New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score GLASSBORO, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior guard ASHLEY VAZQUEZ (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) notched her first career double-double while reigning three-time New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week BRIA SMITH (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) registered her third double-double of the season as New Jersey City University posted its second most lopsided victory over Rowan University in program history with a dominant 76-59 NJAC victory over the Profs on December 4 at Esby Gymnasium.
 
NJCU (2-4, 1-2 NJAC) put the game away before halftime when it led 37-20, as the Gothic Knights snapped a two-game skid and won their first NJAC game of the season while dropping Rowan to 1-5 (1-2 NJAC).
 
The 17-point margin of victory was the largest in nearly 29 years in the series—since a 21-point, 86-65 win in Jersey City over then Glassboro State College. NJCU defeated Rowan for the second time in the last three meetings.
 
Vazquez enjoyed perhaps the best game of her two-year Gothic Knight career, posting game highs in four categories—points (16), rebounds (12), steals (3) and minutes (39) while dishing five assists. She reached double-figures in rebounds for the first time in her career (five offensive, seven defensive) while shooting 5-of-14 overall (1-3 3FG) and 5-of-8 from the foul line. She reached double digits in scoring for the 24^th time in 31 games at NJCU.
 
Meanwhile, Smith had 11 points (4-12 FG) and 10 rebounds (seven defensive), reaching double figures in rebounds for the fourth game in a row and the fifth time in her first career six games.
 
Sophomore guard KIANA BRIGGS (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) also had a notable performance, matching Vazquez with a game and career-high 16 points, shooting 8-of-16 from the field. She reached double figures for the fourth time this year.
 
Sophomore forward DESEREE JOHNSON (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) matched her career high with 13 points, adding seven rebounds (five defensive). She shot 6-of-12 from the field and 5-of-7 from two-point territory. Junior point guard MESHA LAGUERRE (Union, NJ/Union) came off the bench to contribute nine points (4-8 FG), a game-high six assists and six rebounds (five defensive).
 
"It was a great team win today—everyone contributed," noted third-year head coach Amy Mulligan, who is now 2-2 in her career against the Profs. "We moved the ball and played solid defense. Ashley [Vazquez] played both sides of the court so well and really helped control the board, Kiana [Briggs] was a big spark in the first half making big shots and it was another great game from Bria [Smith] who worked the boards again. Mesha [Laguerre] was a big reason we went on a run; she made smart decisions and helped us take the lead for good."
 
NJCU's 76 points were a season high and the highest offensive output in Mulligan's tenure. Furthermore, the 76 points were most by the program since a 77-53 win over John Jay College on February 1, 2010 and the highest total in a conference game since a 77-71 win at Rutgers-Camden on January 16, 2010.
 
In the loss, three Profs scored in double figures. Jade Bonder had 13 points (6-14 FG) and three assists and Bria Hill tallied 11 points and four blocks but was 5-of-20 overall and 0-of-7 from three-point range. Kaitlin Schullstrom registered 10 points (3-10 FG, 2-7 3FG) and nine rebounds. Anyssa Sanchez collected 11 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass. Kate Matthews totaled eight points and seven boards.
 
NJCU shot 43.1 percent for the game (31-72) and hit 10 more field goals than Rowan (21-69, .304). The damage was done in the first 20 minutes when the Knights shot 17-of-41 (.415) while limiting the hosts to just 7-of-27 (.259). Despite Rowan having an 8-0 advantage in blocked shots, NJCU dominated the glass, 56-42, and held a 32-17 differential in bench scoring.
 
NJCU's big first half was sparked by the play of Briggs who scored 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Vazquez had seven points and seven boards in the period.
 
Tied at 14-14 (11:39), NJCU scored the next eight points—six by Briggs—to move ahead, 22-14 and led by nine, 24-15, with 7:04 to play in the period and the Knights wouldn't trail again. Rowan was able to whittle the lead to six (26-20) with 5:39 to play.
 
But from there, NJCU exploded—unleashing an 11 -0 run to close the half. A layup by Briggs with 4:33 to play started the spurt before a layup and triple by Laguerre pushed the lead into double figures, 33-20 with 1:48 to play. Vazquez scored the final two baskets of the period to push the margin to 17 and when Johnson scored on the first possession of the second half, the run swelled to 13-0 and the lead to 19.
 
NJCU was never challenged again in the game, as the Knights held a margin of between 17 and 20 points for most of the second half, leading by no less than 15 points from thereon. NJCU twice led by as many as 22 points, including 54-32 with 11:21 to play after a Laguerre jumper.
 
NJCU looks for back-to-back conference wins on Saturday, December 7 at 2 p.m. when it hosts Richard Stockton College at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.'

NJCU's ALL-TIME WINS OVER ROWAN UNIVERSITY, WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
DATE	SITE	RESULT	MARGIN
01/27/1983	Jersey City, NJ	W, 68-67	+1
02/14/1984	Jersey City, NJ	W, 86-74	+12
01/09/1985	Jersey City, NJ	W, 86-65	+21
02/11/1986	Jersey City, NJ	W, 85-71	+14
01/13/1989	Glassboro, NJ	W, 64-62	+2
02/17/1989	Jersey City, NJ	W, 65-55	+10
01/13/1990	Jersey City, NJ	W, 49-47	+2
12/02/2005	Glassboro, NJ	W, 73-69	+4
01/27/2007	Glassboro, NJ	W, 62-59	+3
12/01/2012	Jersey City, NJ	W, 61-60	+1
12/04/2013	Glassboro, NJ	W, 76-59	+17