PITMAN, N.J. — For the first time in program history, the New Jersey City University women's basketball team has one of its own earn consecutive New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Player of the Year honors. The conference released its annual women's basketball All-NJAC teams today, Wednesday, Feb. 21, and a pair of Gothic Knights were represented, led by First Team honoree and Player of the Year, senior guard Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus). Senior forward Dayjah Anderson (East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech) was also selected as a Honorable Mention honoree.

Rodriguez was named the best player in the conference last season, marking the first time since Monique Hemingway earned that title in 1989 that the award had been given to a Gothic Knight. Rodriguez is the only player in program in history to claim that title twice, and the fifth player in conference history to win the award in consecutive seasons. She currently leads the conference in scoring (19.4 points/game), made field goals (192), points (485) and assists per game (5.6). Rodriguez now has four First Team All-NJAC selections in her career, as well as three major annual awards — including Rookie of the Year in 2020-21. Rodriguez was the recipient of four NJAC Player of the Week honors this season, an award shes received 15 times since donning the Green and Gold. Nationally, she ranks in the top 10 in all of Division III in total assists (146) and made field goals (505) and is 12th in assists per game and 19th in total points (510).

Anderson earns her third-career NJAC honor as NJCU's second-leading scorer and ended the regular season averaging 8.8 points on .357 shooting with 5.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 23.6 minutes per game over 25 games and 19 starts. She ranks 13th in the NJAC in rebounding and 21st in points/game, including nine double-digit performances. Anderson averaged 3.6 field goals made per game as NJCU's second-leading scorer, and is third on the team in minutes played this season (591).

Up Next:
Jersey City, which recently earned a spot in the NJAC Championship game for the fourth consecutive season, will hit the road for a chance at conference glory. The second-seed Gothic Knights return to action this Friday night, Feb. 23, for a 7:00 p.m. meeting with #1-seed The College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J.