JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In a game where a share of first place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference was at stake, defense thwarted offense. New Jersey City University, the No. 6 ranked scoring defense in the nation, held The College of New Jersey nearly 30 points below its scoring average and rallied past the Lions, 54-52, in a ferocious back-and-forth league game on December 10 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Charlie Brown Court). The Lions did not score a field goal in the final 4:42 of play.
 
NJCU trailed by as many as 13 in the first half and won despite shooting just 29.7 percent and 4-of-23 from three-point range as its defense, which came in allowing just 58.6 points per game, was up for the challenge. The hosts shut down a TCNJ squad that averaged 81.3 points per game led by two of the league's top six scorers and three of the top 11, including two who were held in check.
 
The win was the sixth straight for NJCU, the defending NJAC regular season champions, which at 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the league finds itself tied for first atop the conference standings with Ramapo (5-0 NJAC) at the end of the fall NJAC schedule. TCNJ suffered its first NJAC loss (7-3, 4-1 NJAC). The Lions shot 28.6 percent overall (14-49) and 7-of-29 from three-point range (.241) and missed its final six shots of the game.
 
For NJCU, which received 35 points in the latest D3hoops.com poll, equivalent to a No. 28 national listing, senior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park (Md.)), the week two NJAC Player of the Week, took just eight shots and was NJCU's only player in double digits, netting 10 (3-8 FG). He was 4-of-4 from the line, coming in as NJCU's top scorer (18.6).
 
Senior forward Bobby Brackett (Lawrenceville, N.J.) was the Lions' lone player anywhere near his scoring average, finishing with 18 points (4-8 FG) with 10-of-13 free throws, and 12 rebounds (defensive) in 32 minutes.
 
Senior forward Corey Stanford (Pittsburgh, Pa.) who came in fifth in the league at 17.0 per game, scored just nine points (3-10 FG, 2-7 3FG) with seven board in 28 minutes. Junior point guard Eric Murdock, Jr. (Bridgewater, N.J.), who was 11th in scoring (13.0) and first in assists (5.9), was stalled, shooting just 1-of-8 from the field and 1-for-5 from three-point distance. He had five points, five assists and seven rebounds in 40 minutes and was forced into six giveaways.
 
NJCU shot 19-of-64 overall but did recover after a difficult first half. Junior small forward Kevin Brown (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) had nine points (4-6 FG) and five boards in 20 minutes and was a huge part of the defensive game. Freshman power forward Sam Toney (Somerdale, N.J./Williamstown), the two-time NJAC Rookie of the Week, struggled to find his shot, missing all six threes he tries, but made up for it at the line where was 4-of-5, finishing with seven rebounds, six points and three blocks.
 
Senior point guard Ata Robinson (Newark, N.J./East Side), senior guard Andrew Tomlin (Newark, N.J./Central) and graduate student power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) each scored seven. Senior guard Eric Klacik (Basking Ridge, N.J.) had 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting (2-7 3FG) for the Lions.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
NJCU trailed by as many as 13 points with 7:37 left in a first half that saw the Knights shooting just 22.9 percent from the field (8-35) and only 7.1 percent from three-point distance (1-14). NJCU forced 10 turnovers and scored 12 points in the paint but had just one assist in the first 20 minutes. Brackett led the Lions with 10 points (6-7 FT) and nine rebounds in the opening half.
 
Brackett helped the Lions out to an 8-2 lead with five points and Stanford hit a three (11-4) before the Lions added two more triples, including a three by Murdock with 12:16 to go for a 20-10 advantage. A three-point play by Brackett (23-12) and his two foul shots pushed the margin to 25-12 before NJCU slowly began whittling away at the margin. A rebound and putback by sophomore center Yuri Brutus (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park) cut it to six (25-19) and junior guard Ruben Acosta (Bogota, N.J./Bogota) hit NJCU's only three of the first half with 1:50 to play before the teams went to the break with the Lions up 30-24. NJCU played a majority of the first half without Wosu, the reigning NJAC Defensive Player of the Year, who picked up two quick fouls in the first 1:34 of the game.
 
In the second half, a fast break by Harris and a short pullup jumper by Wosu that became a three-point play cut it to one (30-29) before a Brackett layup pushed it back to five (34-29). But Robinson drilled a three from the left arc (34-32) and with 14:57 to play Wosu's offensive rebound and putback tied the game at 34-all.
 
A three-point by Stanford made it 37-34 before Tomlin drilled a three to tie it again. A jumper by Brown (40-39) followed by a turnaround jumper by Wosu with 8:14 to play gave NJCU its first lead of the game. A running fast break jumper off the window by Tomlin extended the lead to 43-40. Brackett tied at 43-43 with 6:35 left with a free throw before Brown grabbed an offensive board under the basket and laid it in (45-43). Klacik tied it again with a jumper in the lane (45-45).
 
Brackett put TCNJ back up by two with a dunk off a Murdock pass before Brown and Klacik traded threes (50-48, TCNJ). Brown's triple gave NJCU a momentary edge before Klacik netted the final field goal of the game for the guests with 4:42 to play.
 
After a TCNJ timeout with 3:21 left, TCNJ had two chances but could not convert and Robinson pulled down a board in traffic before knocking down a tying 18-foot jumper coming off a screen at the top of the key. Another Robinson defensive board came with under two minutes left and NJCU called timeout tied at 50-50 with 1:53 to go. Brown couldn't hit a three form the corner but made up for it with a huge steal with 1:15 left. Toney shot just 1-of-13 from the field in the win, but with 52.5 seconds left he went to the line and sank both for a 52-50 lead that the Knights would not give up.
 
After Klacik missed an NBA range three on the next possession, sophomore point guard Shaquan Worthy (Trenton, N.J./Trenton) got the rebound and Toney was sent to the line in a 1-and-1 situation. With 31.4 left he missed, but Brown grabbed the offensive board. Robinson was fouled, hit the first for a 53-50 led, but missed the second. TCNJ went for the tie. Stanford had his long three blocked by Toney but the Lions grabbed the board falling out of bounds with 7.3 seconds left. After a TCNJ timeout. Brackett went to the line after a foul on the inbounds and made both to trim the deficit to one (53-52).
 
With 6.1 seconds left Robinson was fouled again, and was sent to the line for another 1-and-1. He swished the first (54-52) and missed the second. Stanford raced down the court but his attempt at a game-winning three rimmed out.

 
QUOTABLE KNIGHTS:
 
Reigning NJAC Coach of the Year Marc Brown on the win: "We shut down their penetration. They were trying to penetrate and shoot threes. We did a much better job of stopping that in the second half. Obviously if we could have made some shots it would not have been this type of a nailbiter, but we'll take the victory. Our slogan this season has been 'Keep the Train Rolling' and that's what we're trying to do."
 
See full interview on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/NJCUGothicKnights/videos/10154393196009915/
 
Junior Kevin Brown on the emotions in the game: "The emotions were crazy because we wanted to defend home court [NJCU 4-0 at home]. We were all locked in and ready to play in the second half."
 
See full interview on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/NJCUGothicKnights/videos/10154393130464915/
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 139th known meeting. NJCU leads the series during the NJAC era (since 1955-56), 75-44.
• Jalen Harris scored in double figures for the 33rd time in 37 career games as a Gothic Knight.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will have a week off before hosting Albertus Magnus College, members of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, in the renewal of what has been a good non-conference series between league-leading clubs. The Falcons (6-2, 2-1 GNAC) lead the series, 2-0, and won the last meeting on December 13, 2014 in New Haven, Conn. by an 88-82 result.