New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score CAMDEN, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Seven-time New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week BRIA SMITH (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) notched her fourth 20+ scoring effort of the season and second in a row while notching her 10^th double-double of the season and junior guard JADE MEDLEY (Queens, NJ/Hudson Catholic) poured in a career-high 20 points as New Jersey City University pulled away from Rutgers-Camden for a dominant 73-55 road NJAC win on February 19.
 
NJCU closes the 2013-14 season on a high note, outscoring the Scarlet Raptors 46-20 in the second half after trailing by eight (35-27) at halftime. NJCU ends its 44^th season of women's basketball with a 9-16 ledger and 6-12 in the NJAC—its most overall wins since the 2006-07 season (10-15) and its most victories in the league since the 1998-99 campaign (8-10).
 
Smith and Medley became the first pair of NJCU players to score 20 points in the same game since February 11, 2009. The two were dominant in the second half; Medley notched 12 points on 3-of-4 in the period (5-5 FT) while Smith had a near double-double in the second half alone—11 points and nine rebounds.
 
Smith shot 7-of-14 from the field and 7-of-9 from the line for 21 points, grabbed 13 rebounds (eight defensive), while adding three assists, three steals and two blocks in 32 minutes.
 
Medley was two points better than her previous scoring high achieved in the first meeting with Camden (5-19, 0-18 NJAC), scoring 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting and 5-of-5 free throw accuracy while knocking down 3-of-6 from three-point distance. She added three blocks and three steals in 19 reserve minutes.
 
Also for NJCU, sophomore guard KIANA BRIGGS (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) netted 14 points (5-13 FG, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and three assists while junior point guard ASHLEY VAZQUEZ (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) collected seven points, seven boards, five assists and three steals in 39 minutes. Rookie guard JAZZ RANDALL (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) had six points (3-6 FG) and six caroms.
 
NJCU was sensational from the line, converting 20-of-26 attempts, while posting more assists (13) than turnovers (10). Defensively, it limited Camden to just four points in the paint—a 20-4 advantage—and just 5-of-22 three-point accuracy (.227).
 
Michelle Onu led Camden with 14 points (6-13 FG) and eight rebounds. Tanjae Lewis chipped in 10 points (4-9 FG) and five rebounds while Alex Gravinese finished with eight points and six assists in 40 minutes.
 
"This was a great win to end the season!" exclaimed third-year head coach Amy Mulligan. "The girls really put their heart out there and fought for that win. They came together as a team in the second half and proved why they deserved to win—led by Bria who refused to let this team lose. She has grown to become a leader on the court and did pretty much everything we needed.  Jade showed why she is versatile and hard to defend! KIANA BRIGGS came up with some very timely buckets for us as well!"
 
In the first half, NJCU trailed by one, 22-21, with 5:28 to play before the hosts scored the next nine points in a span of 3:01 to open a 31-21 advantage with 2:27 left.
 
NJCU trailed by 11 in the final minute of the first half (35-24) and 35-27 at the break, but opened the second half on a 17-6 run to wipe out that differential.
 
Smith scored NJCU's first seven points of the second half, and 11 of the Gothic Knights' first 15 points of the period and gave NJCU its first lead since the 13:40 mark of the first half with a layup with 13:17 remaining. After Camden briefly regained a one-point margin, she put the Knights ahead for good with a layup following an offensive rebound with 12:33 to play. Camden never came closer than 44-43 the rest of the way.
 
Two foul shots and a steal and layup by Medley extended the lead to 48-43 midway through the half. She knocked down a three at 8:04 to push the margin to nine (54-45). After R-C drew within five, 54-49, with 6:04 to go, Medley was fouled from three-point range, converted all three free throws and Randall followed with a pair of baskets to increase the NJCU cushion to 10, 61-51, with 4:53 remaining. NJCU pulled away from there, scoring 12 of the final 16 points in the game, including an impressive 12-1 surge to end the game. NJCU's largest lead was the final 18-point margin on a late layup by Vazquez.
 
"I am so proud of the season we have had and the growth of this team," Mulligan summed up. "It is sad to see four-year player ALNISA HERNAIZ [(Irvington, NJ/Irvington)] finish out her career but I am so pumped for the team that will be returning next season and where we will go from here."

GAME NOTES:

53rd meeting. Camden leads all-time series, 30-23. NJCU has won the last three meetings. NJCU won the first meeting in Jersey City, 69-50, in Jersey City on January 15. The last time NJCU had two players score 20+ in a game was February 11, 2009 vs. Ramapo College when Ebony Cunningham and Lashawn Overton each netted 21. BRIA SMITH reached double figures in scoring for the 15th time season and rebounding for the 15th time this season. ASHLEY VAZQUEZ upped her two-year career scoring total to 649 in 50 games. ASHLEY VAZQUEZ missed double digits in scoring for just the 11th time. She still has scored in double figures 39 times in 50 games as a Gothic Knight and 21 times in 25 games this year. ALNISA HERNAIZ had two rebounds. Her career rebounding total ends at is 643. NJCU played the final two games of the season without injured starting forward DESEREE JOHNSON (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional). KIANA BRIGGS scored in double figures for the 18th time in her career and 15th time this season. JADE MEDLEY collected her 10th double-digit scoring effort of the season and 20th of her career. She exceeded her previous career high of 18, also achieved against Rutgers –Camden, on January 15, 2014.