitalize on a five-second turnover and pushed the advantage back to nine (54-45), before  prevailing by seven.
 
NJCU is back on the hard wood on Wednesday, December 12 at 8 p.m. when it visits Montclair State University in an NJAC contest in Montclair, NJ. Kean travels to William Paterson University that night at the same time.