GALLOWAY, N.J. – The New Jersey City University men's basketball team came up short in a tightly contested New Jersey Athletic Conference matchup, falling to Stockton University, 79–73, on Wednesday night, February 4.
NJCU (12-9, 8-6 NJAC) shot 37.8 percent (28-of-74) from the field, including 27.8 percent (5-of-18) from three-point range, and converted 12-of-17 free throws (70.6 percent). Stockton (13-8, 10-4 NJAC) finished the night shooting 44.3 percent (27-of-61) overall, 24.1 percent (7-of-29) from beyond the arc, and 64.3 percent (18-of-28) at the free throw line.
The Gothic Knights forced 17 turnovers and capitalized with 19 points, while the Ospreys forced 18 NJCU miscues and scored 16 points off those opportunities. Stockton received a significant boost from its bench, outscoring NJCU's reserves 25–3. The Ospreys also held advantages in blocks (8–1) and fast-break points (33–17). NJCU countered with edges in points in the paint (44–40) and second-chance points (16–12). Both teams finished with 44 rebounds and 12 steals.
Senior Bakhi Rogers-Robinson (Orange, N.J./West Caldwell Tech) led all scorers with 23 points on an efficient 9-of-15 shooting performance. He also contributed four rebounds, two steals, and an assist. Junior Donovan Crawford (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) recorded a double-double (his fourth this season) with 21 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, adding three steals, two assists, and a block. Crawford knocked down a team-best three three-pointers. Junior Brince Shelton (Brooklyn, N.Y./George Westinghouse) chipped in 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting, while junior Arterio Williams (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West) pulled down nine rebounds and added four points. Freshman Mekhi Philogene (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bright School) provided energy off the bench with a team-high three steals, five rebounds, three points, and an assist.
For Stockton, Eriq Campbell paced the Ospreys with 17 points, going 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. He also led the team with eight rebounds and five assists, while adding three steals and a block. Charlie Bell IV scored 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting, and Devon Johnson also added 13 points, connecting on a team-best three triples. Tayvon Gaither was perfect from the field, scoring 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting while adding four rebounds and four assists. Andrew Crawford made a strong all-around impact with eight points, six rebounds, four assists, and a game-high six steals.
Stockton opened the game on a 6–0 run in the first minute, but NJCU quickly responded with a 10–0 surge to take its first lead, highlighted by four points from Rogers-Robinson. The Ospreys answered with eight straight points from five different players to reclaim the lead, 14–10. NJCU responded once again with a 6–0 run midway through the half, and a Crawford three-pointer at the 5:39 mark gave the Gothic Knights their first two-possession advantage since early in the period. Stockton, however, closed the half on an 18–3 run to take a 38–27 lead into halftime. Crawford led NJCU with 10 first-half points, followed by Rogers-Robinson with nine and Shelton with seven.
The teams traded baskets early in the second half before Crawford drained a three-pointer at 11:53 to cut the deficit to single digits. Stockton responded by pushing the lead back to 10 with just over 10 minutes remaining. NJCU made one final push late, sparked by a jumper from Rogers-Robinson at the 3:18 mark. The senior scored seven points during a 9–3 run that trimmed the deficit to two possessions with under a minute to play. Despite the late surge, the Gothic Knights were unable to complete the comeback, falling 79–73. Rogers-Robinson led NJCU with 14 points in the second half, while Shelton added 12 and Crawford contributed 11.
Up Next:
NJCU returns home on Saturday, February 7, to host William Paterson in NJAC action. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
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