CAMDEN, N.J. – The New Jersey City University men's basketball team dropped its final regular-season contest to Rutgers University–Camden, 70-64, on Wednesday, February 18 at the Athletics and Fitness Center.
Despite the loss, the Gothic Knights (14-11, 10-8 NJAC) secured the fourth seed in the NJAC Tournament and will host fifth-seeded Rowan University in the quarterfinals at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on Saturday, February 21 at 12 p.m.
NJCU shot 44.4 percent (20-of-45) from the field, 33.3 percent (2-of-6) from three-point range, and 78.6 percent (22-of-28) from the free-throw line. Rutgers-Camden connected on 53.5 percent (23-of-43) from the floor, 39.1 percent (9-of-23) from beyond the arc, and 78.9 percent (15-of-19) from the line.
The Gothic Knights held advantages in points off turnovers (17-14) and bench scoring (28-2). Both teams recorded eight second-chance points and 22 points in the paint.
Senior Bakhi Rogers-Robinson (Orange, N.J./West Caldwell Tech) led NJCU with 16 points, going 9-of-10 from the free-throw line while adding three rebounds, two steals, and one assist.
Junior Donovan Crawford (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) contributed nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, along with five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Junior Jayden Brown (Teaneck, N.J./Immaculate Conception) added seven points and five boards, while sophomore Matt McSorley (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) finished with six points, five rebounds, and a steal.
Cameron Downs paced all scorers with 28 points on 8-of-18 shooting, including 4-of-12 from three-point range and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. He added four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Eric Benjamin added 20 points. Ryan Senft chipped in eight points to go along with a game-high four assists and four steals. Senft, Makai Crawford, and Robert Peirson each pulled down four rebounds.
Rutgers-Camden opened with a 13-4 run in the first five minutes, highlighted by eight early points from Downs. NJCU answered with a 13-2 surge to take its first lead, with six different players contributing during the stretch.
The Scarlet Raptors regained a two-possession lead (25-19) with 6:28 remaining in the half following a pair of free throws by Downs. NJCU responded with a 10-0 run—six points coming at the line—to go ahead 29-25. The Gothic Knights carried a 32-28 advantage into halftime, led by Rogers-Robinson's 12 first-half points.
At the 12:37 mark, Rutgers-Camden tied the game at 44 and ignited a decisive 23-11 run to claim its first double-digit lead of the contest at 65-55 with 2:37 remaining.
Brown knocked down a jumper with 18 seconds left to cut the deficit to two possessions, but Rutgers-Camden ran out the clock for the 70-64 NJAC victory.
UP NEXT:
NJCU will host Rowan in the NJAC quarterfinals on Saturday, February 21 at 12 p.m. inside the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
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