New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

GLASSBORO, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University junior forward ALNISA HERNAIZ (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) had a huge double-double effort of 19 points and 17 rebounds but in a game with 14 ties and a dozen lead changes, Rowan University edged the Gothic Knights in the final minute, 55-52, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball game on January 19 at Esby Gymnasium.
 
NJCU (3-14, 1-9 NJAC) led 52-51 with 1:22 remaining in regulation before Rowan University (5-13, 1-9 NJAC) snapped a five-game skid by hitting four foul shots in the final 37 seconds. NJCU lost its ninth straight contest; the win was Rowan's first in the league this year.
 
Rowan committed 30 turnovers in the game—15 in each half— but the Gothic Knights shot just 23.5 percent for the game (16-68), shooting 21.6 percent in the first half (8-37) and 25.8 percent in the second period (25.8). The Profs converted 33.3 percent (14-of-42) from the field and had a 31-14 edge in defensive rebounding.
 
Hernaiz registered her sixth double-double of the season—her second straight— and 15^th of her career, with a career-best matching 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting and a stellar 7-of-8 free throw accuracy.  She had 11 of her 17 rebounds on the offensive glass and moved into 11^th place in school history with 556 boards; she posted her fourth game of at least 15 rebounds this season and seventh of her career while adding three steals, two assists and a block before fouling out in 30 minutes.
 
The NJAC's leading rebounder, she reached in double figures in both scoring and rebounding for the 25^th time in her career and finished as NJCU's top rebounder for the 31^st time.
 
Sophomore point guard ASHLEY VAZQUEZ (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) scored 12 points (3-10 FG) and sophomore guard JADE MEDLEY (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) added 10 points (3-8). No other Gothic Knight scored more than five. Freshman point guard KIANA BRIGGS (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) dished as many assists individually as the entire Rowan squad—six—to overcome 1-for-10 shooting.
 
Rowan was led by senior guard Eyandra Molina (Pleasantville, NJ/Washington Irving) with a game high 28 points (8-16 FG), eight rebounds (six defensive), four steals and three blocks in 36 minutes. She shot 11-of-12 from the free throw line.
 
Also for the Profs, freshman forward Brittany Barilla (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) supplied a double-double of 14 rebounds (nine defensive) and 10 points while sophomore guard Bria Hill (Atlantic City, NJ/Atlantic City) tallied nine points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
 
In the first half, Rowan only shot 28.0 percent itself, but took advantage of NJCU's lower shooting percentage and led by seven, on two occasions, including at the 6:05 (19-12) and 4:21 (21-14) marks, before the Gothic Knights closed out the half on a 7-0 run to deadlock the game at 21-21 at the break.
 
The game remained tight throughout much of the second half with no team leading by more than four points. In between the schools traded nine ties in the period. Neither side led by more than four points; NJCU was ahead by at most three and Rowan's second four-point lead came when Molina scored a layup with 2:42 to go for a 49-45 edge.
 
With 2:13 to play, Vazquez sank two foul shots before Hill sank a jumper with 1:50 left for a 51-47 margin. NJCU scored the next five points as freshman center DESEREE JOHNSON (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional)   sank the first three-pointer of her career with 1:24 to go and an offensive foul on the ensuing inbounds sent Hernaiz to the line two seconds later where she sank both free throws, putting the Knights in front, 52-51. Hernaiz had only shot 31-of-60 from the line on the season entering the game.
 
The 14^th and final tie of the game came with 37 ticks left when Hernaiz' fifth foul sent Rowan junior forward Megan Russ (Cape May Court House, NJ/Middle Twp.) to the free throw line. Russ would sink both foul shots to make it 53-52 in favor of the Profs.
 
NJCU had the ball back before Medley turned it over with 29 seconds to go. Russ was fouled with 13 seconds left and missed both free throws but the ball when out of play and the Knights were forced to foul again. With 10 seconds on the clock, Barilla was fouled and sent to the line. Her two made shots put Rowan in front by three. NJCU, seeking to tie the game on its final possession with hopes to sweep the season series from Rowan, had that opportunity swatted away as Hill blocked a three-point try by Briggs as time expired.

“We saw great games from Alnisa and Ashley, who came up with some big shots, but we just didn't capitalize down the stretch on a few of the opportunities we had when we forced turnovers,” noted second-year head coach Amy Mulligan. “It was a hard fought game from the opening tip. Deseree [Johnson] also showed great poise through the end of the game on the defensive end.”
 
NJCU will attempt to bounce back on Monday, January 21 when they travel to the College of New Rochelle for a non-conference contest scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. Following that game, NJCU is back in action for the first time since January 12 when it hosts Rutgers-Newark on Wednesday, January 23 at 6 p.m.