JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | After New Jersey City University was unable to put away unbeaten Ramapo College in regulation, two senior captains provided the heroics in overtime, when the Gothic Knights finished the job. Senior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park (Md.)) took over the game with nine points in the extra session, senior point guard Ata Robinson (Newark, N.J./East Side) scored six more including a dagger three and the two leaders scored all 15 points in overtime as No. 24 ranked NJCU upset undefeated and No. 13 ranked Ramapo, 76-71, in an old-school New Jersey Athletic Conference battle on January 14 at the  John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Charlie Brown Court).
 
In the first-ever matchup at the JMAC between two teams nationally ranked at the same time, the spotlight was on both squads in the only game in the country between ranked teams so far this weekend. Despite missing a starter, the Gothic Knights, the No. 4 scoring defense in the nation, limited a Ramapo squad that came in averaging 86.1 points per game to just 61 points in regulation and 15 below its overall scoring average.
 
Ramapo was one of three remaining unbeaten teams in Division III prior to the game, leaving Rochester and Whitman unblemished among 416 schools in Division III.
 
NJCU moved to 7-0 at home and improved to 13-3 overall and 7-2 in the NJAC. Ramapo had its 14-game winning streak halted and the Roadrunners dropped to 14-1 (8-1 NJAC). The 61 points were the least Ramapo has scored in regulation this year and the 71 points were the second lowest output.
 
NJCU, which entered the week No. 1 in the nation in three-point percentage defense, but fell to third after a short-handed loss at three-time defending league champion Stockton on Wednesday, shutout the Roadrunners from three-point distance. Ramapo was 0-for-7 from deep in the game and was held without a three for the first time in the last 44 games. NJCU, which led for more than 34 minutes in the win, knocked down 10 triples, including 2-of-3 in overtime.
 
In a game that lived up to the hype all four usual starters reached double figures as Harris scored 17, Robinson added 14, and both graduate student power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) and four-time NJAC Rookie of the Week Sam Toney (Somerdale, N.J./Williamstown) produced 13 and 12, respectively.
 
After shooting just 2-of-9 in regulation, Harris rose to the occasion in overtime; he created his own scoring and was a perfect 4-for-4. He finished with 17 points and three assists in 30 minutes. Robinson was 3-for-5 from three-point range, including a back-breaking pull-up three from the right arc with 1:05 remaining and the shot clock winding down to push the overtime lead to 71-67. He scored 14 and had four rebounds despite playing just 24 minutes after taking an elbow that caused a cut.
 
Wosu, the reigning NJAC Defensive Player of the Year, showed why he's a candidate to win the award again. Wosu, who missed the game at Stockton with an illness, scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and added six rebounds, five steals and three blocks in 35 minutes. Defensively, he had the difficult task of being matched up with two-time NJAC Player of the Week and junior forward Thomas Bonacum (Fanwood, N.J.). Bonacum entered the game averaging 18.8 points and shooting .553 from the floor but Wosu stalled him. Bonacum scored 17, but mostly from the line (7-10 FT). He was held in check from the field, shooting just 5-of-15 in 44 minutes and committed four turnovers. 
 
Also for NJCU, Toney was 3-for-8 from three-point range, scoring 13 with six rebounds and two blocks in 27 minutes. With junior small forward Kevin Brown (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) missing a third straight game due to injury,  sophomore swingman James Julius (Linden, N.J./Linden) buried a pair of threes and had six points, five rebounds and three assists.
 

Robinson was 3-for-5 from three-point range, including a back-breaking pull-up three with 1:05 remaining.

For RCNJ, senior forward Sultan Aminu (Old Bridge, N.J.) scored 14 (7-13 FG) and had nine rebounds. His third-chance putback layup with 2.1 seconds remaining tied the game at 61-61 to force overtime.
 
The current NJAC Player of the Week, junior forward Christopher Moseley (Fair Lawn, N.J.), entered the day averaging 14.5 points and .610 shooting from the field, but NJCU limited him to 4-of-11 shooting and 12 points with five boards. Senior guard Cory Soanes (Matawan, N.J.) chipped in 10 points (4-5 FG) off the bench with five rebounds and three steals in 23 minutes.
 
Ramapo outrebounded NJCU, 45-35, including 17-9 on the offensive glass. Ramapo scored 42 of its points in the paint. But NJCU, ranked No. 4 in Division III in steals and sixth in turnover margin, forced 22 giveaways.

While both teams were proficient in overtime—NJCU shooting 71.4 percent (5-7) and Ramapo making 4-of-6—the Knights did something late in games that they have struggled with recently. The Knights were timely from the line when it mattered, making 4-of-5 in the final five minutes and 80 percent for the game (12-15).  

HOW IT HAPPENED
NJCU scored the game's first five points before RCNJ scored the next 10. NJCU answered with a 10-0 run of its own to seize a 15-10 margin. Toney hit a triple and Harris had a three-point play, sandwiched around a Wosu putback during the spurt. RCNJ chipped away and briefly took the lead for the first time in close to seven minutes when Aminu scored on a baseline spin move before sophomore guard Lavrone Green (Teaneck, N.J.), a four-time Rookie of the Week during the 2014-15 season for Montclair State who was playing his first game as a transfer at RCNJ, scored 10 seconds after taking the floor for the first time (23-20).
 
NJCU would quickly regain the lead. Wosu sank a jumper off a nice feed from junior guard Ruben Acosta (Bogota, N.J./Bogota) before putting NJCU back on top, 24-23, with two foul shots with 4:32 left in the half. A three and jumper by Toney extended the margin to 29-23 before Ramapo scored eight of the final 10 points to force a 31-31 deadlock at the half when Bonacum hit a turnaround jumper in the lane with 16 seconds on the board.
 
In the second half, NJCU scored five points in the first minute—a three from the left arc on a catch and shoot by Toney and a steal and fast break bucket by Wosu. NJCU would lead the rest of the half until Ramapo tied it in the final seconds.
 
NJCU tried to increase the lead. Harris and Julius buried triples for a 45-37 advantage, Wosu had another steal and fast break basket, and Julius sank a trey for a 50-41 cushion with 13:44 to go. Acosta re-entered the game and moments later had a backcourt steal and transition layup for a 54-45 edge with 10:40 left. Acosta hit another jumper in the lane with 8:40 left and a 56-49 lead.
 
NJCU would score just one more field goal in the half—a triple just to the right of the top of the arc by sophomore point guard Shaquan Worthy (Trenton, N.J./Trenton) with the shot clock winding down and 4:58 left, to make it 59-54 when Ramapo cut the lead to two. After Robinson sank two foul shots with 4:19 to play to seize a 61-55, the Knights did not score again until Harris took over midway through overtime.
 
With NJCU missing its next four shots of regulation (two turnovers), Moseley scored in transition with 3:50 remaining and putback an offensive carom after a failed alley-oop with 2:08 to go. Harris missed a 1-and-1 with 1:06 left. NJCU got the ball back with 44 seconds left and could have run the clock down but took an errant shot, giving it back to Ramapo with 26.9 to play. With the clock under 10 seconds, Wosu blocked Bonacum, and Moseley missed the follow, before Aminu finished on the third opportunity to send it to overtime at 61-61.
 
In overtime, Moseley scored inside to give Ramapo its first lead since the 4:32 mark of the first half and Bonacum hit a jumper in the lane with 4:10 to go. With NJCU in trouble and down 65-61, Harris ignited. He pulled up for a jumper with 3:28 to go to snap a 10-0 streak for Ramapo, then after a basket by Aminu made it 67-63, Harris drove to the rim and banked in a jumper before being fouled and capped the three-point play to trim the deficit to 67-66 with 2:39 left.
 
After Wosu snatched a pass right under the Ramapo basket, Harris penetrated the lane again, driving to the rim for a 68-67 margin with 2:01 to play that NJCU would not relinquish. Bonacum missed two foul shots with 1:35 left and with the shot clock nearing zero, Robinson's triple from the right arc pushed the lead to 71-67. Bonacum hit a jumper in the lane with 53 seconds left before Harris countered, hitting another huge shot—a running jumper to the left of the lane with 32 seconds left to push the lead to 73-69. After Bonacum converted two foul shots with 18.1 to go, Robinson hit the first of two foul shots and after Soanes was whistled for a charge with 6.4 to go, Robinson, who had a chance to be the hero in road losses at Montclair and Stockton in NJCU's two conference setbacks, iced the win with two foul shots with five ticks left.  NJAC Defensive Player of the Year Chinwe Wosu frustrated the Roadrunners with his effort. 
 

QUOTABLE KNIGHTS:
Head Coach Marc Brown, the reigning NJAC Coach of the Year, on the win: "This win was very satisfying. We had not played well I thought in the last three games, losing two out of three. We make no excuses, but we really haven't been healthy. We've had guys with the flu, others with injuries, and this was a real old-school NJAC game. I thought we had the game in regulation, gave it away, but pulled out the win in overtime. It was a crucial victory for the program."
 
Brown on how the defense limited Bonacum and Ramapo: "We play hard. The one thing about this group is besides maybe one game this season, this team plays hard for 40 minutes. We practice hard and it carries over to the games. We want to play how we practice and it's something that we preach."
 
Brown on how this win will propel the team forward and how it should help us in the polls: "Towards the end of the of the year, the team that is going to be left standing, one of the things, will be the healthiest team, and that's what we want to do now. Hopefully the poll voters will consider some of our issues and there's a lot of schools to look at. A loss is a loss, but we really went into a couple of games short-handed. Anytime you go down to Stockton and you're missing two starters, and Ata also had some injuries, it means a lot. Now we're healthier. I think we're finally going to go into the Rutgers-Newark game with a full squad and we will see what we do in these last nine games. I don't really get into the polls, but I think it's exciting for the program to be ranked, we're happy we're ranked. The ranking for me is just icing on the cake. I really want to be playing well towards the end of the year; that's what my focus is."
 
Watch more at: https://www.facebook.com/NJCUGothicKnights/videos/10154507276484915/
 
Interview with Ata Robinson, Jalen Harris and Chinwe Wosu after the win over Ramapo: https://www.facebook.com/NJCUGothicKnights/videos/10154507238819915/
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 89th meeting. NJCU leads all-time series, 66-23
• Rankings: NJCU is ranked for the second week in a row. It is now No. 24 nationally by D3hoops.com. Ramapo is also ranked for the second consecutive week, up from No. 19 to No. 13 this week.
• NJCU picked up its first win over a ranked team since a 70-65 victory at No. 19 Stockton on February 11, 2015.
• At No. 13, Ramapo was the highest ranked opponent NJCU has defeated since a 76-71 road win at No. 8 Richard Stockton on December 5, 2009.
• Head coach Marc Brown won his 149th game (149-109) and will seek another milestone on January 18.
• The last time Ramapo was held without a three was February 7, 2015 at home against Stockton when it also shot 0-for-7.
• NJCU is 2-0 in overtime this season (Won, 71-69, at William Paterson, November 30).
• Jalen Harris scored in double figures for the 39th time in 444 career games as a Gothic Knight. He has 97 career three-pointers.
• Sam Toney scored in double figures for the 10th time this season.
• Ata Robinson equaled his season high. He had his fifth double digit scoring effort of the season and 12th in two years at NJCU.
• Chinwe Wosu scored in double figures for the third time this season—all in his last five games. It's the 16th such performance in his career—all in the last two seasons.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU begins a two-game road trip on Wednesday, January 18 (8 p.m.) when it meets Rutgers-Newark at The Golden Dome in Newark. NJCU won the first meeting of the season in Jersey City on November 22, 77-60. NJCU leads the all-time series, 63-17, and has won the last three meetings. It will be the 81st meeting between the local rivals.

SOURCE: http://njcugothicknights.com/news/2017/1/14/201701-14_NJCU_vs_Ramapo.aspx