ST. MARY's CITY, Md. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In a back-and-forth championship game, the New Jersey City University men's basketball team twice drew within one of Baldwin Wallace University, including the final seconds of the game but couldn't find the equalizer and were edged, 64-61, in the finals of the Dan Greene Memorial Invitational on November 20 at St. Mary's College of Maryland's O'Brien Arc Arena.
 
Senior shooting guard Jalen Harris(Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park (Md.)) was named to the All-Tournament Team with a game-high 20 points and down seven with 1:29 remaining, hit a triple and was fouled, converting a four-point play with 1:12 left. Still down four (62-58) with 29 seconds to go, Harris picked off a steal and scored again, finishing a three-point play to make it a one-point game with 13.9 left. After two free throws by BW's Jake Fetherolf made it 64-61, Harris had a chance to tie it, but couldn't find heroics on a third straight play, missing a three at the buzzer.
 
Baldwin Wallace, members of the Ohio Athletic Conference, improved to 3-0, winning both games in the tournament by three points. NJCU (2-1), playing an OAC opponent for the first time in 25 years, suffered its first loss.
 
Both schools struggled from three-point distance, contributing to neither team being able to pull away. The largest lead of the game for either school was eight. The Yellow Jackets shot 6-of-27 from three-point range (.222) while NJCU was 4-of-20 (.200)—2-of-10 in each half.
 
Harris notched a game-high for the third time this week to open the season and tallied 39 points in the tournament, to earn All-Tournament Team honors with Fetherolf for BW, while the Yellow Jacket's Cam Kuhn collected tournament Most Valuable Player distinction with his squad finishing in first place.  
 
Harris, averaging 20.3 points per game after three contests, scored 20 or more points for the second time this season and the 12th time in 31 career Gothic Knight games. He shot 7-of-13 overall and 3-of-4 from three-point range in 33 minutes.
 
Graduate student power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) had his first double-digit scoring effort of the season, tallying 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting with five rebounds in 25 minutes before becoming one of two Gothic Knights to foul out. Four NJCU players had four or more fouls, including three starters, while only one BW player had more than three.
 
Sophomore shooting guard Joseph Kelley (Newark, N.J./University) chipped in nine points in 13 minutes for the Knights while senior point guard Ata Robinson (Newark, N.J./East Side)grabbed eight rebounds.
 
Fetherolf had a near double-double for the Yellow Jackets, grabbing 12 rebounds—all defensive—and scored nine points while Kuhn led the winners with 13 points in 21 minutes (5-16 FG). Jay Battle had 10 points and four assists.
 
Five points was the largest lead for either side in a see-saw first half that saw each side lead once by that margin. NJCU was in front 30-25 with 3:11 left in the period after a Harris three before BW scored eight of the final 10 points of the half to lead by one, 33-32 at the break.
 
BW continued the swing early in the second half, scoring the first seven points to cap what proved to be a 15-2, 6:29 run over two periods and it led by eight, 40-32, after a jumper by Fetherolf. That was the largest lead of the game for either school although BW later held a 46-38 margin with 13:30 left and 51-43 with 6:55 to play.
 
Michael Quiring hit two foul shots with 5:26 left to keep the lead at seven (54-47) before three straight layups, coming from Wosu, Harris and Robinson, cut it to one (54-53) with 4:22 on the clock. BW was held without a field goal from the 7:25 mark until Fetherolf hit a three with 1:29 to play to push the lead back to seven (61-54) but the winners did hit four foul shots in the nearly six-minute span. The Knights could not take advantage offensively of the work of its defense and were unable to break through after cutting the deficit to one, leading to the late rally bid in the final 90 seconds.
 
QUOTABLE KNIGHTS:
 
Reigning NJAC Coach of the Year Marc Brown on the narrow loss: "Foul trouble was a big part of the outcome," noting that two starters fouled out and another played just 19 minutes with four calls. "We have had a pretty good start after three road games. We should be 3-0. We need to improve our offensive execution and get better defensively."
 
OF NOTE:

• Series vs. Baldwin Wallace: First meeting.
• It was NJCU's first meeting with a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference since a road loss to Marietta in Ohio on December 28, 1991.
• Jalen Harris scored in double figures for the 27th time in 31 career games as a Gothic Knight.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Gothic Knights will open New Jersey Athletic Conference play and play their home opener on Tuesday, November 22 at 8:00 p.m. against rival Rutgers-Newark inside the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Charlie Brown Court). Fans are encouraged to wear white for Tuesday's doubleheader and a huge crowd is expected for the opening 'White Out' event.

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