NEWARK, N.J. – The New Jersey City University men's basketball team fell to Rutgers–Newark, 59–48, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) matchup Wednesday night at The Golden Dome.
NJCU (12–7, 8–4 NJAC) shot 29.4 percent from the field (15-of-51), including 1-of-9 from three-point range, while converting 18-of-24 (75.0 percent) from the free-throw line. Rutgers-Newark (4–14, 1–10 NJAC) finished the contest shooting 36.2 percent overall (17-of-47), 25.0 percent from beyond the arc (3-of-12), and 21-of-31 (67.7 percent) from the charity stripe.
The Scarlet Raiders held an edge in points off turnovers, 19–10, while the Gothic Knights controlled the paint, 28–26, and outscored Rutgers–Newark on the fast break, 16–12. The two teams were even in bench points (40) and second-chance points (28). Rutgers–Newark forced 19 NJCU turnovers, while the Gothic Knights caused 18 giveaways.
Senior Bakhi Rogers-Robinson (Orange, N.J./West Caldwell Tech) led all scorers with 17 points, shooting 6-of-16 from the floor and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. He added seven rebounds and three steals. Junior Donovan Crawford (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and chipped in six points, while junior Marc Brown Jr. recorded NJCU's only two assists and scored four points. Senior Raymond Ezike (Newark, N.J./Westside) contributed defensively with two blocks and three rebounds.
Rutgers–Newark was paced by Raheem Murray, who scored 16 points, including eight from the free-throw line, while adding four rebounds and two steals. Zahkai Sylvester and Greg Jones each finished with 13 points. Sylvester collected four rebounds and a block, while Jones added two rebounds and an assist. Will Ndio led the Scarlet Raiders on the glass with six rebounds, four offensive, along with one assist and a steal. Eli'sha Brown directed the offense with three assists and added four points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
The game remained tightly contested early, with neither team able to pull away. Rutgers–Newark took a 14–10 lead at the 7:51 mark of the first half, and later extended its advantage to its largest of the period in the final seconds. Rogers-Robinson knocked down two free throws with 19 seconds remaining to trim the deficit to 24–21 heading into halftime. He scored 11 of his 17 points in the opening half.
Murray opened the second half with four quick points to push the Scarlet Raiders' lead to 28–21. Crawford responded with two free throws and a basket in the paint to bring NJCU within three, 28–25, with 16:33 remaining. Rutgers–Newark then used a decisive 10–0 run at the 12:11 mark—highlighted by five free throws—to build a 43–26 lead.
NJCU made a late push when freshman Cameron Diogene (Franklin, N.J./Hunterdon Central) connected on a three-pointer at the 3:33 mark, igniting a 7–0 run that cut the deficit to 53–45. However, Rutgers–Newark closed out the game at the free-throw line, converting five late attempts to secure the 59–48 NJAC victory. Rogers-Robinson and junior Jayden Brown (Teaneck, N.J./Immaculate Conception) led the Gothic Knights with six points each in the second half.
UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights return to action on Saturday, January 31, when they host Kean University in an NJAC matchup at 3:00 p.m.
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