CENTER VALLEY, Pa. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University shot under 40 percent for the seventh consecutive game and eighth time this season, shooting 23.9 percent from the floor and McDaniel College did enough to held off NJCU, 66-52, in the opening round of the DeSales Holiday Tournament presented by OAA on January 3.

In its first game in 21 days, NJCU hit just 11-of-46 field goal attempts and struggled from three-point range (4-22, .182) to lose for the sixth consecutive outing and dropped to an uncharacteristic 2-8 on the season. McDaniel (6-3) shot 20-of-39 overall and 51.3 percent for the game to overcome poor free throw shooting (21-40, .525). It was the first-ever meeting between the schools.

NJCU kept itself in the game from the line where it converted 26-of-31 attempts for an 83.9 percent rate.

But the .239 percentage was the lowest in the computerized stats era, as the Gothic Knights hit just 21.4 percent of its first half shots (6-28), falling behind by seven at the break, 31-24.

Senior small forward Neville Joseph (Newark, NJ/West Side) scored a game-high 15 points for NJCU (4-10 FG, 6-7 FT) but only two other players scored more than five for the Knights. Senior point guard Jourdan Roberson (Brooklyn, NY/University (Newark)) finished with nine points, three assists and three steals.

The Green Terror placed five players in double figures with Tim Stewart scoring a team-high 14 points in 20 minutes on 5-of-9 shooting. Cameron Royster (3-6 FG, 6-10 FT) and Nick Perugino (4-7 FG) each netted 12 points with Perugino knocking down 4-of-6 three-point chances—all proving to be difference-making shots. Wesley Brooks and Phillip Perry each chipped in 10.
 Perugino helped the Terror jump ahead early, hitting back-to-back threes to give McDaniel an 11-5 lead six minutes into the game, which was later pushed to nine (17-8). NJCU was able to whittle the deficit to one by making six straight foul shots, and trailed 21-20 with 4:26 to play in the opening half. But the Terror answered, outscoring NJCU 10-4 the rest of the period for a seven-point lead at the break.

After NJCU scored the first five points of the second half to make it a two-point game (31-29), McDaniel responded and again it was Perugino providing the major damage. His back-to-back triples in a span of 39 seconds were the two biggest shots at the end of a 16-5 streak that saw the lead expand to 13 (47-34) with 11:08 to play and McDaniel largely maintained a low double-digit lead the rest of the game.

OF NOTE:

• Series: First meeting.
• NJCU's .239 field goal percentage was its lowest since computerized game-by-game statistics were first tracked in the 2000-01 season.
• NJCU lost six in a row for the first time since losing six straight from January 16 thru January 30, 1993.
• NJCU has opened a season at 2-8 for the first time since opening the 1955-56 season with a mark of 2-9. That is the first year reliable game-by-game results were tracked in program history.    
• Neville Joseph has scored in double figures in seven of eight games in his only season at NJCU.
• Khalid Muhammad did not score or have a rebound in 18 minutes (0-4 FG, 0-1 3FG). It was the first time in his career he was held scoreless or without a board. He had scored in double figures in 49 of 64 career games coming in.

WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will play Elizabethtown College on Sunday, January 4 in the tournament's consolation game. The Blue Jays (4-6) fell to host DeSales, 72-69, in double overtime in the other opening round game. It will be the second meeting between the schools. In the only other meeting on November 22, 1996—also on a neutral court at the Binghamton University Tournament in Binghamton, N.Y., E-town edged then Jersey City State College, 88-86.