JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University led 2-0 before the opening tip and never were seriously challenged by Montclair State University as NJCU posted consecutive wins for the first time this year in a 67-56 New Jersey Athletic Conference men's basketball decision on January 17 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
 
Junior shooting guard Khalid Muhammad (Orange, NJ/Orange) went over the 900-point threshold for his career and enjoyed his best game of the season, reaching the 20-point plateau for the first time this year and eighth time in his collegiate tenure.
 
Meanwhile NJCU (5-10, 3-6 NJAC) picked up an important win to stay one game behind Ramapo and TCNJ for one of the final two conference tournament berths with exactly half of the league slate now played. Montclair fell to 5-9 (2-7 NJAC) with the loss.
 
Muhammad shot 6-of-7 from the field—missing only a three-point attempt—and was a brilliant 8-of-9 from the line in 25 minutes. His ability to get to the line sparked NJCU to a 20-of-26 day at the stripe (.769).
 
Senior small forward Neville Joseph (Newark, NJ/West Side)—coming off a career-high 23 points in Wednesday's win at Rutgers-Camden—had another solid outing, accounting for 17 points (6-12 FG, 4-6 FT) and eight rebounds in 23 minutes and senior point guard Jourdan Roberson (Brooklyn, NY/University (Newark)) delivered an effort of 14 points (4-9 FG, 4-4 FT) and three assists. Freshman guard Joseph Kelley (Newark, NJ/University) chalked up five points, five rebounds and five steals.
 
NJCU, which ranks No. 13 in blocked shots, swatted away nine and overpowered Montclair defensively, limiting the Red Hawks to 31.4 percent shooting (16-51).
 Sophomore guard Shaun Russell (Brooklyn, NY/Willingboro) had 13 points (4-10 FG) and five rebounds for MSU while sophomore guard Erick Loften-Harris (Union, NJ/Union) also finished with 13 points (7-10 FT).
 
Freshman guard Lavrone Green (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) totaled 10 points and three steals. Junior forward Kevin McGorry (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) contributed nine points, eight rebounds and four blocks. No other MSU player had more than three. Montclair's reserves scored 43 of its 56 points.
 
After MSU was assessed a pre-game technical foul for dunking, NJCU hit two foul shots and the Knights never trailed. A fast-break layup by Roberson made it 10-4 and NJCU expanded the lead to 15-8 when Roberson drilled a three from the right corner. The lead swelled into double figures (22-12, 10:37) when Joseph grabbed a teammate's missed foul shot and powered home two points and the Knights dominated the rest of the period.
 
A steal and triple by Roberson with 7:05 left in the period gave NJCU a 16-point margin and the Knights were in front by as many as 18 (39-21) when junior redshirt shooting guard David Cole (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) hit a jumper in the lane with 1:44 to go. NJCU went to the break ahead by 15 (39-24).
 

NJCU continued to own a double digit margin for most of the second half and Montclair could not get within two possessions until Green knocked down a three with 2:30 to play. But the Knights quickly offered their rebuttal when Joseph buried a three from the right corner to push the lead back to nine and a fast break finish by Muhammad with under a minute to go sealed it.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 163rd meeting since 1932-33. Montclair leads, 91-72.
• Neville Joseph scored in double figures for the 10th time in 13 games in his only season at NJCU.
• Khalid Muhammad reached double figures in scoring for the 51st time in 70 career games and ninth time this season. He has 903 career points.
• Jourdan Roberson reached double figures in scoring for the 15th time in two seasons at NJCU and third time in 2014-15.

WHAT'S NEXT?
On Wednesday, January 21, NJCU faces Rutgers University-Newark at 8 p.m. at The Golden Dome. RUN (11-4, 5-3 NJAC), the preseason conference favorite, won the initial meeting in Jersey City on November 25, 62-46 in a game in which neither side shot well. Joseph led NJCU in scoring with 12 points. Jordan McDaniel had 18 points for the Raiders. NJCU went a span of 8:29 without a field goal and fell behind 23-5 in the game.
 
Series: 77th meeting; NJCU leads all-time, 60-16.