JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University trailed Stockton University trailed by only six points (14-8) after the first period and four (20-16) with 4:19 left in the first half. However, the Ospreys outscored the Gothic Knights 48-27 in the second half and earned an 81-47 women's basketball New Jersey Athletic Conference victory on February 15 inside the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court'). Six players were honored during Senior Night festivities prior to tip-off.
 
Stockton (17-8, 12-6 NJAC), which will be the No. 3 seed in the NJAC Tournament, led by as many as 37 points and had a 24-4 margin off turnovers, as they capitalized on NJCU's 27 giveaways. The Ospreys successfully made the team's first 15 free throw attempts on the night and shot 76.9 percent overall (30-39) from the line. There were a combined 47 fouls in the game—31 whistled against the Knights.
 
In 21 minutes, freshman forward Atonie Johnson (Irvington, N.J./Irvington) scored 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds; her jump shot midway through the second quarter was the shot that trimmed the deficit to four. Senior guard Kiana Briggs (Paterson, N.J./Passaic County Tech) scored her 800th point as a Gothic Knight on a three pointer at the final buzzer. Briggs scored double digits in a game for the 13th time this season as she collected 12 points (5-14 FG) with three assists in 31 minutes of play.
 
Junior center Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) collected double digits rebounds in a game for the ninth time this season as she grabbed 12 boards (eight defensive) with two blocks before fouling out.  Senior guard/forward Jazz Randall (Parsippany, N.J./West Orange) netted 10 points in her final career game (4-10 FG) while senior forward Ziyadah Williams (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) grabbed nine boards (six defensive) and added seven points. Haxhaj, Johnson, and Randall each recorded two blocks apiece against a larger Stockton squad.
 
Stockton was led by Taylor Christina's 22 points. She shot 7-of-13 in 26 minutes, including 12 from downtown (4-8 3FG) and four from the charity stripe (4-5 FT). In 27 minutes, Sasha Williams collected her 12th double-double of the season with 12 rebounds and 12 points as half of her points came from the foul line (6-8 FT). Williams, who ranked fifth in the nation in blocks and seventh in the nation in blocks per game heading into Wednesday's game, also swatted away five balls. The junior forward now has 98 blocks on the season.
 
Lea Mendolla chipped in 14 points (4-10 FG, 5-8 FT) in 21 minutes, while Najha Treadwell had a near double-double performance with 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-2 FT) and nine rebounds in 23 minutes of work. Treadwell added three blocks and three steals.
 
NJCU ended its 47th season of intercollegiate action with a 4-21 record (0-18 NJAC), losing its final 13 games after a slew of injuries that occurred in the first meeting of the season at Stockton on January 11.
 
OF NOTE:

• 61st meeting. Stockton leads all-time series, 48-13, and has won 27 of the last 28 meetings since November, 1998.
• NJCU recognized six players—Kiana Briggs, Shege Haxhaj, newcomer Kaydee Murphy Bayonne, N.J./Holy Family Academy), Marcielle Richards (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) and Ziyadah Williams—during Wednesday's pre-game Senior Day activities.
• Briggs scored double digits in a game for the 13th time this season and eighth time in the last nine games. She has scored in double figures 42 times in 95 career games and has scored exactly 800 points as a Gothic Knight.
• Shege Haxhaj secured 10 or more rebounds in a game for the ninth time this season.
• Jazz Randall scored in double figures for the fourth time this season and 11th time in her career.