EWING, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior forward Deseree Johnson (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) knocked down three three-pointers to equal the 14-year-old New Jersey City University women's basketball career program record with 106 but The College of New Jersey helped its playoff hopes by outscoring NJCU 30-8 in the first quarter and the Lions defeated the Gothic Knights, 74-41, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game on February 6 at Packer Hall.
 
Johnson in her 90th career game, knocked down career three-pointers 104, 105 and 106 to equal the program record of 106 set by Sandra Nunez in 93 games from 1998-2002.
 
It was an important win for TCNJ (11-11, 7-8 NJAC) which pulled into a tie with Rutgers-Camden (7-8) for the sixth and final NJAC playoff berth with three league games remaining. NJCU drops to 1-20 (0-15 NJAC).
 
The Lions shot 54.5 percent in the first half (18-33) and 55.6 percent from three-point range (5-9) to stake itself to a 43-18 margin at the break.
 
TCNJ led wire-to-wire and ahead 18-8 with 3:43 to go in the first quarter, the Lions concluded the opening period on a 12-0 spurt. TCNJ twice led by 25 in the first half, including the halftime differential. The host Lions led 64-25 at the end of three quarters. TCNJ's largest margin was 69-27 (+42) with 6:03 remaining in the fourth.
 
TCNJ committed just 10 turnovers in the game and notched an assist on 25 of 30 made baskets. TCNJ turned 23 Gothic Knight giveaways into a 30-6 margin in point off turnovers. Lion reserves outscored the NJCU bench, 31-9.
 
Angelica Esposito scored a game-high 20 points (8-16 FG), including 4-of-7 three-point shooting with four steals and three assists and Charlotte Schum delivered seven assists with five points.
 
Nikki Schott added 14 points (6-9 FG) and five blocks and Jess Lynch shot 5-of-6, scoring 10 points. Dana Kim and Kate O'Leary each contributed five assists.
 
Johnson scored a team-high 15 points (3-10 3FG) with three assists. She made her 47th three-pointer of the season at 9:06 of the third quarter and her 48th at 5:09 of the fourth quarter before equaling the record with her 49th triple of the season with 2:09 to go in the game off an assist from junior guard Jazz Randall (Parsippany, NJ/West Orange).
 
Sophomore center Sharaunda Fiedtkou (West Orange, NJ/Bayonne) shot 4-of-5 and finished with nine points and nine rebounds. Randall dished six assists and scored six (3-7 FG) in defeat. Sophomore center Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst) also scored six (3-7 FG) in her third collegiate game.
 
#KnightNotes:

• 58th meeting. TCNJ leads the all-time series, 55-3, and has won the last 15 meetings.
• Deseree Johnson, with 49 three-pointers, tied Tania Greenleaf (25 games, 2007-08 season) for second most in single-season school history. Johnson is within three of tying the single-season program mark of 52 threes by Laurice Hynson in 23 games from 1993-94.
• Johnson's 159 three-point attempts this season are third most in single-season history. Greenleaf (2007-08) had 166 attempts while Hynson had 165 in her record-breaking 1993-94 season.

 
What's Next?:
NJCU has three games remaining and meets Stockton University in a home game on Wednesday, February 10 (6 p.m.) at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court). Stockton, which could potentially be nationally ranked by next week, is 18-4 and in second in the league at 12-3. The Ospreys won the first meeting of the season in Galloway, NJ by a 76-55 outcome on January 6. It will be the 59th meeting in a series Stockton leads 45-13. Stockton has won 24 of the last 25 meetings since November, 1998. Follow live stats (http://sidearmstats.com/njcu/wbball/) or live video (https://www.youtube.com/user/NJCUGothicKnights/live).