JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The New Jersey City University women's basketball team picked up its third straight win in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play – one coming by forfeit – on Wednesday night, Jan. 26, as the Gothic Knights held on for a strong-willed five-point, 89-84 overtime win over William Paterson University at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC).
 
After a neck-and-neck first quarter, Jersey City (6-6, 5-7 NJAC) used a strong second-half of quarter number two and a big third quarter to jump out to a massive 22-point lead with 8:32 remaining in regulation. However, the Pioneers (9-7, 8-4 NJAC) willed their way back into the game with an outstanding three-point shooting performance in the fourth quarter, going 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) and came all the way back to take a 74-73 lead with just 0:03 left in the final period.
 
It started with a 14-0 run from 7:33 to 3:54 to make it an eight-point, 64-56 game. Then a 12-1 run ultimately put it to 74-73. At that point, junior co-captain Laney Fox (Parkland, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons) found herself at the foul line with a chance to tie it and put her team ahead with only 00:03 on the clock – she made the first and missed the second, sending the match-up to overtime.
 
With fans at the JMAC on the edge if their seats, NJCU used a quick couple of baskets to start the bonus period and take a 79-74 lead on the strength of a three from sophomore co-captain Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) and a lay-in underneath from junior Jimmirah Johnson (Prospect Park, N.J./International) at the 3:56 mark. However, the Pioneers then grabbed ahold of the momentum and went on a 7-1 run to take a one-point, 84-83 lead with 1:08 remaining. Thankfully, the Gothic Knights regrouped down the stretch and ended the night on a 6-0 run – a big jumper from freshman Liyah Allen (Hillside, N.J./Hillside) right after subbing in and a huge bucket from Rodriguez, plus two more free throws – to seal it at 89-84 when the final buzzer sounded.
 
Highlights:
- Rodriguez, who seems to flirt with triple-doubles on a nightly basis, finished with a team-high 23 points to go with a game-high-tying nine assists and eight rebounds.
- Fox had a huge game as well, notching her second-career double-double with 22 points and 11 boards. She was also inches away from her first-career triple-double, tying the game-high with nine assists (a career-best).
- Johnson led all players with a career-high-tying 12 rebounds to go with 12 points for her third-career double-double.
- Junior Jada Camacho (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) finished with 16 points on 50.0 percent shooting (8-of-16).
- Freshman Spring-semester transfer Tahirah Kelley (Linden, N.J./Immaculate Conception) had her strongest performance in her fifth game with the Green and Gold, chipping in 10 points and seven boards over 27 minutes in her first start with NJCU.
- Brianna Smith of the Pioneers, who was scoreless at the half and had just two points after three quarters, exploded for 20 points in the fourth and finished the night with 26 points, including a 5-of-6 day from three-point range. WPU's Justina Cabezas led all players with 27 points, taking a whopping 28 shot attempts and making 12.
 
Up Next:
Now at the .500 mark overall, the Gothic Knights are in search of their fourth-consecutive victory when they are scheduled to host The College of New Jersey at the JMAC on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 29, for a 1:00 p.m. NJAC clash. NJCU had lost 22 straight to TCNJ before sweeping the Lions in two meetings in the 2020-21 campaign. However, TCNJ topped Jersey City 64-60 in Ewing, N.J., back on Dec. 11.