DANBURY, Conn. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University led by one with 5:34 to play, before Farmingdale State scored eight of the next nine points and took advantage of a lackluster shooting effort by the Gothic Knights as the Rams outlasted NJCU, 62-52, in the opening round of the Hat City Classic, hosted by Western Connecticut State College on January 2.

NJCU (5-5) lost its first game of the 2015 portion of its schedule despite the fifth consecutive double-double by  sophomore power forward Bria Smith (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy), who grabbed a tournament-high 16 rebounds (11 defensive) and added 12 points (6-9 FT) with three blocks and three steals in 37 minutes. It was her seventh double-double of the  season and 17th of her career.

But NJCU, which led 28-24 at halftime, shot just 21.6 percent in the second half (.8-37) and 26.3 percent from the field (20-76), and could never find its outside shooting touch as the Gothic Knights were just 1-for-17 from three-point distance in the loss (.059).

Meanwhile, in the first meeting between the clubs in five seasons, the Rams (4-5) took advantage of a pair of 20-point scoring efforts. Andrea Desvignes scored 22 points (8-27 FG, 2-8 3FG) with three assists in 37 minutes and Nicole Lanteri had a near triple-double with 20 points (9-17 FG), seven assists, seven rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes. With 14 points and six assists in the second half, Lanteri had a hand in 12 of 15 made baskets in the period.

Desvignes and Lanteri accounted for 44 of the Skyline Conference team's 62 points and 44 of its 72 field goal attempts.

Farmingdale will face host Western Connecticut State in the tournament's championship game after the Colonials devoured Green Mountain College, 79-12, in the weekend's opening game.

Smith, who had just three points and seven rebounds at halftime, came alive for nine and nine in the second half, but was NJCU's only player in double figures in the points column.

Freshman center Sharaunda Fiedtkou (West Orange, NJ/Bayonne) came off the bench to shoot 4-for-5 with eight points in 18 minutes.  Sophomore point guard Jazz Randall (Parsippany, NJ/West Orange) tallied eight points (4-8 FG) and five rebounds. Three other NJCU players finished with six points.

For FSC, Marlaina Sherman finished with 12 points (4-10 FG) and eight rebounds (seven defensive). The Rams got 10 rebounds apiece from Nailah Cherry and Jeanette Spillane.
Farmingdale didn't shoot overwhelmingly better than NJCU, making just 31.9 percent on the evening (23-72) and 3-of-15 from three-point range (.200), but had a 15-8 margin in converted second half field goals.

The Rams actually led 15-8 nine minutes into the first half before NJCU turned a 14-2 run into a 22-17 lead with 3:52 to go in the period and led by four at the break.
 

FSC reclaimed the lead early in the second half, pushing the lead to eight points, 38-30 with 13:58 to play. NJCU bounced back for the fifth tie of the game at 41-41 as Fiedtkou scored on a third-chance opportunity and NJCU led 43-41 at the end of a 13-3 outburst. The clubs traded two more ties at 43-43 and 46-46, and NJCU led 47-46 after Smith sank two from the foul line.

But NJCU's next seven opportunities resulted in four missed field goals and three turnovers and the Rams capitalized, moving ahead on two baskets by Lanteri and two Sherman free throws before pushing the lead to six, 54-48 on a steal and fast break bucket by Desvignes with 3:16 to play.

NJCU kept the game within two possessions on a pair of fast breaks and trailed by four, 56-52, with 1:28 to left before NJCU missed another jumper with 44 seconds left in a final chance to rally. Desvignes and Lanteri iced the game from the line in the final 30 seconds.

QUOTES:

NJCU head coach Amy Mulligan (fourth season)

On the result: "Bria played strong inside but we just didn't have the shooting tonight. We also had a great defensive game from Shekinah [Suber] and got a lot of energy from her."

OF NOTE:

• Series: Farmingdale leads, 8-2.
• First meeting since December 3, 2009.
• Bria Smith reached double figures in scoring for the 24th time in 35 career games and the ninth time in 10 games this year.
• Bria Smith hauled in double digits in rebounding for the 22nd time as a collegian and seventh time this season.
• Bria Smith is already 23 points shy of 500 for her career.
• The last time an opponent had two 20-point scorers was December 6, 2010 when Lehman College had two players account for 47 points (Amanda De La Cruz, 24; Louvinia Hayes, 23).

WHAT'S NEXT?

NJCU will face Green Mountain College, members of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), in the tournament consolation game at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 3. It will be the first meeting between the schools. The Eagles are 0-7 on the season and have lost 23 consecutive games after going 1-21 last year. GMC's last win was a 58-54 win at Unity on December 8, 2013. The school's last win against a Division III opponent was back-to-back wins on December 12, 2012 (Southern Vermont) and January 8, 2013 (Johnson State).

Green Mountain has failed to score more than 39 points in a game this season and has been held to less than 30 points four times, all in its last five games. The 12-point total against Western Conn. was a season low; it was 48-4 at halftime. GMC has allowed 88.4 points per game while averaging 29.1 points per game. The Eagles have been outscored by 59.3 points per game, out-rebounded by 21.6 boards per game and are averaging 34.1 turnovers per outing.

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