New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES: Inside-the-Athlete feature, DAVID JONES
SENIOR DAY PHOTO GALLERY (coming February 14)


JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | On Senior Night 2013, New Jersey City University wrapped up an incredible regular season finish with an emphatic defensive effort for the ages. NJCU limited Rutgers University- Camden to just 33 points—the lowest total by a four-year opponent in more than 61 years—and the Gothic Knight scoring defense is now the best in the 80-year history of the program after NJCU routed the Scarlet Raptors, 62-33, in the New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season finale on February 13 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on “Coach Charlie Brown Court.”
 
The 33 points are the fewest against a four-year opponent since January 5, 1952 when then Jersey City State Teacher's College defeated Newark College of Engineering—now known as New Jersey Institute of Technology—by an identical 62-33 score. The 33 points are the fewest by an opponent of any size since February 1959 when NJCU defeated Jersey City Junior College, 57-32.
 
The Gothic Knights guaranteed a winning record for the 36^th time in its last 38 seasons and a .500 or better record and non-losing season for the 42^nd time in 43 years, as NJCU improved to 14-11 and improbably evened its NJAC mark at 9-9. Meanwhile, NJCU won its seventh consecutive game and improved to 10-2 overall in its last 12 games—a 9-2 ledger in the NJAC after losing its first seven league games of the season.
 
NJCU improved to 54-4 all-time against Rutgers-Camden, and has won 44 of the last 45 meetings and 16 in a row. Camden's season ends at 9-16 overall and 6-12 in the NJAC—three games behind NJCU for the final conference playoff berth.
 
NJCU entered the game with the second lowest scoring defense in the known 80-year history of the program at 58.9 points per game. By limiting the Raptors to 33 points, including just 14 in the second half, that opponent scoring total plummeted a full point to 57.9 per contest. With the playoffs still to come, that scoring defense would eclipse the 1963-64 Jersey City State College conference championship team's record of 58.7 per game, on a squad led by a then collegiate junior named Charlie Brown, the retired NJCU coach for whom home court is named.
 
 
“I'm just proud of the guys the way we finished out. It didn't look good a couple months ago but kept pleading with the guys to stay the course and we obviously had a strong finish. I'm just real satisfied as a coaching staff with how hard the guys played.”
 
With Rutgers-Newark's win over Kean University, the Scarlet Raiders clinch the league's No. 2 seed and a tournament bye. NJCU will open play in the NJAC Quarterfinals on Saturday, February 16 at 2 p.m. when the No. 6 seeded Gothic Knights head to Galloway, NJ for a matchup with #3 seeded Richard Stockton College. NJCU and Stockton split the season series with the Ospreys winning at home on December 5 (77-58) before the Knights won in Jersey City on January 30, 60-50, in game three of the current seven-game winning streak.
 
Prior to the game, NJCU honored its two senior captains, forward JOSH CAVER (Trenton, NJ/Pennsbury (Fairless Hills, Pa.) and center DAVID JONES (Millville, NJ/Cumberland Regional).
 
“I'm proud of both of them,” praised Brown. “It was a pleasure coaching both of them. I wish we had them longer but I think they ended their careers here at home on a great note. It was a pleasure for me to have both Dave and Josh here as part of this program. They are great representatives; two fine young men who were raised well and they continue to represent their families in a good way.”
 
NJCU improved to 7-0 since Caver joined the starting lineup on January 23. He was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and finished with a game-high equaling 10 points with three blocks, three rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes. It was his fifth double-figure scoring effort of his career and third of the season—all during the current streak.
 
Six-time NJAC Rookie of the Week KHALID MUHAMMAD (Orange, NJ/Orange) wasn't required to do the heavy offensive lifting in this contest, yet still finished with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting with three rebounds in 23 minutes. Muhammad reached double figures in scoring for the 21st time this year and led the club in points for a 19^th time. The eight shots were tied for the second fewest he has attempted in a game this year.
 
Sophomore point guard DAKWAN SIMMONS (Newark, NJ/University) was 3-for-5 from the field—all from three-point range—and scored nine points with two assists in 13 minutes. Rookie FARAJI JAMES (Irvington, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) equaled his career highs in points and rebounds, as he shot a flawless 4-for-4 from the floor with eight points and seven rebounds (six defensive).
 
In a game where all 12 healthy Gothic Knights saw at least nine minutes of action and no more than 23, freshman RONDRE KELLY (Union, NJ/Malcolm X. Shabazz) chipped in eight points, four rebounds and three assists and junior guard ASMAR EDWARDS (Paterson, NJ/John F. Kennedy) finished with six points and six caroms in 16 minutes.
 
Two-time NJAC Player of the Week and sophomore guard/forward Teon Russell (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson), who entered the game as the conference's leading scorer (16.1) and rebounder (10.3) was limited to 10 points (4-9 FG) and five rebounds in 21 minutes. Junior guard Woody Redding (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) tallied eight points and junior forward Michael Williams (Cherry Hills, NJ/Cherry Hill West) chipped in six points and six rebounds.
 
NJCU out-rebounded the Raptors, 46-22, including 14-4 on the offensive glass and held a 16-2 margin in second chance points. The Knights shot 52.0 percent in the first half (13-25) and finished at 43.1 for the night (25-58).
 
NJCU limited Camden to sub-25 percent shooting in each period—23.8 percent in the first half (5-21) and 20.8 percent in the second period (5-24)—before finishing at 22.2 percent overall (10-45) and .167 from three-point distance (3-18).
 
Early on the game was very much a back-and-forth affair and the Raptors led by three with 11:16 remaining (10-7). But NJCU unleashed a decisive 22-3 run over a span of 8:58—limiting Camden to one field goal in the final 11 minutes and without a basket in the last 8:54 of the half.
 
After a 12-12 tie with 7:44 to go, the Knights scored 13 consecutive points to build a 25-12 lead. Simmons and Edwards each knocked down threes while James, Caver and Kelly posted baskets during the stretch. Jumpers by Caver and Muhammad gave NJCU its largest lead of the first half, 29-13 (+16) with 2:25 to play before heading to the break ahead by 14, 33-19.
 
NJCU poured it on to open the second half, unleashing a game-clinching 13-0 run—15 straight points since the end of the first half—to claim a 27-point advantage, 46-19, just 6:36 into the second half when Caver knocked down back-to-back jumpers. Camden's first points did not come until the 13:07 mark of the half. NJCU's lead was consistently in the high 20s for the remainder of the night. A three-point play by Kelly made it a 28-point cushion with 9:56 to play.
 
Camden reached the 30-point plateau with 5:40 left but only scored again once in the game and did not muster a point in the final 4:58. NJCU's largest lead was the final 29-point differential.
 
“This thing isn't over,” Brown noted, about the regular season ending on a high note. “I think this win puts us in a good position for the post-season [ECACs] if we falter in the NJAC Tournament.  But the season's not over. We're happy with the way things ended and are going to keep going.”
 
“[Stockton] is a good team, and obviously it's a long trip, a long bus ride. “We'll take tomorrow and Friday to prepare for Stockton and see what happens.”