JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Sophomore power forward Bria Smith (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) posted yet another dominant double-double, producing 19 points, 18 rebounds and six blocks and New Jersey City University used a 19-2 second half run to separate itself from Ramapo College in a 60-52 New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball victory on February 4 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
 
NJCU (8-12, 2-11 NJAC) snapped a five-game skid while sending Ramapo (4-17, 0-14 NJAC) to its 12th consecutive defeat. NJCU, which won the first meeting between the clubs on December 10 (86-70), swept a season series from the Roadrunners for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign.
 
Smith generated her 13th double-double of the season and 23rd of her career as she netted 19 points on 6-of-18 shooting and 6-of-8 free throws, with 11 of her 18 rebounds on the defensive glass. Her six blocks matched a career high and she added two assists while playing a full 40 minutes for the second time in her career. She had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the second half.
 
Senior guard Jade Medley (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) and junior guard Kiana Briggs (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) combined to add 29 points with excellent foul shooting. Medley knocked down three three-pointers and scored 15 points (4-11 FG, 3-8 3FG, 4-4 FT) with four steals in 24 minutes. Briggs made 7-of-9 from the line to contributed 14 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two assists. Junior forward Deseree Johnson (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) chipped in nine rebounds.
 
NJCU won despite shooting 26.6 percent from the field (17-64) and being outscored in the paint by Ramapo, 34-14, thanks to its foul shooting. The Knights made 20-of-27 free throws (.741) while Ramapo struggled, converting just 8-of-21 from the stripe.
 
The 38.1 percent foul shooting was by far a season low; Ramapo's previous worst effort from the line was 52.4 percent. In fact, it's the lowest foul shooting for Ramapo since make 6-of-16 (.375) at NJCU on February 12, 2011.
 
Three players scored in double figures for RCNJ with freshman guard Jina Crawford (New City, NY/Paramus Catholic) tallying 13 points (6-10 FG) and sophomore forward Kellie Lane (Ridgefield Park, NJ/Ridgefield Park) added 11 points (5-10 FG) and seven boards. Junior center Grace Elliott (Detroit, MI/Detroit Country Day School) finished with 10 points (5-13 FG), six rebounds and two assists before fouling out. 
 NJCU led early, 7-2 and after Ramapo tied it at 9-9 and 11-11, pushed the lead back to 16-12 on a jumper by Smith with 6:31 to play. After a double technical foul and an ejection for each team with 6:01 to go, a jumper by freshman Shekinah Suber (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) gave the Knights an 18-13 margin with 4:22 left.
 
But RCNJ scored the next eight points, pulling with one on an Elliott layup off a Lane dish and when Lane scored inside with 1:58 to go, RCNJ moved in front for the first time since it was 2-0. Elliott's basket (0:46) on a second chance gave Ramapo a 21-18 edge at the break. Ramapo scored 14 of its 21 points in the period in the paint; NJCU only had four interior points in the opening 20.
 
RCNJ worked the lead to six at the 17:40 mark and again with 13:26 left when Crawford hit a jumper for a 33-27 advantage.
 
But the tide began to turn from there as the Knights reeled off a game-clinching, 19-2 run which saw a six-point deficit become a decisive 46-35 lead with 7:45 to play. The streak lasted a span of 6:19 and NJCU's top three scorers notched all 19 points, including nine points from Briggs, with seven coming at the line. Tied at 33-33, Medley drained a triple to give NJCU the lead for good and buried another trey with 8:25 to go to push the margin to 43-35 before Briggs hit three of her next four from the line.
 
RCNJ was twice able to whittle the margin to four, including 48-44 with 3:32 to play before freshman guard Irelynn Donovan (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) hit a big three from the right side with 3:00 to play and the Knights iced the game from the line, hitting five of their next six from that spot to move the lead back into double digits.
 
QUOTES:
NJCU head coach Amy Mulligan (fourth season)

On the difference between the two periods: "We got off to a bad start in the first half, only scoring 18 points. Offensively we were not in sync. In the second half we came out and scored 42 points and that came from being much more in sync on offense. I think for the next game and for the rest of the season [our goal] is to get our offense to click a little bit better. We have been in a little bit of a slump shooting so being more aggressive to the basket and working the ball inside out [will help]. Today, one of the keys was that we were getting contributions from mostly everyone in the game. Moving forward, we need to keep to our defensive stance and offensively we need to move the ball a lot better."
 
Bria Smith on her effort and her thoughts on the win: "It was a tough and sloppy game but it was a good win. We really kept our heads and made sure that we didn't play down. We made sure that we stayed the same level that we did and executed for the win. I think the one thing that we all need to do is rebound. We definitely need to rebound better. We need to learn the difference between relaxing and playing. We have to know when it is okay to take shots. I am one specifically who does not know when to take that perfect shot."
 
OF NOTE:

• Series:  65th meeting. Ramapo leads all-time series, 37-28.
• NJCU swept a season series from the Roadrunners for the seventh time (1988-89, 1989-90, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2014-15).
• Bria Smith reached double figures in scoring for the 32nd time in 45 career games and the 17th time in 20 games this year.
• Bria Smith hauled in double digits in rebounding for the 29th time as a collegian and 15th time this season.
• Bria Smith's six blocks equaled her career high of six on December 18, 2013 (vs. Redlands) and matched on December 13, 2014 vs. Purchase.
• Jade Medley collected her 30th career double-digit scoring effort and 10th of the season.
• Kiana Briggs totaled double figures in scoring for the ninth time this season and 27th time in her career.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
On Saturday, February 7, NJCU will host The College of New Jersey (11-10, 6-8 NJAC) in a late start at 5 p.m. at the JMAC. Prior to the game will be the women's and men's alumni games at 12 and 2 p.m. TCNJ won the first meeting between the schools on January 10, 67-58. The Lions lead the all-time series, 52-3, and have won the last 12 meetings. It will be the 56th meeting. Deseree Johnson had a career and game-high 18 points in the first meeting in Ewing, NJ.