New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES: Inside-the-Athlete feature, MAXINE KAMINSKI
SENIOR NIGHT PHOTO GALLERY (coming February 14)

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University sophomore point guard ASHLEY VAZQUEZ (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) scored a team-high 17 points and all four NJCU seniors made major contributions as the Gothic Knights never trailed en route to earning a hard-fought 55-49 New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Rutgers University-Camden on February 13 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.'
 
In the final regular season game of the 2012-13 campaign, NJCU closes out its 43^rd year of competition with a record of 6-19 and 2-14 in the NJAC, snapping a four-game losing streak.. The Scarlet Raptors season ends at 10-15 and 3-13 in the NJAC, losing three straight.
 
“This game was a great way to end the season,” said second-year coach Amy Mulligan. “Everyone who played in the game for us today had a hand in this victory. The four seniors who started and ended the game played with an intensity level that couldn't be matched. They played their hearts out and this game was a tribute to them for what they endured throughout their careers.”
 
The Gothic Knights made 35.1 percent (20-of-57) from the field, to overcome 2-for-15 three-point shooting (.133). NJCU shot 48.3 percent in the first half (14-29) and led by 11 (33-22) at halftime. Camden outshot NJCU in the second period, 33.3 percent (11-33) to 21.4 percent (6-28).
 
But after NJCU saw a 12-point, 37-25 lead evaporate in a span of 5:19 as the Raptors tied the game at 41-41, NJCU did not buckle and was able to make the key plays late to secure a victory.
 
NJCU was led by Vazquez, who shot 6-of-12 from the field and 4-for-6 from the free throw line while adding four rebounds, four assists and four steals in 36 minutes of play. It was her 18^th double-figure scoring effort of the season and 13^th time as NJCU's leading scorer.
 
Prior to the game, NJCU honored is four seniors: guard/forward KERRI CASSARELLO (Keansburg, NJ/Keansburg), guard/forward DELIA CHERNEZ (Union City, NJ/Union City), senior forward MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) and senior guard GABRIELLE RIVERA (Teaneck, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades). 
 
Chernez scored a season-high 10 points—only the third double figure scoring game of her career and one shy of her career high—and grabbed seven rebounds (five offensive) while Cassarello had a brilliant first half with five assists in the period before finishing with eight points (4-10 FG), five rebounds and five assists—matching her career high for helpers.
 
 “Ashley [Vazquez] came up again big for us with 17 points and a lot of those points came down the stretch for us and she made the difference in the end. Kerri [Cassarello] had a tremendous game and attacked the basket and found the open player every single time.”
 
Mulligan added, “Delia [Chernez] came up big for us today and showed her heart and determination and that her hard work has made her the basketball player that she is today. Besides her defense, she contributed on the offensive end for us.”
 
Also for the Gothic Knights, rookie center DESEREE JOHNSON (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) contributed nine rebounds (five defensive) and seven points while Rivera collected eight points and six rebounds (four defensive). Kaminski, a three-year team captain, had five points and five rebounds.
 
“Gabby [Rivera] had a great all-around game today and she showed a lot of hustle and heart. She fought for every rebound and it's a testament to the type of player she is, that a player her height finished with six rebounds. Maxine [Kaminski] does what she does best; she gives her entire body for the game. She drew charges, fought for every rebound and became a tremendous leader on the court today,” said Mulligan.
 
In defeat, Rutgers-Camden was led by sophomore guard Lillian Chukwueze (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) with game-highs of 20 points (8-18 FG, 2-6 3FG), 10 rebounds (six defensive) and three steals in 37 minutes of play before fouling out. Senior guard Alex Koutras (Washington Twp., NJ/Washington Township) added 14 points, two rebounds and two steals while sophomore forward Irene Grimanis (Brooklawn, NJ/Gloucester) grabbed 14 rebounds (10 defensive).
 
NJCU junior forward ALNISA HERNAIZ (Irvington, NJ/Irvington), who was lost for the season with an injury on February 6, captured the NJAC rebounding crown as a result of the game with an average of 9.9 caroms per   ontest. Chukwueze, who entered the game No. 2 in the league by a wide margin at 9.5 per outing, needed 19 rebounds to overtake Hernaiz.
 
In the first half, NJCU led from the start as they built the 11-point advantage at the break. Vazquez scored 11 of her 17 points in the first half while Chernez added eight. The Gothic Knights controlled the play early on as they jumped out to a 16-7 lead and led by as many as 13 on three occasions (22-9, 9:17), (24-11, 8:03) and (26-13, 7:30). NJCU also doubled the Scarlet Raptors production in the paint, dominating to the tune of a 20-10 scoring advantage.
 
Cassarello recorded assists on five of NJCU's first seven baskets, and her back cut pass to Vazquez made it 16-7. A fast-break basket by Cassarello and two Rivera free throws pushed the lead to 22-9 and Cassarello took a Vazquez feed and converted an up and under ball fake to avoid a defender to again on a fast break for a 24-11 edge. Vazquez's 11^th point came on a step back jumper and the Knights maintained a double figure lead in the final minute of the period as Kaminski hit a turn-around jumper with 61 seconds to go. Kaminski also hit a three with 39 seconds to go (33-21).
 
Rutgers-Camden did not quit as Koutras, Chukwueze and Kelly combined to score 25 points of Camden's 27 points in the final 20 minutes.  NJCU still led by a dozen with 15:59 to play as Chernez slipped a pass through traffic across the lane to Rivera for a short jumper (37-25).
 
Chukwueze hit jumpers at 14:13 and 13:26 to make it a six-point game. Koutras, banked in a jumper high off the window before Kelly drove uncontested down the left of the lane to make it a two-point contest. After an NJCU free throw, Chukwueze dribbled down the floor, stopped and hit a three to tie it at 41-41 with 10:50 to go.
 
Camden had five chances to take the lead but a turnover and four missed shots prevented that, Meanwhile, Rivera hit a free throw to give NJCU back the lead for good. Johnson had an offensive rebound and putback for a 44-41 lead (8:29) and another basket by Johnson (7:04) made it 46-41. Baskets by Kelly and Koutras cut the margin to one, 46-45. Johnson hit two free throws with 5:12 to play for a three-point cushion.
 
Any hopes of stealing a road victory were cut short for Rutgers-Camden as NJCU finished the game by scoring nine of the final 13 points.
 
While NJCU was unable to add to its lead for nearly three minutes, it maintained the differential with defense. With 3:23 to go, sophomore guard JADE MEDLEY (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic), a star on the women's volleyball team, blocked a potential tying three by Chukwueze. Cassarello secured the rebound and Chukwueze was whistled for her fifth foul. Freshman guard Nairobi Colon (Brooklyn, NY/Medgar Evers), who only played in the final three minutes of the game, made it a one-point game, 48-47, with a 17-foot jumper with 2:45 to play.
 
After a missed NJCU jumper, Chernez claimed a key offensive rebound, was fouled, and hit two from the line with 2:17 to play for a 50-47 lead. Camden missed a foul shot with 1:58 left, and then was whistled for a lane violation. NJCU turned the ball over but Medley had yet another key rejection, stuffing a three by Koutras in front of the Camden bench with 1:25 to go. Johnson got the rebound, and Vazquez drove the lane and fed Cassarello with a sweet pass down low on the right blocks for a pretty layup and a 52-47 advantage at 1:12. Camden would make a basket to cut it to three but on the ensuing possession, Vazquez again drove through the paint and used a finger-roll layup with 33 seconds left to push the margin to 54-49 as the Knights prevailed by six. All four seniors were on the court as the final seconds ticked off.
 
Mulligan summarized the win by saying: “The way the season has been mixed, this was the perfect way to end our season. The seniors were able to go out on a high note and our returners are able to see the hard work and chemistry from this victory which will be carried over to next year. I couldn't have asked for a better game to end this season on.”