New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score GAME NOTES/PROGRAM: Gothic Knight Insights, WALIK ALBRIGHT
Senior Day Photo Gallery
GothicVision: Interviews with WALIK ALBRIGHT, KHALID MUHAMMAD and Coach Marc Brown

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University uncorked an almost unfathomable 33-2 run over a span of 13:55 in the second half to turn a 14-point deficit into a 17-point advantage as the Gothic Knights rallied from a slow start to clinch a New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament berth with a decisive Senior Night rout of The College of New Jersey, 66-53 in conference men's basketball action on February 15 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
 
NJCU (13-11, 8-9 NJAC), shot just 18.4 percent in the first half but forced 26 TCNJ (8-16, 6-11 NJAC) turnovers. TCNJ led 34-20 just 55 seconds in the second half before NJCU's explosive outburst and defensive dominance gave the Knights, winners of three straight after a four-game losing streak, a 53-36 cushion at 6:11. When TCNJ finally did score against with 5:10 remaining, it snapped a scoreless string that lasted more than a quarter of the game—a span of 10:31 in the middle of the second half.
 
NJCU can finish no worse than sixth in the league standings. Meanwhile, NJCU still can be the No. 4 seed and host an NJAC Quarterfinal game on February 22 if everything falls in its favor. With Kean University losing at Montclair State University on February 15—a 100-83 setback and the third straight loss for the Cougars, NJCU and Kean are 8-9 in the league. Kean swept the season series from NJCU. However, if NJCU can defeat last-place Rutgers-Camden (4-20, 2-15 NJAC) on the road on Wednesday, February 19 in the regular-season finale and Kean loses to first-place Rutgers-Newark—which must win to claim the NJAC regular season championship—than NJCU's late-season push will not only clinch a playoff berth but also a home tournament game.
 
Sophomore shooting guard KHALID MUHAMMAD (Orange, NJ/Orange) continued to play well, reaching double figures for the fifth consecutive game while finishing a point shy of a season high with a game-high 18 points (7-14 FG) with six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Junior point guard JOURDAN ROBERSON (Brooklyn, NY/University (Newark)) overcame a 3=for-13 shooting night by knocking down three key three-pointers (3-11) and finishing with 13 points, five steals and three assists.
 
On Senior Night, senior small forward WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter), perhaps one of the program's best all-around players to ever suit up, finished with 11 points, mostly from the line where he was 6-of-7 to go with a team-best seven rebounds and three steals, despite only playing 24 minutes and attempting five shots while battling foul trouble. Albright increased his career scoring total to 1,108 points and is now 29 of his last 36 from the line over a five-game span.
 
NJCU's other two seniors—power forward KHALID CRAWFORD-MUHAMMAD (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield) and point guard JAHMILL JENKINS (Elizabeth, NJ / Elizabeth) each contributed to the win. Crawford-Muhammad had six points, six boards and two steals in 22 minutes and Jenkins added another six, sinking 4-of-4 from the line.
 
TCNJ standout sophomore forward Bobby Brackett (Lawrence, NJ/Lawrence), who entered the game ranked No. 3 in Division III with 18 double-doubles and seventh in the country in rebounding at 13.0 per game, grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds (13 defensive), but was held to less than half of his 17.1 per game scoring average—netting just seven points on 1-of-6 shooting. He added two blocks in a full 40 minutes of action.
 
Junior guard Jayson Johnson (Bordentown, NJ/Life Center Academy) collected a team-high 16 points (5-9 FG, 6-8 FT) with four assists for the Lions. Freshman guard Eric Klacik (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) finished with 10 points (3-5 FG), including 2-of-4 three-point tries off the bench.
 
NJCU won despite shooting just 28.1 percent (18-64) and 20.8 percent from three-point range (5-24). But the Knights out-rebounded the Lions on the offensive glass, 18-6 and turned 26 turnovers into 23 points.

"It was a different half," said seventh-year head coach Marc Brown about the second period comeback. "As far as I'm concerned we could not have played any worse in the first half. To shoot 18 percent? That's one of the worst halves I've ever had here as a coach. But the guys didn't quit and I thought we played together and got some easy shots in the second half and did a real good job with the press and that's what got us going."
 
NJCU led 7-1 early in the game before TCNJ scored 11 of the next 12 points to claim the lead and still holding a 15-12 margin, TCNJ's Eric Klacik knocked down a pair of threes in a span of 13 seconds to push the visitors' advantage to eight, 21-13. Roberson answered with a three with 5:28 remaining to make it a five-point game but the Knights' went another 4:51 without scoring. TCNJ capitalized on NJCU's shooting slump—nine consecutive missed shots. Klacik hit two from the line and after a goaltending call, TCNJ's lead was nine. Junior forward Alex Fox (Washington, NJ/Westwood) scored off an offensive rebound with 2:05 to go to push the margin to double figures and when Brackett sank two from the line with 56.9 seconds left, the Lions lead was 13 (29-16) at the end of a 14-4 run. TCNJ went to the half ahead, 31-18. NJCU shot 7-of-38 in the  first half.
 
But in a game of two totally different halves, the game shifted after TCNJ's lead grew to 14, 30-24, on a three just 55 seconds into the second period.
 
NJCU scored the next 10 points in a span of 2:14 to make it a four-point, 34-30 game at 16:51. Two free throws and a long trey by Albright, a steal by Crawford-Muhammad that lead to a Muhammad fast break layup and a Roberson three from the left arc did the damage before Johnson hit a jumper at 15:41.
 
The Lions would not tally another field for 10:31 as NJCU unleashed an incredible 23-0 run. The outburst began with three free throws by Roberson, who then forced a turnover and threaded a fast break pass to Muhammad to make it a one-point game. Albright left the game with 12:45 remaining with his fourth foul. But Roberson buried a three with 12:17 left and NJCU led, 38-36. NJCU scored its next seven points from the line to push the lead to 45-36 and leading by nine, NJCU held a 16-0 differential in points off turnovers.
 
The NJCU reserves helped increase the lead. Muhammad penetrated the lane, dished to sophomore forward FARAJI JAMES (Irvington, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) for a reserve layup and when junior guard JUSTIN HARTE (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) canned a three from the left wing with 6:46 left, NJCU's lead swelled to 14 (50-36). Roberson stole the ensuing possession and found Muhammad on the fast break to push the lead to 52-36 with 6:28 left, forcing another TCNJ timeout and an eruption of emotion from the NJCU bench. Roberson gave NJCU its largest lead, 53-36 (+17) with 6:11 to go and before TCNJ finally scored again with 5:10 remaining, the Lions had only attempted 12 shots in the half (2-12) while committing 13 turnovers at that point. NJCU cruised to a double-figure win from there.
 
NJCU will conclude the regular season on Wednesday, February 19 at 8 p.m. when it faces Rutgers University-Camden in Camden, NJ.

"Once you come into college you feel like you're going to be there for a while but before you know if your career ends so fast," said Albright about the emotions he was feeling while being honored prior to the game. "I just want my senior season to end with a bang. We won and were able to accomplish that tonight."

NOTES:

132nd meeting during the conference era. Since 1955-56, NJCU leads all-time series, 71-41 and has won five of the last six meeting. TCNJ won the first meeting on January 18 in Ewing, NJ, 79-74. WALIK ALBRIGHT upped his career scoring total to 1108 points. He is 20th on the 1,000-point charts. Next on the list: Hall-of-Famer Ed Petersen who scored 1,148 points from 1962-66 and graduated then as NJCU's No. 2 all-time leading scorer. WALIK ALBRIGHT posted his 60th career double-digit scoring effort and eighth in a row. He was playing his 104th game and making his 96th start. KHALID MUHAMMAD has 698 career points. He scored in double figures for the 39th time in 52 career games. JOURDAN ROBERSON reached double figures for the 11th time this season.

NJCU MEN'S BASKETBALL 1000-POINT CLUB
Thru 2/15/2014
RANK	PLAYER	YEARS	POINTS
1.	Brett Wyatt	1975-79	2292
2.	Del Harrison	1986-90	2011
3.	Johnny Mayers	1983-87	1912
4.	Steve Wilder	1982-86	1708
5.	Mark Washington	2002-06	1600
6.	Eric Moore	1976-80	1587
7.	Andy Kemp	1976-80	1513
8.	Samar Battle	2000-04	1507
9.	Fred Douglas	1967-70	1476
10.	Abdul Madison	1993-97	1457
11.	Charles Brown *	1962-65	1324
12.	Darren Watkins	1988-92	1318
13.	Jeff Harrington	1997-01	1302
14.	Dana John *	2005-08	1281
15.	Steve Schindler *	1970-73	1254
16.	John Celentano *	1971-74	1230
17.	Bob Johnson	1968-71	1178
18.	Omar Cooper *	1994-96, 99-00	1150
19.	Ed Petersen	1962-66	1148
20.	WALIK ALBRIGHT	2009-12, 13-14	1108
21.	Danel Allen *	1995-98	1091
22.	Dwayne West	1982-86	1075
23.	George Thomas	1999-03	1069
24.	Don Brandes	1955-59	1047
25.	Ben O'Neill	1961-65	1024
26.	Stan Chapman	1977-81	1009
27.	Dave Martin	1977-81	1004
* denotes three-year career. All others are four-year players.

	NJCU MEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES, 100+ WINS
SEASONS	TOTAL YEARS	COACH	WINS	LOSSES	PCT.
1982-2007	25	Charles Brown	483	218	.689
1967-76	9	Larry Schiner	133	90	.596
1959-67	8	Ollie Gelston	126	62	.670
1976-82	6	Paul Weinstein	115	48	.706
2007-14	7	Marc Brown	101	82	.552