New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score YORK, PA (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University took control of the outcome midway through the first half and led by double figures for much of the night as the Gothic Knights opened their 81^st season of intercollegiate men's basketball with an impressive, dominating victory over cross Hudson County opponent Stevens Institute of Technology, 62-51, on November 16, in the semifinals of the York College (Pa.) 14^th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
 
Despite being separated by just six miles, NJCU (1-0) and Stevens (0-1) were meeting for just the sixth time in their histories and first time since 2004 and the Ducks have not defeated the Knights in 80 years—since the 1933-34 campaign. NJCU knocked off a Stevens squad that was 22-6 and reached the NCAA Division III Tournament last spring.
 
NJCU advances to the tournament's championship game against host York (Pa.) on November 17 at 3 p.m. The Spartans were 81-61 winners over Gallaudet University in the tournament's other semifinal. The teams have never squared off before.
 
The win was especially impressive for senior All-NJAC returning swingman WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter), playing in his first regular-season game since 2011-12 after missing all of last year with an injury. Albright, who also had a double-double in NJCU's exhibition game with Division I Siena College on November 2, provided 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting (2-3 3FG) and grabbed 10 rebounds (eight defensive) in 36 minutes. It was his third career double-double.
 
Newcomer and junior point guard JOURDAN ROBERSON (Brooklyn, NY/University (Newark)) had a near triple-double in his debut, finishing with nine points (3-7 FG), eight steals and seven assists in 36 minutes. NJCU committed only 13 turnovers all night and had a 22-10 margin on points off giveaways.
 
Another newcomer, junior 6-foot-8 center EDDIE BROWN (Newark, NJ/Newark East Side), delivered 10 points (4-8 FG) in 16 minutes. Sophomore shooting guard and 2013 NJAC and Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year KHALID MUHAMMAD (Orange, NJ/Orange) chipped in seven points and five boards. In a balanced all-around effort, 10 of the 11 Gothic Knights who saw the court, scored and grabbed a rebound.
 
"We played with unbelievable energy," Marc Brown, the reigning NJAC Coach of the Year said, describing his squad's effort. "WALIK ALBRIGHT had a great all-around game and it was a great team effort. Jourdan did a great job of running the show and my three-point guards [Roberson, JAHMILL JENKINS, and JUSTIN HARTE] collectively played well.  FARAJI JAMES did an excellent job against their talented center. This was a great win to open the season and we are looking forward to playing in the championship."
 
Stevens only used a seven-man rotation, with four of five starters logging at least 35 minutes. Sophomore guard Evan Klimchak (Readington, NJ) led the Ducks with 16 points on 11-of-13 free throw accuracy and had five assists in 40 minutes, but committed 11 of the team's 23 turnovers and shot 2-of-9 from the field.
 
Junior forward Patrick Sabatino (Westfield, NJ) totaled nine points (3-10 FG), eight rebounds and two blocks and senior guard Phillip DeSeignora added nine points.
 
NJCU shot a sizzling 55.2 percent in the first half (16-29) and hit half of its six three-point attempts to claim a 38-27 halftime advantage that would never be threatened.
 
Stevens only lead came in the first minute of the first half. NJCU held mostly one-possession leads early in the first half before pulling ahead by eight (22-14). The Ducks whittled the lead to three, 22-19, with 9:36 to go in the period before a 10-2 outburst, capped by an Albright triple with 2:59 to play in the half, gave the Knights an 11-point, 32-21 advantage.
 
EDDIE BROWN had back-to-back buckets during the run and junior shooting guard DAVID COLE (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) knocked down a three that gave NJCU its first double-digit lead (29-19). Baskets by Albright and sophomore center ANDREW MARTINEZ (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) in the final 71 seconds of the half helped stake NJCU to a 14-point cushion.
 
NJCU, which set a single-season school record last year with a suffocating scoring defense of 58.3 points per game—the lowest in school history—held Stevens without a field goal for the final 9:36 of the first half, giving up only free throws.
 
For Stevens, which averaged nearly 72 points per game last season, the halftime deficit proved to be insurmountable. The Ducks never got closer than eight points in the second half and NJCU led by double digits most of the period, including a 16-point, 46-30 margin with 14:00 remaining on a Roberson layup.