Updated: February 14, 2018 to include tiebreaker scenarios:

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | For the second time this week, New Jersey City University backed up its No. 1 ranking in the NCAA Division III Atlantic Region with a win it had to have. In a see-saw second half, sophomore power forward Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) helped break open a tight game with two athletic plays in the final five minutes while assisting on a key three-pointer by junior point guard Shaquan Worthy (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) as the Gothic Knight men's basketball team stopped Ramapo College, 89-84, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on February 10 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court').
 
NJCU won its 19th game of the season (19-5, 13-4 NJAC) to move within one game of Ramapo (18-6, 14-3 NJAC) in the conference standings with one game remaining in the regular season. NJCU got redemption for an 85-84 overtime loss to RCNJ in Mahwah on January 13.
 
TCNJ is also 13-4 in the league, meaning the league's regular season title and two NJAC Tournament byes won't be decided until the final day of the season on February 14 when NJCU visits Stockton, Ramapo hosts Rowan and TCNJ heads to Rutgers-Newark.
 
The Roadrunners are ranked No. 3 in the Atlantic Region, and NJCU beat the No. 3 and No. 4 ranked teams in the region this week after an eight-point victory at Montclair State on Wednesday.
 
Ramapo shot 63.0 percent in the first half (17-27) and 4-of-6 from three-point distance (.667) with 8-of-11 foul shots to take a 46-40 lead at the intermission but the Gothic Knights outscored RCNJ 49-38 in the second half largely due to lethal three-point shooting.
 
The Knights hit 7-of-11 from three-point distance in the second half—63.6 percent—and 11-of-22 overall in the game. NJCU shot 50 percent from the field (31-62). That was enough to overcome a Ramapo squad that shot 58.5 percent (31-53) and 17-of-20 from the line yet lost.
 
A big part of Ramapo's shooting effort was due to a season-high 26 points from RCNJ senior forward Thomas Bonacum (Fanwood, N.J.), last year's NJAC Player of the Year, who was 9-of-15 overall and 6-of-6 from the line with nine rebounds and four assists; it was five more than his previous best effort and just his fourth 20-point showing of the season but he continued to play well against the Gothic Knights.
 
Meanwhile, Toney, this year's favorite for NJAC Player of the Year honors, only scored three points in eight minutes in the first half after picking up his second foul with 11:52 remaining in the half. But he was the biggest presence down the stretch for the Knights and finished with 13 points (5-11 FG), seven rebounds and four assists, playing the entire second half and picking up just one more foul.
 
NJCU got a strong effort from junior small forward James Julius (Linden, NJ/Linden) who scored a team-high 15 points in 25 minutes, hitting 3-of-7 from three-point distance (5-11 FG). Sophomore shooting guard Jeff Haddock (Burlington Township, NJ/Willingboro), in his first game as part of this rivalry with Ramapo since transferring from Rowan, came off the bench to score 14 points in 19 minutes. He was 4-of-7 from the field, 3-of-5 from three-point range and 3-of-3 from the line.
 
NJCU received nine points apiece from three other contributors. Worthy had nine points (3-7 FG), six assists and three steals and rookie center Chika Wosu (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter)) added nine points (4-7 FG), six boards, two assists and two steals. Junior shooting guard Lavrone Green (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) added nine points in 19 minutes. Junior small forward Marquis Blackwell (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) played six minutes of inspiring defense that helped change the defensive momentum of the game.
 
For Ramapo, sophomore guard Patrick Peterson (Blauvelt, N.Y.) had 14 points (5-10 FG, 2-4 3FG) and senior guard Josh Ford (Fort Lee, N.J.), who hit the winning shot in overtime against NJCU on January 13, had 13 points (5-8 FG) and three assists. Senior forward Christopher Moseley (Fair Lawn, N.J.) added 10 points (4-6 FG). Bonacum scored 16 points in the first half (6-9 FG, 2-3 3FG) for the guests.
 
NJCU was out-rebounded by Ramapo, 33-26, and only had 11 offensive rebounds but still managed to outscore the Roadrunners on second-chance points, 21-8. NJCU got 50 points from its bench and a 50-26 advantage from its reserves.
 
After trailing at halftime, the Knights were behind for most of the first 12 minutes in the second half and Ramapo led by as many as eight points early in the period.
 
NJCU finally grabbed a 72-71 lead with 7:35 left when Haddock hit a wild off-balance shot while being fouled and finished a three-point play. Haddock buried another three with 6:03 remaining to regain a 79-76 margin after Ramapo tied it at 76-76. NJCU wouldn't trail again.
 
The turning point of the game came with 4:17 left as Toney somehow hit a circus layup in transition while being fouled to give NJCU an 81-78 lead and electrify the crowd. The somehow, someway shot was followed up by his rebound of a Ramapo miss. Peterson hit a turnaround jumper in the lane with 3:25 to make it a one-point game.
 
But with 3:10 to play, Toney commanded a double team on the right baseline. That left Worthy wide open at the top of the arc and Toney found his quarterback. Worthy drilled the triple for an 84-80 edge.
 
After Ford scored inside with 2:54 to play, NJCU got a defensive stop and brought the ball down the court. With 1:17 remaining, Toney used an athletic move to split two defenders on the left side of the lane for an 86-82 lead then got another defensive stop. NJCU could have iced it with 33 seconds left but Wosu missed a dunk and after a foul, Bonacum hit two foul shots with 24.4 seconds left. Worthy hit two foul shots with 22.5 left to push the lead back to 88-84. NJCU would seal it on the next possession as Julius forced a turnover from Ford and Green hit a foul shot for the final five-point margin.
 
NOTABLES:

• Senior Day: Prior to the game, NJCU honored its two seniors—guards Ruben Acosta (Waterbury, CT/Bogota) and Gene Campbell (Carteret, NJ/East Brunswick Tech).
• Series: 93rd meeting in a series NJCU leads, 67-26.
• NJCU receiving 6 points in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.
• NJCU ranked No. 1 in the first NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional rankings of the 2017-18 season (February 7, 2018)
• Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) scored in double figures for the 40th time in 53 career games. He has scored 839 career points.
• Jeff Haddock (Burlington Township, NJ/Willingboro) scored in double figures for the fifth time in nine games to open his NJCU career and for the 24th time in 48 career games between Rowan and NJCU.
• James Julius (Linden, NJ/Linden) scored in double figures for the eighth time this season and for the 19th time in his career.

 
UP NEXT:
In the final day of the regular season, NJCU heads to Galloway, N.J. to face Stockton University in a critical game for both schools. NJCU can finish anywhere between first through third in the conference standings, depending on the outcome of Ramapo's home game with Rowan and TCNJ's road game at Rutgers-Newark. NJCU defeated Stockton in Jersey City on January 10, 81-67. It will be the 84th meeting in a series NJCU leads, 48-35.
 
NJCU is seeking to win 20 games in the regular season for the first time since its last Final Four run in 1991-92. Additionally, a win will clinch NJCU's third consecutive 20-win season. NJCU has reached the 20-win plateau in three straight seasons twice in its history—1987-90 (22-6, 24-4, 25-3) and 1977-80 (20-7, 24-5, 25-4).
 
Stockton (14-10, 8-9 NJAC) is fighting for its playoff lives. Rowan is in fifth place (9-8) while the Ospreys are tied with William Paterson (13-11, 8-9 NJAC) for the sixth and final berth in the league tournament. WP visits Kean in another NJAC game. If Stockton and WP remain tied, the Pioneers hold the tiebreaker based on a win over TCNJ/
 
POSSIBLE PLAYOFF SCENARIOS:
Heading into the final day, Ramapo (14-3 NJAC) remains in first place; NJCU (13-4) and TCNJ (13-4) are one game back and Montclair State (10-7) is locked into the fourth seed.
 

• If Ramapo wins it will be the No. 1 seed.
• If Ramapo and NJCU win and TCNJ loses, Ramapo will be No. 1, NJCU will be No. 2 and TCNJ will be No. 3.
• If NJCU loses, it will be No. 3 regardless of the outcome of other games.
• If Ramapo loses, NJCU wins and TCNJ wins, all three schools will be tied at 14-4. TCNJ would be the No. 1 seed based on a sweep of fourth-place Montclair State (NJCU and Ramapo split). Since NJCU and Ramapo cannot break the tie based on all existing tiebreaker criteria, NJCU and Ramapo would flip a coin to determine who is the No. 2 seed and received a bye and which is the No. 3 seed and must play an NJAC Quarterfinal game.
• If NJCU wins, Ramapo loses and TCNJ loses, NJCU and Ramapo will both receive byes at 14-4 and will flip a coin for first place; TCNJ would be the No. 3 seed.

 
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