New Jersey City University Athletics

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MAHWAH, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University sophomore point guard ASHLEY VAZQUEZ (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) scored a game-high 20 points and NJCU whittled a 16-point deficit to seven with more than three minutes remaining before Ramapo College held on to claim a 66-56 decision in a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball game on January 16 at the Bill Bradley Center.
 
Ramapo (13-4, 6-3 NJAC), entering the day in third place in the league, won its sixth consecutive game. NJCU (3-13, 1-8 NJAC), dropped its eight in a row. Ramapo, which won the first meeting between the clubs on November 20, swept the season series for the third straight year and claimed the seventh straight meeting between the schools since 2009-10.
 
In defeat, Vazquez tallied 10 points in each period and notched her 11^th double digit scoring effort of the season. She scored 10 of NJCU's 23 first half points, shooting 4-of-8, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, before ending the day with 20 points (7-22 FG; 2-7 FG) and four assists. Her 20 points were her second highest output as a Gothic Knight and were two shy of her career high-water mark.
 
Sophomore guard Jackie Jerkovich (Secaucus, NJ/Academy of the Holy Angels), who did not play in the first meeting between the schools this season, equaled Vazquez with a game-high 20 points (5-9 FG), making 3-of-5 from three-point range and 7-of-8 from the line to go with six assists and four rebounds.
 
NJCU junior forward ALNISA HERNAIZ (Irvington, NJ/Irvington), the leading rebounder in the NJAC, notched her fifth double-double of the season and 14^th of her career  and moved into 12^th place in school history in career r ebounding as she finished the game  with 11 points (4-9 FG) and 10 rebounds (seven offensive). She reached in double figures in both scoring and rebounding for the 24^th time in her career and finished as NJCU's top rebounder for the 30^th time in her career.
 
Also for the Knights, rookie center DESEREE JOHNSON (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional), making her third consecutive start and fourth of the season, provided eight points (3-7 FG), seven rebounds and two assists while playing a full 40 minutes. Sophomore guard JADE MEDLEY (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) chipped in eight points (3-9 FG), sinking 2-of-5 from three-point distance. The rest of the club combined for nine points.
 
For Ramapo, three players scored in double figures led by Jerkovich. Roadrunner senior guard Faith Flannery (Keansburg, NJ/Keansburg), who scored a game-high 13 in the first meeting between the clubs, tallied 12 points (3-9 FG), including 6-of-7 foul shooting, with four assists. Sophomore guard Kelly Haspel (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) had 11 points (4-5 FG) while junior forward Micaela Moore (Lindenwold, NJ/Lindenwold) contributed seven points and seven caroms.
 
NJCU shot 30.0 percent for the game (21-70) and 5-of-16 from three-point distance but rectified some of the missed shots with a 22-6 differential on the offensive glass, leading to an 18-3 margin in second chance points.
 
Ramapo shot 46.3 percent overall (19-41) and a sizzling 5-of-8 (.625) from three-point distance. RCNJ also had a huge margin at the line. NJCU was whistled for 10 more fouls and the Roadrunners shot 32 free throws, making 23 of those chances. The Knights did convert 90 percent of its freebies (9-10) on the night.
 
In the first half, NJCU scored first before Ramapo gained an 11-4 lead behind eight points from Jerkovich, including back-to-back threes. RCNJ led 20-12 and opened up its largest advantage of the half at 11 points (27-16) with 3:01 to go in the period when Flannery hit a pair of foul shots. The Knights scored seven of the final 10 points of the half to make it a six-point deficit as Vazquez sank a jumper as time expired; she also sank a three-pointer 42 seconds earlier.
 
Ramapo began distancing itself out of the break, using a 9-2 run to gain a 13-point, 38-25 cushion as Flannery scored five more points and that proved to be enough separation for the Roadrunners, who led by no less than 10 points until the final three minutes. Its largest lead was 16 (59-43) on Jerkovich's 19^th point (two foul shots) with 6:30 remaining.
 
NJCU trailed by 15 (60-45) with 4:41 to play before scoring the next eight points to cut the deficit to seven with 3:16 on the clock. A three by senior forward MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) and a Vazquez three-point play made it 60-53. But Ramapo answered with a jumper with 2:32 to go and the Knights were not able to draw closer than nine in the final two minutes.
 
NJCU will seek to snap its losing streak and gain a season sweep of Rowan University when it returns to action on Saturday, January 19 at 3 p.m. in Glassboro, NJ. The Knights won the first meeting, 61-60, on December 1 in Jersey City.