HOBOKEN, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In a cross-Hudson County season-opening matchup on November 13, nationally No. 16 ranked New Jersey City University led by as many as 17 points midway through the second half before a momentum-swinging 15-0 run allowed Stevens Institute of Technology to rally. In a one-possession game in the final minute game, the Gothic Knights were whistled for three illegal screens in a row—all in the final 26 seconds—and the Ducks survived for a 76-72 upset at Canavan Arena. It was Stevens' first win over NJCU since early in the 1933-34 season—85 years ago.
 
NJCU (0-1) shot 90.9 percent from the field (20-22) and led for 36:16 of the action but four Gothic Knights fouled out—including First-Team Preseason All-American Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown).
 
Stevens took its first lead since the opening minute of the game with 1:24 remaining (two free throws by junior guard Spencer Cook (Washington Township, N.J.)) before junior shooting guard Jeff Haddock, Jr. (Burlington Township, NJ/Willingboro) drilled a long jumper against contact to give NJCU back a 72-71 lead with under a minute to go. Stevens went back in front by a point, 73-72, when sophomore center Alec DiPietrantonio (Mount Laurel, N.J.) had a putback with 43 seconds remaining.
 
NJCU had three chances to tie it but were whistled for offensive fouls with 25.4 seconds (Haddock), 11.8 seconds (Toney) and 3.7 seconds (sophomore center Chika Wosu (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter))) on three consecutive possessions and the Ducks iced it from the line.
 
The 76-72 score was the same result that NJCU fell to Union (NY) by in the NCAA Division III Tournament to end the 2017-18 season.
 
Haddock had his best game since transferring to NJCU in January 2018, scoring a collegiate career-high 26 points—8-of-11 from the line, 4-of-6 from three-point range and 6-of-6 from the line in 28 minutes. He scored NJCU's final 13 points of the game and was the only Gothic Knight to score in the final 10 minutes of the game.
 
Toney scored 11 points in just nine minutes in the first half (two fouls) to help the Knights seize a 41-29 halftime advantage, but did not score again—missing all six shots in the second half. He had seven rebounds in 23 minutes.
 
Also for NJCU, Wosu had nine points and five boards in the first half but didn't score again. He also finished with seven boards. Sophomore Denzel Banks (Newark, NJ/(East Orange Campus) finished with eight points off the bench in his NJCU debut before fouling out. Senior power forward Salomon Pierre (East Orange, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) scored seven points off the bench.
 
Cook matched Haddock with 26 points. He was 6-of-16 overall but converted 12-of-14 from the foul line. Stevens shot just 59.5 percent from the line (25-42). Outside of Cook, the rest of the Ducks were just 13-of-28 from the line. NJCU was whistled for 35 fouls in the game—14 more than the Ducks. Junior guard Michael Zignorski (Jefferson, N.J.) had 10 points and DiPietrantonio had nine points and nine boards.
 
NJCU led by 16 with 10:39 left after a jumper by Pierre before threes by Cook and Zignorski cut it to 10 and another Zignorski layup trimmed the deficit to eight (59-51) with 8:52 to play.
 
On the ensuing possession, NJCU dribbled to midcourt in front of its bench and called timeout—but it wasn't issued, Stevens picked the Knights pockets for a fastbreak and after a technical foul—one of three in the game on the Knights—Cook hit two free throws for a momentum-building four-point swing.   
 
When Stevens pulled within one, Haddock nailed a three and converted a four-point play (6:45) but Stevens tied the game at 63-63 with 6:00 remaining. Haddock again helped create separation and his jumper with 3:40 remaining made it 68-63, before another late rally by Stevens.
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: NJCU leads, 6-2. NJCU had its six-game winning streak snapped vs. Stevens. The Ducks defeated NJCU for the first time since the third game of the 1933-34 season—a 21-19 Ducks victory when NJCU was known as New Jersey State Normal School at Jersey City.
• Jeff Haddock scored in double figures for the sixth time in 13 appearances for NJCU. His previous career high for the Knights was 15 at Montclair State (February 7, 2018). He has scored in double figures 25 times in 52 career games between NJCU and Rowan (2016-18).
• Haddock scored 20 or more points for the fifth time as a collegian. His previous best was 25 against TCNJ on December 6, 2017 while playing for Rowan.
• Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) scored in double figures for the 44th time in 57 career games. He has scored 921 career points.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• NJCU heads to Harrisonburg, Va. for the EMU Tip-Off Invitational where it will face host Eastern Mennonite University on Friday, November 16 (7 p.m.) before meeting Bridgewater College on November 17 at 1 p.m.

 
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