READING, Pa. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In a matchup of one-loss teams, another high-scoring offense was no match for the No. 1 ranked three-point defense in NCAA Division III. New Jersey City University limited Misericordia University to 8-of-30 three-point shooting and the Gothic Knights shot lights out from long range, knocking down 13 threes, as NJCU pulled away from the Cougars early in the second half, led by as many as 24, and captured the championship of the Crowne Plaza Holiday Tournament with an 87-72 triumph at Albright College on December 30.
 
In a happy return to his former school (Albright), NJCU senior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park (Md.)) was the obvious selection as Tournament Most Valuable Player. Harris scored 20 or more points for the fifth time this season and the 15th time in two seasons at NJCU.
 
In a marquee matchup of teams sitting just outside the D3hoops.com Top 25 national rankings, NJCU improved to 11-1 overall with its ninth consecutive victory while holding Misericordia (9-2) 20 points beneath its season scoring average of 92.0 per game. While holding MU to a season-low 72 points (previous low was 75), the Knights snapped the Cougars' five-game winning streak.
 
The tournament championship is NJCU's first since winning the York College (Pa.) Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in November 2013. The nine-game winning streak is the longest since a nine-game streak late in the 2011 season.
 
Misericordia came into play ranked No. 5 in the nation in scoring margin at just under 18 points per game and ninth in scoring offense. It was also second in defensive rebounding (34.11 per game). But NJCU, ranked No. 1 in Division III in three-point defense, limited MU to 7-of-26 (.269) in the first 35 minutes and 26.7 percent for the full game. Meanwhile, NJCU knocked down 56.5 percent of its three-point tries on 13-of-23. MU led for only 59 seconds in the entire game—all early in the first half.
 
Harris produced 24 points in 25 minutes including 17 in the first half. He was 5-of-8 from three-point range and 8-of-14 from the field. It was his second All-Tournament Team selection of the season.
 
Four players netted double figures for the Gothic Knights. Senior point guard Ata Robinson (Newark, N.J./East Side) was 3-for-3 from long distance and 4-of-5 from the floor to chalk up 14 points while four-time NJAC Rookie of the Week Sam Toney (Somerdale, N.J./Williamstown) finished with 11 points (2-4 3FG) and four assists. All four of Toney's assists came on three-point shots—as he set up four different teammates for the long ball.
 
Senior point guard Andrew Tomlin (Newark, N.J./Central) added 10 points (2-4 3FG) and sophomore point guard Shaquan Worthy (Trenton, N.J./Trenton) chipped in eight points (6-10 FT) and swiped five steals. Graduate student power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) had eight points (4-8 FG). Senior power forward Chris Freeman (Atlantic City, N.J./Atlantic Christian) also provided eight points (4-7 FG) in 13 reserve minutes.
 
Junior guard Tre Fields (Johnson City, Tenn.) and sophomore guard Jason Kenny (Dickson City, Pa.) were named to the All-Tournament Team for Misericordia. Kenny led the Cougars with 18 points (5-11 FG, 6-6 FT) and three assists while Fields added 13 points (3-6 3FG) and seven rebounds. Bailey Brugler was 5-of-6 from the field for 10 points in 10 reserve minutes. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
NJCU led 45-40 at halftime after twice owning an eight-point lead in the opening stanza. MU led by no more than two points and only at three junctures early in the first half. Tied at 15-15, NJCU reeled off the next eight points, including back-to-back treys by Toney and Tomlin in a span of 22 seconds to push the lead to 23-15 at 12:02. NJCU was also up 26-18 with 8:54 left before MU bounced back to tie it at 32-32. NJCU did not give up the lead and led modestly at the half.
 
Harris, playing on his old court at Albright, had 17 points at halftime on 4-of-5 three-point shooting (6-10 FG) in only 13 minutes. His three with five seconds left in the opening half made it a two-possession game.
 
NJCU opened the second half scoring five points in under a minute to push the lead to 10 as Robinson hit a jumper and junior small forward Kevin Brown (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) drilled a three for a 50-40 advantage. A fourth-chance layup by Toney (17:23) after three offensive boards made the lead a dozen (52-40) before Harris buried his 20th point and fifth three of the game with 16:40 to play to make it a 55-40, 15-point margin to cap a 13-0 outburst. Toney had a three-point play with 15:02 left.
 
Robinson drilled NJCU's 12th three-pointer (12-of-18) with 14:56 left and Harris' 22nd point on a layup 20 seconds later extended the lead to 65-48 and the spurt to 23-6. Tomlin buried another three with 10:41 left for his 10th point to elevate the Gothic Knight lead to 22 (75-53). The lead swelled to as many as 24 when Worthy hit a jumper with 8:31 to play for a 77-53 advantage. The Cougars were able to chip away at the score to make it more respectable with a 10-0 spurt as Alec Rodway hit a pair of layups to bookend three straight baskets by Brugler and cut the deficit to 14 (77-63) with 4:03 to play but MU could not get any closer than 12.
 
QUOTABLE KNIGHTS:
 
Reigning NJAC Coach of the Year Marc Brown on holding another high-scoring team well below its average: "Our switching made things difficult for them and we made shots today. It was a very competitive tournament and I'm particularly happy for Jalen and Nelson [sophomore Nelson Goodwater III (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow)], our two Albright transfers."
 
Tournament MVP Jalen Harris on what it means to win this tournament on his previous school's court: "This win means a lot to me and I'm glad to have teammates who were there for me to help me fill an empty spot in my basketball career. I was very motivated because the first game I was so anxious that I was moving at an unstable pace. With the help of my teammates and coaches, I used my pace better in the championship game. Even though we won the championship at my previous school, we still have more important championships to win this year."
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: First meeting. NJCU leads, 1-0.
• Rankings: NJCU received 50 points in the Week 4 D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, equivalent to a No. 27 national listing. The Cougars received one point in the Week 4 D3hoops poll, equivalent to a 45th place national listing.
• NJCU last opened a season at 11-1 when it was 15-1 in 1988-89.
• NJCU's nine-game winning streak is its longest since it won nine in a row from January 24 to February 14, 2011. NJCU last won 10 in a row January 10 to February 10, 2007.
• Jalen Harris scored in double figures for the 36th time in 40 career games as a Gothic Knight. He has 93 career three-pointers.
• NJCU's 87 points was one shy of its season high against Staten Island in an 88-62 win on November 26.
• NJCU won by double digits for the seventh time this season.
• The 13 three-pointers equal the second most this year and mark the fourth effort of 10+ three-pointers made in a game this year.
• Misericordia's previous season low was 75 points in its other loss to Swarthmore (83-75) on November 27.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU, at 5-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference and tied for first place, begins a stretch of 13 consecutive league games in the second half of the regular season on Wednesday, January 4 (8 p.m.) when it visits Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J. It will be the 167th meeting. Montclair leads the series, dating back to the early 1930s, 92-74.