JERSEY CITY N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University owns a winning record at the holiday break for the first time in 15 years and sophomore power forward Bria Smith (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) is one of the major reasons why. One of the top newcomers in the nation last year continued to be an undefendable double-double producer, notching a career-high 23 rebounds, 19 points and six blocked shots in 33 minutes and NJCU never trailed as the Gothic Knights rang up Purchase College, 66-57, in a non-conference women's basketball game on December 13 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).

Smith produced her fourth consecutive double-double, sixth of the season and 16th of her career—and achieved the feat by halftime. Smith, who grabbed her 10th rebound midway through the first half (9:38) needed just 12:52 of court time to notch a double-double in the first half. She finished with 12 offensive and 11 defensive caroms, shooting 7-of-13 from the field (5-8 FT), with a pair of assists.

NJCU improved to 5-4, winning its second straight and is over .500 at the end of December for the first time since going 7-3 to start the 1998-99 season. Purchase (2-7) dropped its third straight. It was the first-ever meeting between the schools in women's basketball in a contest moved from Purchase, N.Y. to Jersey City on Thursday due to a facility issue.

Smith had 12 rebounds, 10 points, three blocks and two assists in the first half as the Knights jumped out to a 10-2 advantage in the first five minutes, never trailed and led 29-22 at the break.

Junior guard Kiana Briggs (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) added 16 points (7-20 FG) and seven rebounds and junior forward Deseree Johnson (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) collected a double-double of 10 points (4-11 FG, 2-6 3FG), 10 rebounds and two assists.

Coming off a career-high 25 points on Wednesday, senior guard Jade Medley (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) added four more three pointers and finished with 13 points (4-11 3FG) and five rebounds. Senior point guard Mesha Laguerre (Union, NJ/Union) chalked up half of NJCU's assists, dishing eight helpers—the most by a women's player since 2010-11.
 

Purchase only had seven players see action and two logged a full 40 minutes and another 39. Sophomore guard Allison Haugh led the visitors with a game-high 20 points (7-18 FG), eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in 40 minutes while senior forward Jeidar Cole played 39 minutes and collected a double-double of 15 points (7-16 FG), 11 rebounds and two assists. Junior guard Kristine Viven tallied nine rebounds, seven points, five blocks and four assists in a full 40 minutes.

Medley hit two threes during the initial 10-2 opening act for the Gothic Knights and after Purchase twice narrowed the deficit to four (13-9), NJCU gradually worked the margin into double figures (19-9) and led by as many as 13 in the first half when Johnson hit a jumper off a Smith dish with 5:47 to play. The Knights led by  seven, 29-22, at the break.

After Purchase scored in the opening minute of the second half to draw within five (29-24), Medley again provided the separation shots NJCU needed, drilling three-pointers from the left arc (18:07) and another in transition off a turnover from the right arc just 25 seconds later—both bombs assisted by Laguerre—for a 35-24 differential.

 From there, NJCU pulled away with a 19-2 run that saw the lead grow to 24 (50-26, 12:51 left) when Smith had an offensive rebound and putback of a teammate's miss, moments after Johnson drilled a three—her second of the run and both coming off of  Laguerre helpers. Smith had seven of the 19 points during the spurt. NJCU largest lead was 25 (53-28) with 11:47 remaining and the Panthers didn't narrow the gap to single digits until the final 30 seconds.

QUOTES:
NJCU head coach Amy Mulligan (fourth season)

On Bria Smith's effort: "Bria basically doesn't have an on/off switch, so it's kinda nice; she gets herself going on her own. Today she was just zoned in and focused. Once she started grabbing some rebounds it put it in her mind to keep hitting the basket hard.

On keeping the momentum going with a 5-4 start: "I hope we just build on it. It's two great wins back-to-back for us. We go into a big tournament that will be tough for us. I'm just hoping they [the players] see what we can do defensively and how we can create our own shots and move the ball and then build on that and just get better at our fundamentals."

Bria Smith (sophomore power forward) on her huge rebounding effort: "My team pushes me a lot to get every single rebound no matter what, so they're a big help."

Bria Smith on NJCU's defensive effort: "It was mostly communication. A big part of coach's mantra is communication. If we don't talk we get in trouble so talking definitely [was key]"

Bria Smith on getting help offensively from four players in double figures: "It's how we go about practice. Yesterday we came in, we took game shots, we prepared and we had our minds ready for today."

OF NOTE:

• Series: First meeting.
• Bria Smith's previous rebounding high was 19 at Kean University on January 4, 2014, adding 23 points. She had 18 board this season against Rowan (December 6).
• Bria Smith reached double figures in scoring for the 23rd time in 33 career games and the eighth time in nine games this year.
• Bria Smith hauled in double digits in rebounding for the 21st time as a collegian and sixth time this season.
• Bria Smith's six blocks equaled her career high of six on December 18, 2013 (vs. Redlands).
• Mesha Laguerre's previous assists high was six (ar Rowan, December 4, 2013) and again this season at John Jay (November 19).
• The last time a player had eight or more assists for NJCU was November 22, 2010 when Nidia Carmona had eight at Medgar Evers.
• Deseree Johnson chalked up her second career double-double.
• Deseree Johnson netted her ninth career double-digit scoring effort and fourth effort of 10+ rebounds.
• Jade Medley collected her 26th career double-digit scoring effort and sixth of the season.
• Kiana Briggs totaled double figures in scoring for the fifth time this season and 23rd time in her career.
• NJCU's 64 total team rebounds was the most since December 17, 2011 when it had 65 rebounds against Vaughn College.

WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will be idle  for the next 20 days over the holiday break and return to action on Friday, January 2 at 7 p.m. when it faces Farmingdale State College in the Hat City Classic, hosted by Western Connecticut State College in Danbury, Conn. It will the first meeting between NJCU and the Rams since December 3, 2009. Farmingdale leads the all-time series, 7-2.

NJCU will meet either Green Mountain College or Western Connecticut in the second round on January 3 (2/4 p.m.).  The Knights have never faced either school. Farmingdale is 3-4 (with a game December 17 prior to the break). Western Connecticut, idle since December 9, is 6-2; Green Mountain, also idle until the tournament, is 0-6 so far and has yet to score 40 points in a game.

NJCU, which won the Centenary College Tip-Off Tournament on November 16, will be seeking its second tournament crown of the season.

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