JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | NJCU used an early 12-0 outburst to seize control of the game and limited Kean University to 14.8 percent shooting in the first half as the Gothic Knights posted a decisive 64-45 win over the Cougars in the New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both schools on November 22 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
 
After an early three pointer by the guests, NJCU (2-2, 1-0 NJAC) held Kean without a field goal for a span of 9:35 to claim a 12-3 lead. The Knights eventually pushed the margin to 17-5 and 26-11 with 3:10 left in the first half before heading to the break ahead by 13 (30-17) and never was challenged in the second half. Kean (0-3, 0-1 NJAC, lost 4).
 
Senior center Eddie Brown (Newark, NJ/Newark East Side) posted the first double-double of his two-year Gothic Knight career and doubled his previous rebounding best as he finished with a career-high 14 rebounds and made four of his five shots for 10 points. The NJAC's leading shot blocker rejected four more and had a career-best four steals.
 
Senior shooting guard Jamall McDaniel (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln), who missed the first two games of the season with an injury, was the biggest factor in the first half—scoring 12 points in 10 minutes off the bench while knocking down 4-of-8 three-point shots.
 
McDaniel finished with 14 points (5-13 FG, 4-9 3FG) and junior small forward Khalid Muhammad (Orange, NJ/Orange) scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive game to open the season and 12^th consecutive game overall, pouring in a team-high 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, adding two blocks and two steals in 23 minutes.
 
Also for NJCU, senior guard Jourdan Roberson (Brooklyn, NY/University (Newark)) delivered a career-high equaling seven assists. Senior forward Drew Marley (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) had nine rebounds (six defensive) and eight points (3-3 FG) before fouling out. Senior point guard Justin Harte (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) came off the bench to score eight points, including 5-of-6 foul shooting, with five rebounds in 17 minutes.
 Kean senior guard Emmanuel Omowole (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) tallied a game-high 18 points (8-10 FT) but struggled from the field (4-12 FG) and committed seven of Kean's 16 turnovers.
 
Sophomore forward Lincoln Holley (Easton, PA) also added a double-double of 13 rebounds and 10 points but shot 4-of-17 and 2-of-8 from three-point distance. Senior guard J.J. Hladik (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) finished with nine points, making three threes.
 
NJCU took the lead for good on a three-point play by Marley just 2:23 into the game and had a 9-3 edge when McDaniel grabbed an offensive rebound and popped a three off a dish from Harte. McDaniel buried another three for a 17-5 lead with 8:16 to go and his third triple extended the margin to 20-9 (5:50) before he knocked down another trey—both off assists from redshirt-junior guard David Cole (Avenel, NJ/Colonia)—for a 23-9 advantage. Harte buried a triple of his own to make it 26-11 with 3:10 to play before NJCU headed to break up 30-17.
 
Kean never got closer than eight in the second half. NJCU's lead swelled to 16 in the opening three minutes and the hosts were comfortably in front throughout the period. The final 19-point margin was NJCU's largest lead of the day.
 
NJCU's bench dominated the Kean reserves, outscoring them 27-4. NJCU also had a 22-6 advantage in points in the paint.
 
 
 

QUOTES:
NJCU head coach Marc Brown (eighth season)
 
On the performance: "The key was effort. That's what we've been talking about since the Brooklyn loss [November 19, 88-73]. We need to bring as much effort as we can and when we play hard, good things happen. It happened for us tonight. We still didn't play a great game, shooting under 40 percent from the field [20-51, .392]. But the effort was there and our bench played well today. Outscoring their bench, 27-4, was key."
 
On Kean being held to 15 percent shooting in the first half and the difference defensively from the Brooklyn game: "They don't have the guards that can penetrate like Brooklyn had. But they [Kean] were a real solid team. They execute their system well. We were just prepared for them. I think guys took the loss [to Brooklyn] to heart and wanted to come out with a better effort, especially for our fans."
 
On Eddie Brown's improvement this year: "His conditioning is better. That's been the key. He came in last year at 295 [pounds]. Right now he's at 260. That's 35 pounds. Obviously he's lighter on his feet. Today we knew it was going to be a game for him. Kean didn't have a lot of size inside. We knew we had to go inside to him. We knew he was going to be a difference, especially on offense."
 
On Jamall McDaniel: "The key for me in the first half was really Jamall McDaniel. He really came in off the bench and gave us a spark offensively. Our guards didn't shoot well and some of the guys we brought in off the bench really weren't helping us. We brought him in and he was a spark. We're glad to have him healthy and back."
 
OF NOTE:

• 131^st known meeting. NJCU leads all-time known series, 94-37.
• NJCU snapped Kean's three-game win streak in the series.
• Eddie Brown's previous career high for rebounds was seven, accomplished twice—most recently on November 15 against Bridgewater State.
• Eddie Brown was one point shy of matching his NJCU scoring high and had his fourth career double-figure scoring effort.
• Eddie Brown matched his career blocks high set on November 16 at Franklin & Marshall (four).
• Eddie Brown's previous high for steals was three against Bridgewater.
• Khalid Muhammad has 809 career points. He scored in double figures for the 46th time in 59 career games.
• Jamall McDaniel matched his high for threes in a game (4, vs. Rowan, 01/25/2014).
• NJCU was without senior transfer Neville Joseph (Newark, NJ/West Side)—who sat out for the second straight game with an injury and a 13.0 points per game scoring average.
• Jourdan Roberson posted his fourth career effort of seven assists; the last time was at Rutgers-Newark, 01/29/2014.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
In the final game of a three-game home stand prior to the Thanksgiving break, the Knights host rival Rutgers University-Newark in an NJAC contest on Tuesday, November 25 at 8 p.m. on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.' RUN (3-1, 0-0 NJAC) was picked first in the NJAC preseason coaches' poll with seven of 10 first place votes. The Raiders are returning from a two-game trip to Washington State. NJCU and RUN split the 2013-14 season series. NJCU won on November 26, 2013 at home, 61-52. RUN edged the Knights, 51-49, on January 29, 2014 in Newark. NJCU leads the all-time series, 60-15. It will be the 76^th meeting.