GALLOWAY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University men's basketball team got a solid effort from junior guard Jaheim Lewis (Hillside, N.J./Hillside) in just his fifth game with the Gothic Knights on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 13, as the Gothic Knights took on New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival Stockton University on the road. Lewis poured in a career-best and game-high-tying 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a perfect 9-of-9 from the foul line, but unfortunately it was not enough as NJCU suffered the 94-74 loss to the Ospreys.

The two teams traded the lead back and forth for the initial portion of the first half, with NJCU (5-11, 2-7 NJAC) leading Stockton (11-5, 7-2 NJAC) by as many as four at 21-17 with 11:06 remaining until the break. However, an 18-2 run for the Ospreys put them ahead by 12 before the home squad took a 50-36 lead into the locker room.

The game was not done, though, as the Gothic Knights slowly chipped away at that Stockton advantage before making it just a one-point, 64-63 game with just 9:46 remaining. A 9-2 run, which including points from Lewis and senior co-captain Will Brown III (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic), cut it back to single digits with the Osprey lead now at 55-47 with 17:15 to go. Then, minutes later, NJCU used an 8-2 run to make it a four-point, 59-55 game with 14:47 on the clock — that included four points form sophomore guard Bakhi Rogers-Robinson (Orange, N.J./West Caldwell Tech).

Trailing by eight at 64-56 with 12:01 remaining in regulation, Lewis scored five unanswered points, followed by a bucket from junior forward Ryan Savoy (Lakewood, N.J./Lakewood), cutting the deficit to just one at 64-63. Unfortunately, that is as close as NJCU would get for the remainder of the contest as the Ospreys took control until the final buzzer.

Highlights;
- Lewis notched a team-high-tying six boards, two steals and two assists to go with his 24 points.
- Junior forward Malachi Gayton (East Orange, N.J./St. Mary's of Assumption) scored a NCAA career-best 12 points to go with six rebounds of his own.
- Brown III had eight points on 4-of-7 shooting to go with four boards and two assists.

Up Next:
NJCU looks to get back in the win column on Wednesday night, Jan. 17, against NJAC foe Montclair State University on Coach Charlie Brown Court at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.