JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University men's basketball team picked up its first New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) victory points of the season tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 29, at the John J Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC), 80-70 over William Paterson University. The Gothic Knights were trailing by one point to begin the second half, but were able to hold off the Pioneers with well-rounded offensive play and a strong defensive effort.



NJCU (2-4, 1-1 NJAC) had a handful of players contribute offensively to keep up with the offensive talent of William Paterson (2-4, 0-2 NJAC). Junior forward Ryan Savoy (Lakewood, N.J./Lakewood) led the squad with 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the only double-double between both teams. Junior guard Hakeem Wilson (Newark, N.J./North Star Academy) delivered 19 points, 11 of which were from the line, including big time free throws late in the game. Sophomore guard Bakhi Rogers-Robinson (Orange, N.J./West Caldwell Tech) also finished the game in double figures, scoring 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from three.

NJCU began the game in front, getting two early baskets from graduate forward Daniel Rodriguez (Newark, N.J./Hudson Catholic), who finished with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. William Paterson would go on a 14-5 run to take the lead and control of the game. The Green and Gold did not lie down, as players from up and down the roster would contribute keeping it close by getting to the rim and putting the Pioneers in foul trouble. The Gothic Knights put together a run of their own that saw four players get on the scoresheet and would be capped off with a nice layup by Rogers-Robinson to tie the game at 18-18. William Paterson would quickly reclaim the lead, but it would be matched by another NJCU run, this time Savoy at the helm, scoring six of his team-high 25 points in the final 6:30 of the first half. NJCU would only find themselves down by one going into the second period after shooting 46.0 percent on 12-of-26.

The second half saw the Gothic Knights get into early foul trouble. Both teams traded the lead in the first five minutes, but Savoy would erupt for 17 of his 25 points coming out of the break. With 13:24 left to play and down 45-44, the lead would change hands for the final time on the night, as the Green and Gold would go on an emphatic 15-5 to jump out to a healthy 10-point advantage with 7:50 to go. The Pioneers were able to cut their deficit to five, but the Gothic Knights were able to hold on for their first conference win of the season with clinical free throw shooting led by Wilson and great team defense. With just over a minute left to play, Savoy would put the cherry on top with a fast break dunk that had fans on the JMAC on their feet.

Highlights:
- The Gothic Knights were out on the break tonight, outscoring the Pioneers 16-3 in fast break points.
- NJCU held William Paterson to 38.7 percent from the field in the second half (12-of-31 shooting).
- Savoy contributed four of the Green and Gold's 10 steals and two of the team's four blocks.

Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action on the road on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 2, for a 3:00 p.m. road game in Ewing, N.J., against The College of New Jersey.