UNION, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | For the second time this season sophomore power forward Bria Smith (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) and junior forward Deseree Johnson (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) produced double-doubles in the same game and New Jersey City University and Kean University were locked in a two-point game with under 40 seconds to play before the Cougars hit 6-of-8 from the line in the waning moments to fend off the Gothic Knights, 76-71, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball action on January 24 at Harwood Arena.
 
Kean (10-8, 5-6 NJAC) picked up an important win to hold onto the final conference playoff berth with seven games remaining while NJCU fell to 7-11 (1-10 NJAC) while dropping its fourth straight.
 
Smith and Johnson, who also both registered double-doubles in the same game in a win over Purchase College on December 13, had their best career combined effort.
 
Smith generated her 12th double-double of the season and 22nd of her career and posted her seventh career 20-point scoring performance (third this season) as she finished with a game-high 22 points (6-16 FG), including 10-of-14 foul shots, with 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals in 39 minutes.
 
Johnson had her second double-double this year while seizing a career-high 15 rebounds (12 defensive) with 15 points (6-16 FG), three assists and three steals in 38 minutes.
 
NJCU received several other strong efforts. Senior guard Jade Medley (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) had nine points, three blocks, three assists and two steals and junior guard Kiana Briggs (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) collected seven points, seven rebounds and five assists. Sophomore point guard Jazz Randall (Parsippany, NJ/West Orange) added eight points (4-7 FG).
 
Four players reached double figures for the Cougars, led by a double-double of 11 rebounds (eight defensive) and 10 points by Jazmine Davis while AnnaRose Pierre contributed 15 points (5-10 FG), nine rebounds (eight defensive) and three assists. Jaquetta Owens chipped in 13 points (5-10 FG, 2-5 3FG), four steals and three assists in 24 minutes before fouling out. 
 Also for Kean, Kenya Adams tallied 10 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes and Najha Treadwell, a five-time NJAC Rookie of the Week, had 13 rebounds and eight points. Mikeera Brown added nine points and nine rebounds.
 
NJCU jumped out to a 16-9 lead just over five minutes into the game before Kean rallied, using a 12-0 run to sway the momentum into a 21-16 advantage with 9:09 to go. The Cougars worked the lead to 10 (29-19, 7:09) and held a five-point cushion at the break, leading 38-33.
 
NJCU kept battling back in the second half, cutting it to one (40-39) on a jumper by Johnson before an Owens three made it 47-40. Kean held a comfortable lead through the middle of the period, and regained a double-digit advantage with 6:30 remaining, 64-54.
 
Still trailing by 10 (66-56) with 5:33 to go, NJCU began chipping away again, cutting it two on a Smith layup with 2:33 left and after Kean pushed it back to four, Briggs buried a triple with 1:15 remaining as NJCU shaved the deficit to one, 69-68. NJCU got the ball back after a missed foul shot and down by two, but Briggs wasn't able to connect on another three and foul shots by Jones, Adams and Pierre iced it.
 
QUOTES:
NJCU head coach Amy Mulligan (fourth season)
On the close outcome: "This was the best all-around game for our team this year and we played a full 40 minutes. We got contributions from everyone who played. Bria and Des played huge in the post and worked hard on both sides of the floor. I was pleased with our shots and that we worked as a team."
 
OF NOTE:

• Series:  60th meeting. Kean leads the all-time series, 48-12. NJCU is 3-2 in the last five meetings. Kean won the season series, also winning in Jersey City, 79-71, on November 22.
• Bria Smith reached double figures in scoring for the 30th time in 43 career games and the 15th time in 18 games this year.
• Bria Smith hauled in double digits in rebounding for the 28th time as a collegian and 14th time this season.
• Deseree Johnson chalked up her third career double-double.
• Deseree Johnson had double figures in rebounds for the fourth time this season and sixth time in her career. Her previous rebounding high was 12 at Merchant Marine on December 11, 2013.
• Deseree Johnson netted her 12th career double-digit scoring effort and fifth this season.
• Mid-year transfer Jesenia Montalvo (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne), who came to NJCU from Kean, played 12 minutes in her Gothic Knight debut, ironically against her old club. She was 3-of-4 from the line and had three points and two steals before fouling out.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will host William Paterson University in NJAC action on Wednesday, January 28 at 6 p.m. at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. WPU (11-7, 7-4 NJAC, 4th place) won the first meeting on December 3 in Wayne, 78-70. Bria Smith had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. It was a 2-point game at halftime (39-37).
 
Series: 67th meeting. WP has won 25 consecutive meetings since the 2001-02 season and leads the all-time series, 57-9.