NEWARK, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Rutgers-Newark opened the game on an 8-1 run and played tight defense throughout the contest as it defeated the New Jersey City University women's basketball team, 70-38, in the New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both schools on November 21 inside The Golden Dome.
 
With the win, the Scarlet Raiders improve to 3-1 (1-0 NJAC) while NJCU falls to 0-4 (0-1 NJAC). The hosts turned 36 turnovers into a 37-11 margin in points off turnovers and outscored NJCU in the paint, 30-14. R-N outrebounded NJCU 27-15 on the offensive glass which contributed to 20 second-chance points. R-N led by as many as 36 points during Tuesday's contest.
 
Freshman point guard Mya Neal (East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech) led the Gothic Knights with a career-high 11 points, four rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. In her first game in an NJCU uniform, freshman center Kiara Wood (Asbury Park, NJ/Asbury Park) produced eight points, seven boards and two blocks while freshman point guard Marymone Graham (Asbury Park, NJ/Asbury Park) tallied a season-high eight points as she was perfect from the floor (2-2 3FG, 2-2 FT) in 24 minutes.
 
After playing limited minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, Jesenia Montalvo's streak of scoring double digits in a game ended at three games as the junior point guard finished with eight points and six boards (five defensive) in 32 minutes of work.

For Rutgers-Newark, which led 18-3 after one quarter, junior guard Faith Ashby (Teaneck, N.J.) came close to a quadruple-double as she scored seven of her 19 points from the charity stripe (7-8 FT) to lead all scorers in 37 minutes of action. She added seven rebounds (six offensive), forced seven steals and dished out six assists.
 
Senior forward Nicole Skelly (Belleville, N.J.) registered a double-double performance in 18 minutes with 10 points (8-13 FT) and 10 rebounds, while sophomore forward Barbara Hairs-Jackson (East Orange, N.J.) narrowly missed out on her own double-double, registering 12 points (5-9 FG, 2-2 FT) and nine caroms in 25 minutes on the court.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: Rutgers-Newark leads, 51-21 (Streak: Won last 15)
• Mya Neal (East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech) scored 11 points in a game for the second time this season. She last accomplished the feat in the season opener on November 15 at Lehman College.
• Marymone Graham (Asbury Park, NJ/Asbury Park) scored a career-high eight points. Her previous best for most points in a game was seven points on November 18 against Thiel College.

 
UP NEXT?:
The Gothic Knights play their home opener against Hunter College on Monday, November 27 (6 p.m.) inside the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ("Coach Charlie Brown Court"). It will be the first meeting between the schools since November 19, 2010 in New York, N.Y. (Hunter 54, NJCU 49) and the first in Jersey City in 33 seasons. The last meeting in Jersey City between the schools came on January 7, 1985 (Won, 72-40). Hunter leads the all-time series since 1977, 6-5.
 
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