SALEM, Va. — The New Jersey City University women's basketball team faced off with Washington College (Md.) on day one of the 2022 Susan Dunagan Holiday Classic, hosted by Roanoke College, on Thursday evening, Dec. 29. The Gothic Knights had tied the game up at 54-54 against the Shorewomen with just 2:37 remaining in regulation, but were unable to come away with the win and fell to Washington, 62-59. Junior guard Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) poured in a game-best 26 points in the effort.

NJCU (2-7) and the Shorewomen (7-3) were tight throughout the first quarter. Washington led by five early on, but Jersey City managed to creep back in a tie it up at 11-11 after one quarter of play — nine of those 11 first-quarter points for the Gothic Knights came from Rodriguez. To start the second quarter, the Green and Gold took hold of a three-point lead twice. Senior guard Jasmine Reese (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic) started off with a three-point play to put her team up by three at 14-11. Then, in her NJCU debut, junior guard Jade-Dee Tolentino (West New York, N.J./Memorial) sank a lay-in at 8:02 to again put Jersey City up by three at 16-13. Less than a minute later, Reese once again put her team up by three with a jumper at 7:24 to make it 18-15.

Washington cut the lead to one at 7:12 and then tied it up with a free throw at 6:01 to make it 18-18 before the Shorewomen stretched their lead out to six points with just 1:20 left in the half, splitting a pair of free throws to make it 30-24. Two foul shots and a block by sophomore forward Liyah Allen (Hillside, N.J./Hillside), followed by a jumper in transition from Rodriguez with time expiring allowed NJCU to cut the lead back to two at 30-28 after the first half of play.

The third quarter saw Washington regain control and eventually take a game-high seven-point lead at 39-32 with 1:32 left in the period. Rodriguez answered immediately for NJCU with a three to cut it to four and senior forward Janari Newsome (Newark, N.J./Technology) followed with a trey of her own to make it a one-point, 39-38 Shorewomen lead. Washington sank a jumper with 30 seconds left to take a three-point advantage into the fourth.

Rodriguez started off the fourth with another three to tie it up at 41-41 with 8:14 to play. She later hit a three at 7:27 followed by a bucket underneath from sophomore forward Jalynn Clark (Irvington, N.J./Elizabeth) at 6:56 — she made her return from injury tonight after having not played in nearly a month — to give NJCU a one-point, 46-45 lead. The Shorewomen tied it up and took the lead a few more times over the next four or so minutes before a layup from junior center Jimmirah Johnson (Prospect Park, N.J./International) and a pair of free throws from senior guard Jada Camacho (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) tied it up at 54-54 with just 2:37 left.

Johnson cut it back to two at 58-56 after Washington took another lead, but that was as close as NJCU would get for the remainder of the contest.

Highlights:
- Rodriguez added seven rebounds, a season- and game-best five steals and two assists in a game-high 40 minutes on the floor.
- Reese and junior forward Kyara Cowan (Maywood, N.J./Hackensack) each scored six points. Reese led NJCU with a season-high nine rebounds, as well.

Up Next:
NJCU returns to the court tomorrow evening, Friday, Dec. 30, for a 5:00 p.m. tip against Eastern University. The Eagles fell to host Roanoke earlier today, 66-46.