GALLOWAY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University remained unbeaten in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, grabbed a two-game lead in the standings and improved to 6-0 in the league for the first time since the 1988-89 season as freshman small forward James Frazier (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth), in his third collegiate game, netted 19 of his 24 points in the second half and NJCU toppled two-time defending NJAC champion and preseason favorite Stockton University, 74-69, on January 6 at the Stockton Sports Center.

Frazier, the NJAC Rookie of the Week and Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Metro Rookie of the Week shot 6-of-9 from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point distance and 5-of-7 from the line in just 11 minutes as NJCU bounced back from a 33-25 halftime deficit on the road by outscoring the Ospreys 49-36 in the second half. NJCU trailed by 15 in the second half but erased it with runs of 11-0 and 14-3 in the final seven minutes.
 

NJCU (8-4, 6-0 NJAC) stopped a two-game slide by shooting 15-of-25 from the field in the second half—60.0 percent—when it made half of its three-point tries (4-8). Stockton (9-4, 4-2 NJAC), which entered the game No. 1 in the NJAC in scoring defense at 64.0 and as the league leader in scoring margin (+9.0), dropped its second straight following a six-game winning streak.
 
The Knights are 6-0 in the conference for the first time since opening the 1988-89 season at 9-0 before going 17-1 in the league's regular season. NJCU won on Stockton's home court for the second year in a row and the Knights now are two games ahead of Ramapo, Rutgers-Newark and Stockton in the NJAC standings (4-2). NJCU owns wins over each team thus far, including two road decisions.
 
Frazier became the third Gothic Knight to score at least 24 points in a game this season as he netted a career high 24 on 7-of-13 overall shooting (3-7 3FG; 7-13 FT) in 22 minutes off the bench. He scored as much as the entire Stockton bench delivered.
 
Senior small forward Khalid Muhammad (Orange, NJ/Orange) scored eight of his 12 points in the first half and moved into 21st in school history in scoring. He only took four shots (2-4) but was lights out from the line, making 7-of-8.
 
For just the second time all year, senior power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter) didn't score in double figures (7 points, 3-7 FG) but the NJAC's leader in rebounds and offensive rebounds, seized a game-high 12 boards—six offensively—and had three assists, as the Knights outrebounded Stockton, 49-34. He ranks No. 2 in Division III on the offensive glass.
 
Also for NJCU, junior point guard Ata Robinson (Newark, NJ/East Side) had nine rebounds (all defensive), seven points and five assists. Freshman Yuri Brutus (Roselle Park, NJ/Roselle Park) made his first career start at center and finished with nine rebounds (seven defensive) and six points.
 
Stockton lost despite connecting on 15 three-pointers in the game and shooting 51.7 percent from that distance (15-29). The Ospreys were just 10-of-34 inside the arc.
 
Three players reached double figures for Stockton whose game-high scorer also came off the bench as Maurice Hart chalked up 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three-point range.
 
Marcus Harmon was 5-of-6 from three-point territory (7-12 FG) and tallied 19 points while Jaymere Hadden collected 16 points (5-14 FG) and six rebounds. Armin Cane finished with eight points (3-12 FG). The rest of the team provided just five points.
 
Key Moments:
Things didn't look good for NJCU five minutes into the second half when Stockton scored 13 of the first 18 points and held a 15-point, 46-31 margin after a triple by Hart with 14:51 left. Harmon and Hadden each hit threes during the stretch.
 
But as NJCU has done all year, it answered. What was different was the nature of NJCU's 13-2 run as every point was scored by one of three freshman. Frazier scored four and then freshman small forward James Julius (Linden, NJ/Linden) buried a three to cap his seven consecutive points to pull within four, 48-44 at 11:00.
 
Stockton continued to lead but the Knights stayed within two possessions before NJCU capped a 7-0 run with a triple by Robinson that made it 56-55 as the visitors took their first lead since 4-3. After Stockton regained the lead on a three by Hart, it was Frazier that made Stockton go down. An 11-0 run opened with a triple from Frazier (59-58) before he scored on the fast break for a 63-58 edge. Wosu and Robinson capped the run with baskets as NJCU went up nine, 67-58, with 2:55 to go.
 
In all, it was a 14-2 outburst. After a three by Harmon made it a 67-61 deficit, Frazier scored the next five points, including a layup with 1:29 to go that made it 70-61. NJCU led by eight in the final seconds before Stockton hit a meaningless three at the end.
 
In the First Half:
Stockton led for nearly the entire opening half. Up 13-7, threes by Zavon Johnson and Hart pushed the lead to 12 (19-7). A three-point play by Hadden with 5:29 to go in the period gave Stockton a 13-point, 28-15 differential. NJCU would work the deficit to five with a 10-2 run that cut it to 30-25 before heading to the break down eight.
 
Quotable Knights:
 
Head Coach Marc Brown, 9th season (123-102), on the comeback win:
 
"We didn't quit. We really did not play well on offense or defense until midway in the second half. We started to execute on offense and that gave us energy on defense. Ata Robinson did a great job of pushing the ball and looking for teammates, then [James] Frazier caught fire and showed why he will be a huge addition to this group. Frazier and Luis Lopez add to our depth which will be key going forward. We came out with much more energy today. It's not easy to win on the road in this league. This is a very big win for this young group. I am extremely pleased with the effort tonight; looking forward to Saturday. Great team win!"
 
#KnightNotes:

• 78th meeting. NJCU leads all-time series, 44-34 (won 2).
• Stockton's 15 made three-pointers are a single-game record for an opponent. The previous known record was 14 by Rutgers-Newark on December 1, 2010 in a 118-116 triple overtime loss.
• Marc Brown coached his 225th game for NJCU. Now two ahead of Larry Schiner who was previously in second place (223), Brown is only behind his father, Charles Brown, on the all-time games coached list (701).
• Marc Brown has 123 wins. He is three shy of Hall-of-Famer Ollie Gelston who won 126 games from 1959-67, for third place on the all-time wins list.
• With 12 points, Khalid Muhammad now has 1,095 career points and is 21st in school history. He moved past Danel Allen who tallied 1,091 points in three seasons (1995-98). Next up: Omar Cooper in 20th place with 1,150 points in three seasons (1994-06, 99-00).

• Jalen Harris scored a season-low four points. He has scored in double figures in nine of 12 games.
• Chinwe Wosu had his streak of five straight double digit scoring efforts snapped. He has scored in double figures 10 times in 12 games.
• Chinwe Wosu notched double figures in rebounds for the seventh time this season.

 
What's Next?:
The Gothic Knights return home to the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court) for the first time since December 9 when they host The College of New Jersey on Saturday, January 9 at 4 p.m. TCNJ (7-5, 3-3) lost 88-78 at Ramapo on Wednesday. It will be the first meeting between NJCU and TCNJ since the Knights won in Ewing, 74-60, in the NJAC Quarterfinals on February 21, 2015. It will be the 136th meeting between the programs during the NJAC conference era. Since 1955-56 NJCU leads the series, 73-42. Follow live stats (http://sidearmstats.com/njcu/mbball/) or live video (https://www.youtube.com/user/NJCUGothicKnights/live).