JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The New Jersey City University (NJCU) men's basketball team battled to an 83–79 overtime victory over Rutgers-Newark in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

With the win, the Gothic Knights improve to 4–2 overall and 2–0 in conference play, remaining atop the NJAC standings alongside Montclair State University and Kean University. Rutgers-Newark falls to 2–5 and 0–1 in the league.

Although Rutgers-Newark held edges in several statistical categories—second-chance points (19–14), points in the paint (38–32), and fast-break points (15–10)—NJCU capitalized where it mattered most. The Knights outscored the Scarlet Raiders 20–14 in points off turnovers and 17–9 in bench production.
Senior guard Bakhi Rogers-Robinson (Orange, N.J./West Caldwell Tech) delivered a standout performance, scoring a game-high 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting while going a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. He also added four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Junior forward Donovan Crawford (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) contributed 11 points and a team-best eight boards, while junior guard Brince Shelton (Brooklyn, N.Y./George Westinghouse) matched him with 11 points. Junior Marc Brown Jr. turned in a career outing with 10 points, four rebounds, and two steals.

Rutgers-Newark was led by Ayden Brown, who poured in 26 points alongside four rebounds, four steals, and two assists. Raheem Murray followed with 21 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and a steal. Will Ndio and Eli'sha Brown combined for 21 rebounds and 11 points to anchor the interior.

The opening half was tightly contested. With the game tied at 16, Rogers-Robinson ignited a 5–1 spurt, highlighted by an offensive rebound and tip-in that gave NJCU a 21–17 lead—its largest of the period. Rutgers-Newark responded with a 6–0 run to reclaim the advantage, but NJCU countered with six straight points from Rogers-Robinson and Jayden Brown (Teaneck, N.J./Immaculate Conception) to retake a 27–26 lead. After trading baskets, Brown knocked down three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt to tie the score at 30. Late free throws from Shelton and freshman Mekhi Philogene (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bright School) sent NJCU into the locker room with a narrow 33–32 edge, though a late fast-break layup from the Scarlet Raiders tightened the margin.

Rutgers-Newark came out strong in the second half, opening with an 11–2 run before NJCU answered with a 13–3 surge capped by a Raymond Ezike (Newark, N.J./Westside) tip-in to take a 48–46 lead. With 7:53 remaining, the Scarlet Raiders used a 9–2 push to go up 58–53. NJCU narrowed the gap again when Rogers-Robinson drew a foul on a three-pointer and sank all three free throws, making it 60–59. After a Rutgers-Newark bucket, Rogers-Robinson drilled a three-pointer to tie the contest at 62. In the closing seconds, Shelton hit a jumper to put NJCU up 71–69, but a foul on the other end granted Rutgers-Newark three free throws. The Raiders converted two, knotting the score at 71 with 0.3 seconds left. Shelton's full-court heave on the ensuing inbound went in but was ruled too late.

Overtime remained tight throughout, with both teams trading baskets and free throws. Tied at 79 with nine seconds to play, NJCU sealed the game at the line as Rogers-Robinson and Shelton combined to go 4-for-4 in the final seconds, closing out the 83–79 victory.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights return to action on Saturday, Dec. 6 when they head to Glassboro, N.J. to take on the Profs in a 1:00 p.m. NJAC clash.

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