JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University women's basketball team (0-5, 0-3 NJAC) fell behind Rowan University (3-4, 2-1, NJAC) by 12 points in the first quarter, and they could never quite erase that deficit, falling by a final score of 79-60 on December 1 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference matchup on     Coach Charlie Brown Court at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
 
Senior captain Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) had another strong performance, with 21 points, nine steals, six assists, and five rebounds in 37 minutes; 15 of those points came in the second half when NJCU attempt its comeback.
 
The Knights were able to press the Profs all game, scoring 30 points on Rowan's 34 turnovers, but the Profs held steady when it mattered most, not letting the Knights closer than 15 (70-55) at any point in the second half. NJCU shot just 25.4 percent (18-71) and 17.4 percent from three (4-23) while Rowan was good on 54.4 percent of its shot attempts (31-57), making 13 more baskets.
 
It was a well-balanced attack for the Profs, who had four scorers in double-digits and had 10 different players score. Freshman center Ayanna Johnson (Ewing, N.J.) had a double-double for the Profs, scoring 12 points, pulling down 14 boards, and blocking four shots. Junior forward Kailyn Sytsma (Northvale, N.J.) was the leading scorer for Rowan with 16 (8-13 FG), chipping in four boards and two assists as well.
 
The Knights scored the first bucket of the game, as senior wing, Christine Bizub (Fort Lee, NJ/Fort Lee) nailed a three, and the Knights were within two with under 4:00 to go in the first. But an 11-0 run for Rowan put them out ahead by a dozen heading into the second quarter (25-13).
 
The Knights once again scored the first basket of the second quarter, a Jesenia Montalvo (Hillside, NJ/Bayonne) three, but that was the closest the Knights would be for the rest of the quarter—and the remainder of the game.
 
Finally healthy, Montalvo had her best game of the season, as she played 31 minutes, up from 12 in her season debut on Wednesday as she recovered from an injury that sidelined her for several weeks. The senior captain scored 11 points and added two rebounds and two steals, hitting on 3-of-6 three-point shots. Sophomore Mya Neal (East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech) also had her best game of the year, contributing with a near-double-double—eight points and nine rebounds, to go along with three steals and two assists—in 25 minutes off the bench. Senior forward Miesha Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) had nine points and seven rebounds, and Bizub had seven and four.
 
The Knights were without freshman center Jasmine Reese (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) for the game, and her absence was felt; the Knights were out-rebounded 52-38.
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: 59th meeting. Rowan has won the last seven and leads the overall series, 47-12.
• This was the fourth game of the season in which Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) tallied 20+ points. She ranks No. 2 in the NJAC in scoring (20.0 per game).
• Rowan outscored NJCU in the paint 46-26.
• NJCU had five players whistled for four fouls and seven with three or more but no one fouled out.

 
UP NEXT:

• Tomorrow, the Gothic Knights host the two-time reigning NCAA Division III national champions, Amherst College (4-1), currently ranked No. 7 in the country. This is the first time any NJCU program has hosted a team from the NESCAC. The game will tip off at 2:00 p.m. on Coach Charlie Brown Court. Amherst was the preseason No. 1 ranked team in the country.

 
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