JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In one of the most impressive first halves played by the New Jersey City University men's basketball team in years, the Gothic Knights held Albertus Magnus College—the nation's No. 11 ranked scoring offense—to just 18 points, went to the locker room leading by 40 (58-18) and cruised to the century mark in the second half on the way to a 104-83 non-conference win on December 3  at John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court). It was the 83rd time in school history NJCU reached 100 on the scoreboard.
 
NJCU (6-2) won for the sixth time in seven games by limiting the Falcons (6-3) to just 4-of-31 shooting in the first half (12.9 percent) and 1-of-12 from long distance (8.3 percent) and led by as many as 41 points. Albertus, traditionally the best team in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, came into the game averaging 93.5 points per game.
 
NJCU vaulted out to a 15-4 lead in the first four minutes of the game as senior shooting guard Lavrone Green (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) buried two three-pointers in the opening 71 seconds and junior All-American small forward Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) followed with three triples in a row to ignite the rout and the Gothic Knights never looked back.
 
Toney, who had slumped recently, broke out in a major way, scoring 27 points in just 19 minutes of action. He had 23 points in the first half alone in 12 minutes. Toney sat out most of the second half with the outcome well in hand. He shot 8-of-16 overall, 5-of-11 from three-point range and 6-of-7 at the line, finishing with nine rebounds and a +/- of 30.
 
NJCU had five players reach double figures. Senior guard James Richardson (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) came off the bench to provide 15 points (6-9 FG), seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and drew five fouls. Green had 14 points (3-6 FG) and senior point guard Shaquan Worthy (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) had an active evening with a +/- of 30, notching seven rebounds, six points, five rebounds, four steals and seven fouls drawn.
 
Meanwhile, senior power forward Yuri Brutus (Roselle, NJ/Roselle Park) collected 13 points (6-8 FG) and six rebounds and sophomore center Chika Wosu (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter)) added 11 points (5-6 FG) and six rebounds. Five other players scored for the Knights.
 
Albertus made the final score look more respectable once NJCU pulled its starters in the second half. Junior guard Jahmerikah Green Younger (Norwalk, Conn.) and sophomore guard Tyreek Perkins (New Haven, Conn.) each collected 17 points and sophomore guard Marquise Owens (Thorafare, N.J.) finished with 14 points (4-9 3FG).
 
NJCU shot 50 percent in each half and finished 34-of-68 on the night, converted 29 foul shots (29-44) and outrebounded the Falcons, 58-39. The Knights outscored AMC in the lane, 52-30.  
After Green and Toney ignited the offense, NJCU kept its foot on the accelerator. Foul shots by Toney and a three-point play by Brutus pushed the margin to 21-4 and eight straight points in the middle of the period made it a 33-9 lead. AMC didn't get into double figures on the scoreboard until the 9:37 mark of the half.
 
The margin reached 30 with 7:19 to go in the half when Toney's offensive rebound and putback made it a 41-11 game. Later, seven straight points by Toney, including a three-point play with 2:40 left in the half and a triple with 1:53 to go, elevated the stunning advantage to 56-15—a 41-point difference.
 
NJCU turned 13 first half turnovers into a 19-6 margin in points off giveaways and it outscored the Falcons 22-4 in the lane in the first 20 minutes.   
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: Fifth meeting. NJCU leads all-time, 3-2, and has won the last three meetings.
• NJCU ranked No. 24 by D3hoops.com.
• NJCU improves to 80-3 all-time when scoring 100 points in a contest. All three losses were in double or triple overtime.
• NJCU scored 100-points in a game for the first time since a 101-85 win over William Paterson in Wayne on January 24, 2018.
• NJCU scored 100+ points at home for the first time since a 103-47 win over Berkeley (NJ) on February 7, 2011.
• NJCU scored the most points at home since a 118-116 triple overtime loss to Rutgers-Newark on December 1, 2010,
• NJCU scored the most points at home in a victory since a 112-82 win over Rutgers-Camden on January 11, 2006.
• Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) had scored in single digits in two of the last three games before breaking out.
• Toney scored at least 20 points in a game for the 20th time in his career and the 17th time in his last 35 games.
• Toney exploded for the ninth 25+ point performance of his career.
• Toney scored in double figures for the 48th time in 62 career games.

• 

  Toney moved into 26th place in school history with 1,036 career points. He entered the day with 1,009 points and passed Stan Chapman (1977-81, 1009 points) and Hall-of-Famer Ben O'Neill (1961-65, 1024 points) on the all-time list.
• Lavrone Green (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) scored in double figures for the 24th time in 35 games as a Gothic Knight and the third time this season.
• James Richardson (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) scored in double figures for the third time in his only season as a Gothic Knight—all in the last three games.
• Yuri Brutus (Roselle, NJ/Roselle Park) scored in double figures for the third time this year and the 22nd time in his career.
• Chika Wosu (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter)) scored in double figures for the ninth time in his career and the second time this season.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• NJCU faces rival Montclair State University for the first time this season on Wednesday, December 5 (8 p.m.) at Panzer Athletic Center in Montclair, N.J. It will be a matchup of the top two teams in the league's preseason poll—NJCU ranked No. 1 (nine first-place votes) and Montclair second (one first-place vote). MSU enters 8-1 overall and 3-0 in the league.
• It will be the 171st known meeting since the early 1930s. Montclair leads all-time, 94-76.

 
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