JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | After almost three weeks off during the winter break, the New Jersey City University women's basketball team (2-9, 0-6 NJAC) will be back in action, hosting conference foe Stockton University (4-8, 1-5 NJAC) at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on Coach Charlie Brown Court at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 5.
 
COVERAGE:

• GOTHICVISION BROADCAST LINK: www.njcugothicknights.com/GothicVision
• ANNOUNCER: Ralph Bednarcyk
• LIVE STATS: https://njcugothicknights.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary

 
ADMISSION:

• General Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children/seniors.

 
QUICK HITS:

• Before the break, the Gothic Knights were playing their best basketball in years, having won two of their last three after starting the season winless in their first eight games. There were historic moments as well, as the Knights broke their 42-game losing streak in a win over the College of St. Elizabeth on December 10. A week later, Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) recorded the first-ever triple-double (32 points, 15 rebounds, 11 steals) for an NJCU guard, the fourth overall by any Gothic Knight woman and the first in 11 years in a 65-48 win over Drew University. She was the obvious choice for NJAC Player of the Week on December 24.

• 2018-19 NJCU Per Game Leaders
  Points:	Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) (24.0)
  Rebounds:	Jasmine Reese (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) (9.5)
  Assists:	Bacon (2.5)
  Minutes:	Bacon (38.5)
  3PT Made:	Bacon (1.5)
  Steals:	Bacon (4.5)
  Blocks:	Zyearah Taylor-Gaston (Jersey City, NJ/Marist (via St. Anthony)) (0.7)
  FT Made:	Bacon (5.1)

  Bacon has been the NJCU offensive focal point all season, averaging 24.0 points, along with 8.7 rebounds, 4.5 steals, and 2.8 assists per game. Both her points and steals per game rank fourth in all of Division III, and she is bearing down on numerous career accomplishments in her senior season. One of the keys to the team's recent success has been the breakout of her twin sister Miesha Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune), however. The senior captain averaged 22.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game en route to a spot on the D3hoops.com National Team of the Week on December 17,
• The Ospreys will attempt to counter the Bacon sisters with a balanced lineup that sees four players average at least nine points per game. They are led by senior forward April Peterson (Lafayette, NJ), who averages 13.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, and freshman guard Emily Donzanti (Toms River, NJ), who averages 13.1 points and 5.5 assists per game. Peterson will be especially of note for NJCU, who are still without their freshman center Jasmin Reese, leaving the team undersized for the time being.
• Stockton have won three games on the trot, two of which came after their own winter break, but they reside just above NJCU in the NJAC standings, having won only one conference game. That win came in their most recent conference matchup, however, as they defeated Kean (5-7, 3-3 NJAC), 68-65. Kean defeated NJCU by a score of 77-46 when the two played earlier this year.
• This will be a conference showdown between two teams playing their best basketball of the year, battling to stay alive for a potential spot in the NJAC playoffs to come.
• NJCU will be seeking to snap a 58-game conference losing streak. NJCU's last NJAC win came in the 2014-15 season finale when the Knights beat Rutgers-Camden in Jersey City, 72-66 on February 18, 2015.

 
SERIES:

• There have been 64 meetings between the two sides, with Stockton leading 50-13. The Ospreys have won 29 of the last 30 meetings since November, 1998, including both last year. NJCU's last win in the series was a 69-66 victory in Galloway, NJ on February 6, 2014. NJCU's last home win over Stockton was a 51-40 decision on November 28, 1998.

 
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