NEWARK, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | St. John Fisher College led 22-14 at the end of the first quarter before the New Jersey City University women's basketball team played the Cardinals even the next two quarters but couldn't recover in a  60-44 season-opening neutral court lost in the John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic at the Rutgers-Newark Golden Dome on November 14. It was the first game played under the NCAA's new quarters format for women's basketball.
 
St. John Fisher (1-0), reigning champions of the Empire 8 Conference, went 22-7 last year and advanced to the NCAA Division III Second Round before losing to Final Four qualifier Tufts. The Cardinals shot 36.8 percent in the win (21-57). NJCU (0-1) trailed 34-24 at halftime and 46-45 thru three quarters before the Cardinals pulled away late.
 
Senior forward Deseree Johnson (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) scored a game-high 16 points in defeat and added nine rebounds in 39 minutes as she shot 6-of-11 from the field and 2-of-5 from three-point range. It was her 16th career double-digit scoring effort.
 
Sophomore power forward/center Sharaunda Fiedtkou (West Orange, NJ/Bayonne) finished with six points (3-of-5), five rebounds and three steals. Sophomore transfer Mikeera Brown (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) scored seven points in her first game for NJCU.
 
The Cardinals had a balanced attack in which six players scored at least seven points. Nicole Robinson had 10 points (3-8 FG), seven rebounds and four assists while Bridget Carney was 5-for-5 from the floor, scoring 10 points.
 
Also for SJFC, Mary Kate Cusack netted nine points with five rebounds and five steals and McKenzie Bezon tallied eight points and six rebounds. Emily Piacentini (seven points, four assists) and Caroline Robertson (seven points, six rebounds) also contributed.
 
St. John Fisher held a 26-10 margin in points in the paint and a 23-12 advantage off 22 Gothic Knight giveaways.
 
NJCU led 7-2 early in the first quarter before the Cardinals bounced back for ties at 7-7 and 9-9. NJCU maintained a 14-12 edge with 2:40 to go in the first quarter after a three by freshman shooting guard Christine Bizub (Fort Lee, NJ/Fort Lee). But the Cardinals answered with a 10-0 run to close the quarter, capped by a three from Erin Hulbert that claimed a 22-14 margin. The final run was 11-0 over two quarters. NJCU drew within six late in the second quarter on a jumper by Brown and trailed 42-35 with 2:04 to go in the third quarter. But the Cardinals would maintain a lead of low double figures for most of the rest of the game before pulling away at the end.
 
#KnightNotes:

• First-ever meeting with St. John Fisher
• First-ever game as head coach of NJCU for first-year coach Robyn Burton.
• NJCU was opening its 46th season of women's basketball.
• SJFC outrebounded NJCU, 41-33, including 17-8 on the offensive glass.

 
What's Next?:
On day two of the tournament on November 15 (12 p.m.), NJCU faces John Jay College. Rutgers-Newark edged John Jay, 56-48, in Saturday's other opening-round game. NJCU crushed John Jay in the last meeting between the schools last year, with a 75-44 (+31) road win on November 19, 2014. NJCU leads the all-time series, 11-6.