EWING, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University led 19-0 seven minutes into the game and 59-54 with 59 seconds remaining before The College of New Jersey scored seven points in the final minute to hand the Gothic Knights a devastating 61-59 New Jersey Athletic Conference men's basketball loss on January 10 at Packer Hall.

NJCU (3-10, 1-6 NJAC) loses a game it once had control of in the final five seconds for the second time this week and more importantly, the setback could prove costly as the Gothic Knights fall two games behind TCNJ (7-6, 3-4 NJAC, Won 4) for the final berth in the conference tournament seven games into the 18-game league slate.
 
It was also NJCU's second sizeable first half lead in a conference game that unraveled late. On December 6, the Knights led Rowan 19-2 before ultimately falling by four (73-69).
 
Days after No. 12 Stockton hit a short jumper with 2.4 seconds remaining to defeat the Knights on January 7 in Jersey City, TCNJ sophomore Eric Klacik (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) knocked down a long jumper with 3.9 seconds to give the Lions their only lead of the entire game.
 
NJCU only committed seven turnovers in the second half but coughed it up twice in the final minute and both proved costly. Leading 59-54, Klacik hit a three with 40 seconds left and freshman Eric Murdock, Jr. (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) stole the ensuing inbounds pass before being fouled and converting both free throws, tying the game at 59-59 for the first time since the opening tip.
 
NJCU had the ball with 36 seconds left and a chance to set up for a final shot but turned it over with 20 seconds to go as senior Skyelar Ettin (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) came up with a steal, setting up the Lions' final possession.
Following a timeout, Klacik received the ball and dribbled left and just inside the three-point arc. Following the made shot and an NJCU timeout, the desperation three by freshman point guard Shaquan Worthy (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) was wide left.
 
It was a huge contrast from the first half when the Knights again got off to a fast start seizing a 19-0 lead by the 11:33 mark before TCNJ finally got its first points on a pair of foul shots with 10:51 remaining and its first field goal after nearly 10 minutes had been played (10:11).
 
All five starters had a basket on the first five made shots of the game for a 12-0 lead just 4:53 into the contest and seven Knights scored to push the lead to 19. Defensively, NJCU forced the Lions into 13 straight missed shots to open the day. NJCU had its largest lead of the game (22 points), up 31-9 with 2:40 to go in the first half, before Klacik gave the Lions some life heading into the locker room as he buried three-point field goals on back-to-back trips down the floor. NJCU led by 14 at the break (31-17).
 
While NJCU shot an identical 11-of-25 in each period (.440), the Lions were held to just 4-of-28 shooting (.143) in the opening period before upping that mark to 59.1 percent in the second half (13-22).
 

The Lions gradually chipped away at NJCU's lead, and with 13:25 remaining in the game, Klacik drained another long 3 to cut the deficit to single digits. Senior point guard Jourdan Roberson (Brooklyn, NY/University (Newark)) responded with a three and when freshman forward Jahad Harris (Elizabeth, NJ/Union Catholic) scored a fast break layup, the NJCU lead was back at 14 (54-40) with 8:43 left.
 
But the Lions didn't go away, drawing within nine, 54-45, when senior Jayson Johnson (Bordentown, NJ/Life Center Academy) hit a three with 6:02 left. Later, with 4:37 to go, Johnson rebounded his own miss and was fouled on his way back up. After the play, NJCU was assessed with a technical foul, giving Johnson four free throws. He made all four and TCNJ suddenly trailed by just five points.
 
Freshman Kevin Johnson (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) followed with a layup and the Gothic Knight lead diminished to three points with 3:57 remaining before Worthy answered with a fast break bucket to push the lead back to five and a jumper by Roberson with 1:48 to go made it a six-point advantage (58-52) before the final minute drama.
 
Senior center Eddie Brown (Newark, NJ/Newark East Side) led three NJCU scorers in double figures, making 6-of-8 field goals to finish with 12 points, three blocks and three assists in 28 minutes before fouling out in the final minute.
 
Junior shooting guard Khalid Muhammad (Orange, NJ/Orange) had 12 points (4-9 FG, 2-2 3FG), nine rebounds (seven defensive) and two blocks while Roberson finished with 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-6 3FG), five rebounds and three assists.
 
Jayson Johnson led all scorers with 17 points. He struggled, shooting just 4-of-15 from the field, but was perfect in nine free throw tries. Klacik finished with 14 points on 4-of-6 three-point accuracy (5-8 FG) and Ettin had 11 (3-7 3FG).
 
The loss spoiled a brilliant defensive effort against TCNJ's top player, D3hoops.com preseason fourth-time All-America forward Bobby Brackett, who was neutralized and limited to one point and just one shot with five rebounds in 27 minutes of action. He entered the game as the league's top rebounder (12.67) and 14.3 points per game with seven double-doubles.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 133rd meeting during the NJAC conference era. Since 1955-56, NJCU leads the series, 71-42. Even with the loss NJCU has won five of the last seven meeting.
• NJCU falls to 1-5 in games decided by six or less points.
• For the first time in the last four games, Khalid Muhammad reached double figures in scoring. He has now scored in double figures 50 times in 68 career games and seven times this season. He has 880 career points.
• Eddie Brown reached 10+ points for the seventh time in two seasons at NJCU (fifth time in 2014-15).
• Jourdan Roberson reached double figures in scoring for the 14th time in two seasons at NJCU and second time in 2014-15.
• Leading scorer Neville Joseph finished with a season-low seven points for the second straight game. It was only the third time in 11 games he didn't score in double figures.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
On Wednesday, January 14, NJCU heads to Camden, NJ to face Rutgers University-Camden (7-6, 2-5 NJAC, lost 2). In the last meeting on February 19, 2014 in Camden, NJCU prevailed, 71-68. It will be the 61st meeting. NJCU has won 18 consecutive meetings, 46 of the last 47 and leads the all-time series, 56-4. Camden's last win came in double overtime on February 9, 2002 in Camden, 103-99.