New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score NEWARK, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University led 27-21 at halftime before Rutgers-Newark outscored the Gothic Knights in the second period, 39-17, and pulled away for a 60-44 New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball victory on January 29 at The Golden Dome.
 
Newark (9-9, 5-7 NJAC) kept alive its NJAC playoff hopes as Jade Howard registered a huge double-double effort of 23 points (8-13 FG), 16 rebounds (11 defensive), two assists and two blocks in 33 minutes. She leads the NJAC with nine double-doubles. In the second half Howard totaled 17 points—as many as NJCU scored as a team in the period—and eight boards.
 
The loss spoiled the second career double-double by junior point guard ASHLEY VAZQUEZ (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) who grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds in a full 40 minutes while scoring her 10 points primarily from the line (7-10) on a day where she struggled from the field (1-9 FG, 1-5 3FG).
 
NJCU junior guard JADE MEDLEY (Queens, NJ/Hudson Catholic) finished with a team-high 11 points (3-14 FG, 2-9 3FG) and six rebounds while reigning NJAC Rookie of the Week BRIA SMITH (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy), a five-time winner of the award (one-time Player of the Week), seized 10 rebounds in 24 minutes before fouling out for the fourth time.
 
NJCU (6-13, 3-9 NJAC) shot just 23.4 percent from the field (15-64) and was 5-of-29 in the second half (.174) when it was 0-for-10 from three-point range (3-21, .143 in game).
 
While Howard was Newark's only player in double figures, it received a 10-rebound, eight-point performance from Jasmine Daniels. Arianna Williams tallied eight points, five rebounds and four assists and Courtney Woodard had six points and five assists.
 
NJCU led 19-12 with 7:26 left in the first half and worked its advantage to as many as eight—25-17—when Vazquez canned a three with 1:44 to go. A jumper by sophomore guard KIANA BRIGGS (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech), who scored eight in the loss, made it 27-19.
 
But with NJCU ahead 32-26 after a Medley layup, Rutgers-Newark reeled of a decisive 15-0 run over a span of 4:20 to build a 41-32 mark midway through the period. Shala Glenn scored six during the spurt for the Raiders, who pushed the margin to double figures with nine minutes remaining and gradually pulled away. Its largest margin was the final 16-point outcome.
 
NJCU will host Kean University on Saturday, February 1 at 2 p.m. in the next NJAC game at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.