NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The New Jersey City University men's basketball team went head to head with Alvernia University for the second time this season today, Sunday, Nov. 28, in the first game of the second day of the Christopher Newport University/Holiday Inn Invitational. The Gothic Knights led by as many as seven points in the first half and as many as six in the second, but were unable to hold on and fell to the Golden Wolves by six, 70-64, for their second loss to Alvernia this year.

NJCU (3-4) and AU (5-3) were knotted up at 35-35 after an even first half of play. Unfortunately, the Gothic Knights did lead by seven points with 5:26 to go until the break, but the Golden Wolves hit their free throws down the stretch to tie it up following the first 20:00. Jersey City started off the second on a quick 6-0 run, taking a 41-35 lead, including a three from senior tri-captain Jason Battle (Jersey City, N.J./Roselle Catholic). Alvernia eventually tied it up at 41-41 with 15:58 remaining, however NJCU stretched it back out to a five-point game at 46-41 with a quick 5-0 run, capped off by a jumper from senior Kayton Darley (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen).

The Gothic Knights clung to that lead — allowing AU to tie it up at 50-50 with 6:53 — until the 5:05 mark when they led 52-51. Roughly 30 seconds later, Alvernia drilled a three to take the late two-point lead with 4:37 left. Senior tri-captain Denzel Banks (Newark, NJ/East Orange Campus) made a clutch bucket to tie it back up at 54-54 with 4:18 remaining in regulation, unfortunately the Golden Wolves followed by exploding for an 11-0 run to take a 65-54 lead and did not relinquish control for the remainder of the day. NJCU saw some light with a late 6-1 run to make it a five-point game with 12 seconds left, but that was as close as the squad would get in the defeat.

Highlights:
- A two-time New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Rookie of the Week in 2020-21, sophomore Hakeem Wilson (Newark, N.J./North Star Academy) came off the bench for the Gothic Knights for 23 minutes and poured in a team- and season-high 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting (55.6 percent). He was also a perfect 3-for-3 from the line, notched a pair of steals and pulled down a career-best five rebounds.
- Battle (11 points) and Banks (10 points) also scored in double-figures for NJCU. Battle, whose point total was a Jersey City career-best, also had two assists and a rebound, while Banks notched seven boards, a steal and an assist.
- Junior Michael Clement (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) chipped in a season-best nine points to go with seven rebounds and two blocks. Sophomore Ryan Savoy (Lakewood, N.J./Lakewood) also chipped in eight points and grabbed a game-high-tying eight boards to go with three assists, two steals and a game-high four blocks.

Up Next:
Looking to halt a three-game skid, the Gothic Knights return to the court for their first road NJAC game of the season. NJCU is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday night, Dec. 1, in Wayne, N.J. against William Paterson University. Jersey City has won two of its last three against the Pioneers, however the two squads did not meet in last year's abbreviated campaign.