Box Score NEWARK, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Rutgers-Newark shot 9-of-15 from three-point distance and better than 50 percent from the floor as the Scarlet Raiders led by 11 at halftime and knocked off the New Jersey City University women's basketball team, 86-65, in the New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both schools on November 24 at the Golden Dome Arena.
 
Rutgers-Newark (2-2, 1-0 NJAC) shot 60 percent from three-point range and 34-of-67 from the field (.507) while its ball movement led to 22 assists.
 
Maria Simmons scored 28 points for the Raiders, hitting 11-of-19 overall and 4-of-6 from three-point territory while dishing 12 of the 22 assists for a double-double. She added seven rebounds and four steals in 32 minutes to pace four players in double figures in scoring for the Raiders.
 
Arianna Williams also had a double-double for RUN, scoring 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 4-of-6 three-point accuracy while grabbing 11 rebounds (eight defensive) with three assists in 36 minutes. Behind her effort on the glass, Rutgers-Newark held a 46-30 margin in rebounding.
 
In defeat for NJCU, sophomore guard/forward Mikeera Brown (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) produced a career-high 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting, with seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 31 minutes.
 
Junior guard Jazz Randall (Parsippany, NJ/West Orange) netted 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting for NJCU while chalking up four assists in 38 minutes. Senior forward Deseree Johnson (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) finished with 10 points, making 3-of-6 from three-point territory. She added six rebounds.
 
Also contributing for the Raiders was Shala Glenn who scored 14 points (7-14 FG) with seven rebounds and three assists, and Nikki Sammartino added 11 points (4-9 FG) and seven rebounds. Nicole Skelly had eight points.
 
A two-point game through one quarter (23-21), the Raiders led by 12 (23-11) with 2:46 to go in the opening period before the Knights closed the quarter on a 10-0 run; Randall scored three straight layups to open the stretch. Williams had 10 in the quarter and 15 in the first half; Simmons scored 15 in the second half.
 
In the second quarter the Knights briefly led, 27-26. But the Raiders took control of the contest from there, using an 11-0 outburst to grab a 10-point, 37-27 margin with 3:38 left in the first half. Simmons scored five for the hosts during the spurt. RUN led 44-33 at halftime and 61-51 after three quarters although NJCU was able to draw within 54-49 when Brown sank a jumper with 3:42 to go. RUN scored 25 points in the fourth quarter to pull away, leading by as many as 30 in the final two minutes (86-56) before NJCU scored the final nine points of the outing.
 
#KnightNotes:

• Rutgers-Newark has won the last 11 meetings and leads the all-time series, 47-21.

 
What's Next?:
After the Thanksgiving break, NJCU will play its 2015-16 home opener on Wednesday, December 2 at 6 p.m. when it hosts William Paterson University in an NJAC contest on Coach Charlie Brown Court at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. NJCU won the last meeting on February 9, 2015 in Jersey City, 84-69, to snap WP's 25-game winning streak in the series. The Pioneers lead the all-time series, 57-10. Follow live stats (http://sidearmstats.com/njcu/wbball/) or live video (https://www.youtube.com/user/NJCUGothicKnights/live).