EWING, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior guard Kiana Briggs (Paterson, N.J./Passaic County Tech) scored a season-high 15 points against The College of New Jersey but it wasn't enough as the Lions drilled 11 threes in a 61-44 New Jersey Athletic Conference win over the New Jersey City University women's basketball team on January 28 inside Packer Hall.
 
NJCU (4-16, 0-13 NJAC, Lost 8) struggled in the opening quarter and was unable to recover as TCNJ (9-10, 6-7 NJAC) led by as many as 27 points multiple times throughout the second half. The Gothic Knights outscored TCNJ, 16-9, in the final quarter as they continued to play hard until the buzzer. A 13-2 run to open the contest gave the hosts control of the game.
 
Briggs led NJCU with 15 points, including nine points from three-point range on 3-of-4 shooting, and added a team-high four assists in 34 minutes.  It is the second time in the last three games and third time this season that Briggs has scored 15 points in a game. Senior forward Ziyadah Williams (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) fell one point short of a double-double performance as she pulled down a season-high 13 boards (nine defensive) and scored nine points (3-6 FG) in 37 minutes.
 
In 33 minutes of action, junior center Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) grabbed eight rebounds and scored eight points while forcing three steals.
Nine TCNJ players played at least 10 minutes and scored two points or more against NJCU. Charlotte Schum shot 80 percent from downtown (4-5) as she scored 12 of her game-high 18 points beyond the arc. She hit 70 percent (7-10 FG) of her shots overall and pulled down eight boards in 26 minutes of play. Kim Dana scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, dished out five assists, and earned six steals in 31 minutes. Kate O'Leary also gave out five assists as the Lions chalked up an assist on 18 of 22 total made baskets.

The Lions stingy defense and red-hot offense was the difference against NJCU. TCNJ made a season-high 11 threes as they shot 44 percent (11-25) from beyond the arc. Overall, TCNJ shot 22-of-52 overall (42.3 percent) compared to NJCU's 17-of-59 shooting (28.8 percent).
 
OF NOTE:

• 60th meeting. TCNJ leads all-time series, 57-3 (Streak: Won last 17 games)
• Kiana Briggs scored 15 points for the third time this season. The last 15-point performance from her came on January 21, 2017 at Rutgers-Camden.
• Ziyadah Williams grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds against TCNJ. It's the third game this season Williams has grabbed 10 or more boards.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?:
NJCU returns home on Wednesday, February 1 when it takes on Kean University at 6:00 p.m. in New Jersey Athletic Conference play at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court'). The Cougars lead the all-time series, 51-12, and have won the last five games, including their 86-65 victory in the last meeting between the two sides on December 7, 2016 in Union, N.J.