SOURCE: http://www.njcugothicknights.com/news/2017/2/11/201702-11_MBASKETBALL_at_Ramapo.aspx

MAHWAH, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University entered the day with a chance to regain a first round bye in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament and used a 10-0 run late in the second half to momentarily seize a one-point lead. However No. 11 Ramapo College responded with an 11-0 outburst over the next 2:54 to pull away for a 78-70 victory in a critical NJAC game at the Bill Bradley Center.
 
The loss came with NJCU needing a win to move back into second place and in position for a bye in the league tournament after TCNJ (17-7, 13-4 NJAC) was upset on the road at Montclair State, 70-63, in Montclair, N.J. earlier in the day.
 
In NJCU's final regular season road game, senior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park (Md.)) scored 23 points. Ramapo junior forward Thomas Bonacum (Fanwood, N.J.) was quiet most of the game before hitting two backbreaking three pointers during the game-sealing 11-0 run.
 
The loss for NJCU means TCNJ clinches the No. 2 seed and the bye that goes with it. NJCU will host an NJAC Tournament quarterfinal game on Saturday, February 18 (3 p.m.) against either Montclair State (12-12, 9-8 NJAC) or Stockton (14-9, 9-8 NJAC) and will either be the No. 3 or 4 seed in the tournament. If NJCU defeats Stockton, the three-time defending NJAC champions, at home in the final regular season game on February 15, NJCU will wrap up the No. 3 seed. If NJCU loses and current fourth place Rowan (16-8, 11-6 NJAC) can upset Ramapo in Glassboro that night, then the Profs will pass the Gothic Knights in the standings.
 
NJCU entered the game ranked No. 3 nationally in three-point percentage defense but Ramapo shot 61.5 percent from three-point range, hitting 8-of-13 from distance, and 60.5 percent overall from the field (26-43). Both totals are easily opponent season highs. Ramapo hit 10 of its first 15 shots (.667) and 4-of-5 threes (.800) to open the game.
 
The Knights lost despite knocking down 15 three-point shots (15-31, .484) and 11-of-13 from the foul stripe (.846). NJCU had one less turnover than Ramapo, but the Roadrunners held a 20-6 margin in points off those giveaways and its bench outscored the Knight reserves, 31-16.
 
Harris produced his eighth 20-point scoring effort this season, shooting 6-of-8 from three-point range, 7-of-11 from the field and 3-for-4 from the line as he generated a game-high 23 points with three steals in 31 minutes.  Senior point guard Andrew Tomlin (Newark, N.J./Central) knocked down 4-of-7 three-point shots, coming off the bench to tally 12 points in 22 minutes.
 
Also for the Knights, sophomore swingman James Julius (Linden, N.J./Linden) netted 10 points (3-6 FG, 2-4 3FG, 2-2 FT), adding three assists and two steals in 24 minutes while six-time NJAC Rookie of the Week and freshman power forward Sam Toney (Somerdale, N.J./Williamstown) scored all 10 of his points in the second half. He shot 4-of-9 in the loss with seven defensive rebounds.
 
NJCU was looking for the season sweep after beating RCNJ, 76-71 (overtime), on January 14 in Jersey City to knock Ramapo from the unbeaten ranks.
 
Bonacum only had eight points in the first 38 minutes of the game but came alive late when he hit both three-point shots. He finished with 14 points (5-11 FG, 2-3 3FG) in 29 minutes. Junior guard Josh Ford (Fort Lee, N.J.) had a team-high 15 points (3-6 FG) including 9-of-10 three-point shooting and three assists. Freshman guard Patrick Peterson (Blauvelt, N.Y.) came off the bench to hit 5-of-6 shots (2-3 3FG) for 14 points with five boards in 23 minutes.
 
Also for the hosts, junior forward Nick Stanek (Royersford, Pa.) had nine points (3-4 FG, 2-2 3FG) and three assists, junior forward Christopher Moseley (Fair Lawn, N.J.) added eight points (4-5 FG) and senior guard Cory Soanes (Matawan, N.J.) tallied eight points (2-2 FG, 4-4 FT) with three assists. Junior guard James Long (Matawan, N.J.) (six points, 2-3 3FG, four assists) and senior forward Sultan Aminu (Old Bridge, N.J.) (six rebounds, 2-3 FG) also contributed. 

  Andrew Tomlin knocked down four threes in the loss to #11 Ramapo.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
A three from Harris off an unselfish assist from graduate student power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter), (3-0) followed by a Julius steal and fast break (5-0) forced Ramapo into a quick timeout. NJCU was up 10-4 six minutes into the game after an NBA range three from senior point guard Ata Robinson (Newark, N.J./East Side) made it 8-2. When Harris got blocked on a fast break, Ramapo grabbed the rebound and threw it down the court for a transition basket for Soanes, cutting it to 10-8. Ramapo tied it at 10-10. Stanek and Long hit back-to-back threes from the right arc and RCNJ was back on top (19-13) midway through the period. A jumper in the lane by Aminu stretched the lead to 21-13 and the run to 15-3.
 
Peterson sank another three, RCNJ's fourth in five attempts, to push the margin to 10 (24-14). Harris cut it to six with a triple (24-18), then was fouled going to the rim on a steal, and hit two foul shots (24-20). With the shot clock expiring, Robinson nailed a three in front of the Ramapo bench (26-23).
 
Sophomore point guard Shaquan Worthy (Trenton, N.J./Trenton) hit the next four free throw chances to cut it to 30-27. NJCU had steals on the next two Ramapo possessions. But Worthy missed a contested layup and an open look at a tip-in was short; Bonacum blocked a fast break attempt by Tomlin. Moseley scored twice in the next 33 seconds and the lead swelled back to seven (34-27). A three by Harris in front of the RCNJ bench trimmed it to 34-30 in the final minute of the half. An over-the-back foul by NJCU with 0.4 seconds on the clock gave Peterson two unwarranted free throw attempts and he hit both to give the Roadrunners a 36-30 edge at the half.
 
Harris, who had 14 points at halftime, drilled a straightaway three to start the second half. Julius buried a three from the near corner off a Wosu assist but Ramapo immediately answered down the floor. Wosu's jumper cut it to four (42-38). Toney's first points of the game on a drive to the rim, made it a two-point game (42-40). Long pushed the lead back to seven with a triple from the far side (47-40).
 
Wosu missed a jumper, but grabbed his own rebound, found Toney underneath for two and Toney converted the three-point play for a 47-43 deficit. Harris's fifth three of the game on six tries trimmed it to 47-46 with his 20th point.
 
After NJCU missed its next forced shot, Ford was fouled in transition, as his basket rolled in and a three-point play pushed the lead back to four (50-46). A triple by Stanek brought the lead back to seven (53-46) after Wosu couldn't handle a pass under the NJCU basket. With the shot clock again winding down, Toney hit a long three (53-49) and his fall away jumper made it 55-51 with his 10th point. Harris stole the next possession, tip-toeing the sideline. A triple by Tomlin rolling off a screen in front of the NJCU bench cut it to two (56-54). Soanes scored on a backdoor play on the baseline to push the lead back to six (60-54). Harris' sixth three, from the far sideline, for his 23rd and final points, cut it to five but Peterson hit back-to-back long jumpers and Ramapo seized it's the largest lead of the second half, 66-57, with 7:09 remaining.
 
Julius' three from near corner (66-60) and a 12-foot baseline jumper from Wosu cut it to four (66-62) with 5:51 to play. Julius' anticipation steal on the next possession led to a fast break chance. He made both foul shots and the margin was just two (66-64).
 
Tomlin's three from the left arc gave NJCU its first lead since it was 10-9 and made it 67-66 with 4:43 left to cap a 10-0 run. Aminu answered with a jumper off the window (4:20).
 
With the shot clock winding down and 3:01 left, Ford drove to the rim for two (70-67) and was fouled, finishing the three-point play (71-67). The next NJCU possession was blocked and Bonacum's three from the right arc with 2:18 left pushed the lead back to seven (74-67) before he stole the ball from the Knights. Bonacum buried another three from the far corner to cap the winning 11-0 run at the 1:26 mark and make it 77-67.
 
Tomlin did hit a three to end the spurt (77-70) and Ramapo missed a one-shot free throw but NJCU's next three rimmed out and NJCU could not draw any closer.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 90th meeting. NJCU leads the all-time series, 66-24
• Rankings: Ramapo is ranked No. 11 nationally by D3hoops.com and No. 2 in the first NCAA Division III Atlantic Region rankings. NJCU is ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional rankings released on February 8. NJCU also received 24 points in the week 10 D3hoops.com national poll, equivalent to a No. 29 listing, after being nationally ranked the previous five weeks.
• Jalen Harris scored 20 or more points for the eighth time this season and the 18th time in two seasons at NJCU.
• Jalen Harris scored in double figures for the 46th time in 52 career games as a Gothic Knight. He has 118 career three-pointers and 888 points.
• James Julius' netted his ninth career double-digit scoring effort.
• Andrew Tomlin scored in double figures for the eighth time in his 39-game NJCU career (fourth time in 2016-17).
• Sam Toney scored in double figures for the 15th time in 24 games this season.
• NJCU's 15 three-pointers mark the eighth effort of 10 or more made threes this season and one shy of the 16-for-38 it hit at Kean University on December 7. The 15 threes equal the third most in a game in NJCU program history.
• Ramapo's 60.5 percent field goal percentage (26-43) is easily the highest by an opponent this year. The only other team to shoot better than 50 percent was Kean at NJCU on February 1, when it shot .511 (23-45).
• The 60.5 percent rate is the highest by an opponent since Ramapo also shot 61.1 percent (33-54) in an 88-87 win over NJCU in Mahwah on January 21, 2006.
• Ramapo's 61.5 percent three-point percentage is also easily the highest by an opponent this year. The previous high was also Kean on February 1 at 45.8 percent (11-24).
• The 61.5 percent three-point percentage is the highest by an opponent since Albertus Magnus College converted 64.7 percent on 11-of-17 shooting in Jersey City on December 1, 2013.
• The eight-point final margin is NJCU's largest margin of defeat this year.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
On Senior Day 2017, NJCU will host Stockton on Wednesday, February 15 at 8 p.m. at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court'), where the Knights are 10-0 this year and own a 17-game regular season home court winning streak. In the first meeting of the season on January 11 in Galloway, Stockton upset a short-handed NJCU side missing two starters, 70-65. It will be the 81st meeting in a series NJCU leads, 45-35. Prior to the game, NJCU will honor its five-man senior class—all captains—power forward Chris Freeman (Atlantic City, N.J./Atlantic Christian), Harris, Robinson, Tomlin and Wosu. Stockton has won its last five games to qualify for the NJAC Tournament after a prior four-game losing streak.