UNION, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University withstood a challenge midway through the second half before using a 13-2 run to pull away from Kean University, 75-63, for a New Jersey Athletic Conference men's basketball victory on January 31 at Harwood Arena.
 
The Gothic Knights win their 17th of the season, improving to 17-4 and 11-3 in the NJAC. Coupled with Rowan's 93-84 road upset of TCNJ in Ewing, N.J. that snapped the Lions' 19-game regular season home court winning streak, the conference tournament race is wide open with four games remaining. NJCU and TCNJ sit one game behind Ramapo (12-2).
 
Sophomore power forward Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown), the NJAC leader in scoring and rebounding, produced his 10th double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds while freshman center Chika Wosu (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter)) easily achieved a career scoring high with 17 points (6-13 FG).
 
Also for NJCU, junior shooting guard Robert Gordon (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) came off the bench to produce his third consecutive double-digit scoring effort with 15 points, hitting all six shots he attempted, including 3-of-3 from three-point range in just 14 minutes of action. Junior small forward James Julius (Linden, NJ/Linden) had nine points and seven rebounds.
 
For Kean, junior guard Keenan Williams, Jr, (Paulsboro, N.J.) had a game-high 20 points, hitting six threes (6-13 FG, 7-16 3FG) in a full 40 minutes. Junior forward Micah Kerr (Neptune, N.J.) was 5-for-7 and scored 12 points and junior guard Justin Watson (New Rochelle, N.Y.) tallied 12 points (4-8 FG), six rebounds and four assists.
 
NJCU used an 11-2 run to turn a 14-12 lead with 8:15 left in the first half into a 25-14 margin with 5:38 to go. The guests led by as many as 14 (31-17) and took an 11-point, 31-20 advantage into the locker room.
 
The Knights still led by 13 (40-27) with 16:09 left in the second half after a three-point play by Toney before Kean initially rallied, utilizing a 12-0 run in less than three minutes to draw within one, 40-39, with 13:23 to go. Kean hit three triples during the outburst, the first two by Williams, Jr.  before freshman guard Adrian Baucum (Teaneck, N.J.) hit the third. Kean could not get any closer than that.
 
The game remained close and the NJCU lead was just four, 57-53, with 5:49 remaining. But the Knights put their foot back on the gas, scoring the next eight points to boost the lead to double figures, 65-53 after an offensive rebound and putback by Julius with 3:35 to play. Gordon jump started the streak with a three-pointer with 5:31 left to make the lead seven.
 
Gordon drilled another three with 2:47 left and an offensive rebound and putback by Wosu with 1:37 to play made it a 70-55, 15-point margin, capping the 13-2 run and putting an exclamation mark on the triumph.
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: 138th known meeting. NJCU leads all-time, 101-37, winning the last nine meetings.
• NJCU receiving 23 points in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll (Tied, 27th nationally).
• Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) scored in double figures for the 37th time in 50 career games. He has scored 789 career points.
• Toney reached double figures in rebounds for the 16th time in his career and 11th time this year.
• Toney produced his 15th career double-double and 10th of the season.
• Chika Wosu (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter)) scored in double figures for the fifth time in his rookie season. His previous career scoring high was 12, twice, most recently on January 6 at Rowan.
• Robert Gordon (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) has 48 points in his last three games after not reaching double figures in his previous outings for NJCU.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU returns home on Saturday, February 3 to host Rowan (10-11, 6-8 NJAC) at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court') at 3 p.m. after the Profs upset TCNJ. It will be the 122nd known meeting in the series which NJCU narrowly leads, 61-60. In the first meeting this year, NJCU trailed Rowan by 20 late in the first half and by 12 with 5:39 remaining. But Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) scored 27 of his then career-high matching 36 points in the second half, including three consecutive threes in a span of 36 seconds before knocking down the go-ahead jumper with 20 seconds left as NJCU rallied on the road, 79-76. NJCU led for just 20 seconds in the game. It will be the first meeting for sophomore guard Jeff Haddock (Burlington Township, NJ/Willingboro) against his former team since transferring to NJCU after that Rowan game; Haddock played for the Profs in that game and shot 6-of-12 for 17 points in 16 minutes against the Knights.
 
GOTHIC KNIGHTS on SOCIAL MEDIA:
For the latest on #NJCUMBB, follow the Gothic Knights on social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and SnapChat. Preferred hashtags are GothicFamily and GothicGameDay.