UNION, N.J. — The New Jersey City University men's basketball team never quite managed to get things going on Saturday, Dec. 10, on the road against New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) foe Kean University. The Gothic Knights hung with the Cougars in the second half, but still fell to Kean by a final score of 93-67.
The first half was all Cougars (10-0, 5-0 NJAC), who remaining undefeated and atop the conference regular-season standings. NJCU (5-4, 2-3 NJAC) traded buckets early on and the Gothic Knights trailed by just three at 10-7 with 12:27 remaining until the break. Unfortunately, Kean stretched its lead out to as many as 21 points on a few occasions and ended the first half with a 19-point, 48-29 lead over Jersey City.
The Green and Gold tried to claw their way back into the game to start the second and eventually did some damage, making it a 15-point Cougar advantage at 48-33 early on. However, despite the Gothic Knights best efforts — NJCU was only outscored by seven in the second half — Kean managed to go up by a game-high 33 points on four occasions, including at 93-60 with 2:01 left in the game. Jersey City closed out the game on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 26 points, but the Cougars emerged with the win at 93-67.
Highlights:
- After missing last game due to injury, junior forward
Ryan Savoy (Lakewood, N.J./Lakewood) returned to the lineup and led NJCU with a11 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor.
- Senior co-captain
Jason Battle (Jersey City, N.J./Roselle Catholic) chipped in nine points and dished out a team-high four assists.
- Rookie forward
Paul Metellus (Orange, N.J./Orange) saw nine minutes and finished his night with eight points and six boards.
- Junior center
Michael Clement (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) had seven points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action for a non-conference home clash next Saturday night, Dec. 17, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) against Farmingdale State College. NJCU has defeated the Rams in five straight meetings, dating back to 2009, including last year's home-opening 85-63 win at the JMAC.
