JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The College of New Jersey nailed three three-pointers in consecutive trips down the floor in a span of 55 seconds that broke the Lions loose in a close game as TCNJ defeated New Jersey City University, 62-53, in New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball on February 7 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
 
TCNJ (12-20, 7-8 NJAC) snapped a two-game losing streak and kept pace with Kean University (7-8 NJAC) and Rutgers-Newark (7-8 NJAC) for the final two berths in the NJAC Tournament later this month. NJCU (8-13, 2-12 NJAC) was eliminated from NJAC Tournament contention with the loss.
 
NJCU remained neck-and-neck with the Lions in the second half as freshman guard Jesenia Montalvo (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) hit a three with 13:57 left (36-35) and junior guard Kiana Briggs (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) scored on a putback with 12:25 to play, to pull the Gothic Knights within one, 38-37, NJCU trailed by three (42-39) with 10:12 to go and by six (46-40) with 7:33 remaining.
 
But that changed when senior forward Jessica Goldbach (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) hit a three with 7:14 to go and senior guard Kelly Coughlin (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) nailed triples with 6:47 and 6:19 left as the Lions' lead ballooned to 13 (55-42), clinching the win.
 
It was a different story in a back-and-forth first half. The Lions vaulted out to a quick 9-2 lead in the first three-plus minutes before it was NJCU roaring back with an 11-0 run, taking the lead, 13-9, on a step-back jumper by Briggs. The lead would change hands five times with four ties before TCNJ settled for a one-point, 25-24 margin at the intermission. 
 The result was similar to the January 10 contest between the clubs in Ewing. Also a nine-point win for TCNJ, the Lions led by just three at halftime before pulling away with an 11-2 run to open the second period.
 
For NJCU, sophomore power forward Bria Smith (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) was one rebound shy of yet another double-double. She produced 15 points on 4-of-9 field goal accuracy and 7-of-10 foul shooting with nine rebounds. Briggs took 23 shots and scored 16 points with three steals. Montalvo, in her fourth game for NJCU since transferring from Kean mid-year, scored a career-high 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting (2-3 3FG) after netting six points in her first three games. She also chipped in three steals in 27 minutes.
 
Coughlin was key to the Lions effort, finishing with 16 points (5-14 FG, 2-5 3FG) and seven boards in 35 minutes. Goldbach added eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Senior guard Kylie O'Donnell (Magnolia, NJ/Sterling) tallied nine points (3-7 FG) and four assists while junior forward Christina Merlin (North Brunswick, NJ/Bishop Ahr) had nine rebounds, five points and two blocks.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series:  56th meeting. TCNJ leads all-time series, 53-3, and has won the last 13 meetings.
• Bria Smith reached double figures in scoring for the 33rd time in 46 career games and the 18th time in 21 games this year.
• Kiana Briggs totaled double figures in scoring for the 10th time this season and 28th time in her career.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
In the third attempt to play a twice snowed-out game, NJCU will host fourth-place William Paterson University (12-9, 8-6 NJAC) on Monday, February 9 at 6 p.m. at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. WPU 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.