JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University trailed Rowan University, the first place team in the New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball standings, by just one after the first quarter, before 24 costly first half turnovers allowed the Profs to pull away, winning the NJAC matchup on January 30, 67-53, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
 
Rowan, which fell out of the national rankings this week but still received votes, improved to 18-2 and 12-1 in the league. NJCU is winless in the league this season (1-17, 0-12 NJAC, Lost 15). NJCU committed 37 total giveaways in the game which Rowan translated into a decisive 34-16 margin in points off turnovers. A 17-0 run for Rowan in the second quarter ultimately gave the Profs a commanding double-digit lead.
 
Rowan received a game-high 20 points (7-17 FG) including four three-pointers (4-9) from graduate student forward Kaitlin Schullstrom (Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck). She added eight rebounds, five assists and four steals in 33 minutes.
 
For NJCU, senior forward Deseree Johnson (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) continued moving closer to the three-point century mark for her career, knocking down four triples in 37 minutes while finishing with a team-high 18 points (7-19 FG, 4-12 3FG) with seven rebounds (six defensive), four blocks and three steals. She now has 98 three-pointers in 87 career games—eight shy of matching the program record with six games remaining.
 
Also for NJCU, sophomore center Sharaunda Fiedtkou (West Orange, NJ/Bayonne) continued her emergence in the second half of the season as a dual-threat player. She had a double-double by the end of the third quarter and finished with her second straight double-double—the only ones of her career—collecting 13 points (6-15 FG) and a career-high 16 rebounds in a hair under 40 minutes. She had nine defensive boards.
 
NJCU junior forward Ziyadah Williams (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter) had her first career double-double and reached double figures in scoring for the first time as a collegian as she recorded 10 points (3-8 FG, 4-4 FT) and 10 rebounds, all on the defensive glass. It was her third effort of 10+ rebounds—all this season. Junior guard Jazz Randall (Parsippany, NJ/West Orange) had 10 points (3-5 FG, 4-4 FT), four assists and three steals but struggled in the turnover department. NJCU's top four scorers accounted for 51 of its 53 points.
 

NJCU outshot the Profs from the field and the line as the Knights enjoyed by far the best foul shooting effort of the season (9-11, .818). Rowan, which had seven more field goals, struggled from three-point range (5-22, .227) but had 19 steals as a team.
 
Graduate student forward Kate Matthews (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) chalked up a double-double for Rowan with 14 points (5-11 FG), 12 rebounds and six blocks while junior guard Anyssa Sanchez (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) finished with 15 points (7-13 FG), seven rebounds and six steals.
 
Key Moments:

• Rowan scored seven of the first nine points. NJCU battled back to take a 10-9 lead on buckets in the paint by Fiedtkou and Williams. Rowan led 12-10 at the end of the first quarter.
• NJCU would tie it at 12-12 and 14-14 in the second quarter. A pretty spin move in the lane by Fiedtkou tied it. Williams hit two foul shots for a 16-14 edge.
• But turnovers began plaguing NJCU as Rowan turned a two-point deficit into a 15-point lead with a 17-0 run that spanned 4:55.
• A nifty play in traffic underneath by Sanchez allowed a 20-16 lead. Turnovers led to fast break opportunities. Rowan knocked down three straight threes—two by Schullstrom with 4:26 and 3:01 remaining—to increase its margin to 31-16.  Schullstrom scored 11 of her 14 first half points in the second quarter. NJCU coughed the ball up 14 times in the first half. Schullstrom's straightaway, NBA-range make pushed the lead to 34-18—one of three 16-point margins in the quarter. The Profs led 38-22 at halftime.
• Deseree Johnson's 95th and 96th career three pointers cut the deficit to 39-28 to start the third quarter. Her 97th three cut it to 43-31.
• Fiedtkou had a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) at the end of the third quarter but NJCU trailed, 51-37. Johnson's 98th three opened the fourth quarter for NJCU.
• Rowan's largest lead was 67-49 (+18) with 1:48 remaining in the fourth quarter.

 
#KnightNotes:

• 56th meeting. Rowan leads the all-time series, 44-12 (won last four meetings).
• Rowan fell out of the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll this week but still received 34 points (28th overall listing).
• Deseree Johnson scored in double figures for the 13th time in 18 games and 29th time in her career.
• Deseree Johnson (98 three pointers, 87 career games) is second in school history in three-pointers made. The program record is 106 by Sandra Nunez in 93 games from 1998-2002.
• Ziyadah Williams's previous career high was nine vs. Green Mountain on January 3, 2015.
• Sharaunda Fiedtkou's previous rebounding high was 15 vs. Rutgers-Newark on January 20.
• Sharaunda Fiedtkou has three double-digit scoring and eight double-digit rebounding efforts—all this season.
• Freshmen Jacqueline Romero (women's volleyball) and Odelia Cordova (women's soccer) made their women's basketball debuts as two-sport athletes. Romero (West New York, NJ/Memorial) played a productive eight minutes and dished two assists.

 
What's Next?:
In a make-up of a January 23 snow out, NJCU will host Kean University on Monday, February 1 at 6 p.m. in NJAC action. Kean (12-7, 7-5 NJAC) won the first meeting of the season in Union, NJ on December 12, 79-30. It will be the 62nd meeting. Kean leads the all-time series, 49-12. In the first meeting this year, Kean forced 33 Gothic Knight turnovers, thanks to 23 steals, while only committing 14 giveaways itself. Kean held a 37-6 margin in points off giveaways. The Cougars held a 52-16 advantage in points in the paint, 20-2 on the fast break and got a 44-10 boost in bench scoring. The Cougars were led by 8-time NJAC Rookie of the Week Marajiah Bacon, who had 14 points (7-17 FG), six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Tori Schweyher scored 14 (4-10 FG). Sharaunda Fiedtkou had a game-high 10 rebounds with eight points. Follow live stats (http://sidearmstats.com/njcu/wbball/) or live video (https://www.youtube.com/user/NJCUGothicKnights/live).