BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — The New Jersey City University women's basketball team accomplished an immeasurable feat on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 3, as the Gothic Knights traveled up to the state of Connecticut and promptly defeated Division II opponent the University of Bridgeport, 69-66, behind an outstanding 30-point display from All-American senior guard Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus). NJCU has won three straight, and five of its last six games.

The Purple Knights (2-5) put the Green and Gold (5-2) in a hole early on in the first, taking a 14-point, 19-5 lead with 2:59 to go until the second. However, a couple of buckets down the stretch for rookie guard Na'tori Postell (Passaic, N.J./Passaic Arts & Science Charter) cut the deficit to seven at the end of the first. Then, for the second consecutive day, NJCU used a big second quarter to turn the tide of the game. Down by eight after an opening basket for Bridgeport, the Gothic Knights actually finished the quarter leading by six at 37-31 after outscoring the home squad 24-11 in the quarter. Rodriguez had 14 points herself in the second to supercharge her team.

However, it was Bridgeport that regained the momentum and jumped back out to an eight-point, 51-43 lead with just 2:24 to go in the third quarter and it looked as though the Division III Gothic Knights' day might be done. NJCU did not quit, though, and the visitors went on a 7-0 run to close out the period trailing by just one at 51-50 — five of those points came courtesy of senior forward Kyara Cowan (Maywood, N.J./Hackensack).

To start the fourth and final quarter, the Purple Knights went back up by seven after back-to-back threes. NJCU hunkered down to the tune of a 17-5 run to grab on to a five-point, 67-62 lead. Bridgeport cut it back to a one-point game with less than a minute to go, but Rodriguez his a pair of crucial free throws with 17 seconds to go to ice the game and the three-point victory.

Highlights:
- Rodriguez's game-high point total was the eighth 30-point game of her career. She added six boards, a game-high-tying three and a team-best four assists.
- Postell was the other Gothic Knight to finish in double figures with 10. She added a team-best seven boards, a steal and an assist.
- Sophomore guard Tahirah Kelley (Linden, N.J./Immaculate Conception) chipped in nine points, four boards and two steals.
- Cowan had her best game of the season, seeing 16 minutes off the bench and adding seven points and a steal. She spearheaded an 18-5 advantage for NJCU in bench points.

Up Next:
Currently undefeated in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play, the Gothic Knights return to action on Wednesday night, Dec. 6, on the road at NJAC rival Ramapo College. Tip-of in Mahwah, N.J., is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. NJCU split with the Roadrunners last season and have won three of the last five meetings — three of those five games have also gone to at least one overtime period.