MAHWAH, N.J. — The New Jersey City University women's basketball program's historic 2022-23 campaign has finally come to a close. The Gothic Knights ended their year on Sunday afternoon, March 5, in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championship Game on the campus of Ramapo College, but fell to Alvernia University, 57-48.

NJCU (17-12) ended the season having accomplished much. After not qualifying for any type of postseason play since 1988-89, Jersey City is now on a run of four straight seasons of postseason berths, competing in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament in every season since 2019-20. Additionally, after going to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship in 2021-22 for the first time in program history after winning back-to-back NJAC Championships — also the first two in program history — the Gothic Knights won the 2022-23 NJAC Regular-Season Championship, once again the first in program history. Last but not least, Jersey City qualified for the 2022-23 ECAC Championship Tournament for its first trip to ECACs since that 1988-89 season. Individually, junior guard Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) finished the season averaging 24.2 points per game, which currently leads all of Division III. She was also named First Team All-NJAC for the third time in her career and became the first Gothic Knight since 1988-89 — and just the second ever — to be named NJAC Player of the Year. She is poised to earn a multitude of regional and national postseason accolades.

As for the title game against the Golden Wolves (20-10), the Gothic Knights were close all day long. Things got off to a slow start as neither squad scored until junior forward Sarah Edmond (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) sank the first bucket of the game at 6:15 in the first quarter. Eventually, Jersey City went up 10-8 after 10 minutes of play. Thanks to a strong and-one play under the basket for junior center Jimmirah Johnson (Prospect Park, N.J./International) with 8:37 to go in the second, NJCU went up by five points at 14-9. Jersey City led by two following sophomore center Briana Davis' (Bronx, N.Y./Lincoln (via County Prep)) jumper down low at 2:37, with the score at 20-18, however Alvernia scored four straight to end the half up two at 22-20.

The Golden Wolves built that lead up to seven at 39-39 with 2:09 to go in the third quarter but a big-time three from senior guard Jada Camacho (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) cut that lead down to four at 39-35 with under a minute to go, and that's how the fourth quarter would begin. NJCU continued that run with a jumper at 9:44 from Rodriguez to trim it back down to two at 39-37 before hitting a free throw a couple minutes later to make it a one-point, 39-38 game. Alvernia answered with a three at 7:30, but Camacho fired back once again with a long-range bucket of her own to keep it at a one-point, 42-41 game with 7:02 remaining. The Golden Wolves scored five straight to go up by six, but Davis and Rodriguez answered with two jumpers of their own to cut it back down to two at 47-45 with 4:38 to go. Rodriguez eventually hit a jumper at 2:52 to make it a three-point, 51-48 lead for Alvernia, but the Golden Wolves held NJCU scoreless for the remainder, while scoring three more jumpers of their own to win it, 57-48.

Highlights:
- Rodriguez finished with a game-best 18 points to go with six rebounds and game-highs in steals (3) and assists (6). She was also one of two Gothic Knights on the ECAC All-Tournament Team.
- The other ECAC All-Tournament Team selection, Edmond, finished with a team-high-tying nine rebounds, three points and two steals before fouling out toward the end of the game.
- Camacho closed out her career with a 10-point performance to go with four rebounds, a block and an assist.
- Johnson had seven rebounds, six boards and block, while senior forward Jasmine Reese (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic) closed out her collegiate career with five rebounds.
- Davis finished with four points, nine boards and a block, while freshman forward Jalynn Clark (Irvington, N.J./Elizabeth) had five boards and four points.
- Freshman guard Elyssa Russo (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) saw 21 minutes and contributed three points and two rebounds.