SOURCE: http://njcugothicknights.com/news/2017/2/24/201702-24_MBASKETBALL_at_Ramapo_NJAC_Finals.aspx

MAHWAH, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | With the New Jersey Athletic Conference men's basketball championship hanging in the balance, New Jersey City University graduate student power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) tied the game from the line at 64-64 with 3.1 seconds left. But in perhaps the most dramatic ending to a game in the history of the NJAC Tournament, Ramapo College junior forward Thomas Bonacum (Fanwood, N.J.), the NJAC Player of the Year, banked in a half-court shot as time expired and the No. 7 Roadrunners used a miracle ending to survive No. 21 NJCU, 67-64, to claim the 2017 NJAC Championship.

NJCU (21-7) led by 11 at halftime, 46-35, when it tied a school record with 11 first-half three-point field goals but hit just one in the second half and Ramapo slowly whittled away at the Gothic Knight advantage. It was the second meeting between Ramapo and NJCU in a conference championship game and nearly 10 years to the day the Roadrunners won on an overtime jumper in Jersey City, with 3.8 seconds left to win in 2007, the final minute, witnessed by 1,458 fans at the Bill Bradley Center, won't soon be forgotten.
 
No. 1 seeded Ramapo (25-2, Won 5), which improved to 12-0 at home and clinched the NJAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, led by one before First-Team All-NJAC senior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park (Md.)), went to the line and sank two foul shots with 53.9 seconds left to give NJCU, the No. 3 seed, a 63-62 lead. When Ramapo missed a three-point try with 38 seconds left, sophomore shooting guard Joseph Kelley (Newark, N.J./University) grabbed the rebound and called timeout with 22.3 seconds left with a chance to win the championship.
 
On the inbounds pass, freshman power forward Sam Toney (Somerdale, N.J./Williamstown), the NJAC Rookie of the Year, who had been so essential in the first half when he scored 14 points in 11 minutes and knocked down four threes, turned the ball over in traffic at midcourt and trying to prevent the breakaway go-ahead basket by Ramapo, was whistled for the intentional foul. Junior forward Nick Stanek (Royersford, Pa.) went to the line and hit both to give Ramapo a 64-63 lead with 22.1 left. But Ramapo, also awarded the ball, was signaled for a five-second violation on the inbounds pass, giving NJCU possession.
  
 

NJCU went inside to Wosu, the two-time NJAC Defensive Player of the Year, and he drew the foul. With a chance to tie the game or put NJCU in front, he missed the first shot short, but after Ramapo called time out, Wosu swished the second opportunity, tying the game at 64-64.
 
With overtime looming, the Roadrunners nearly turned the ball over on the inbounds pass on the near sideline. But junior guard Josh Ford (Fort Lee, N.J.) managed to stay in bounds, found a streaking Bonacum two feet inside the half court line, who unleashed a straightaway bank shot at the buzzer that set off court-storming pandemonium for the Roadrunner fans.
 
NJCU, which will learn its fate on Monday, February 27 when the NCAA announces the 21 Pool C teams for the Division III Tournament, still is in good position to qualify for the national championship tournament as an at-large team. The NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed during a live selection show on NCAA.com on February 27 at 12:30 PM.
 
The Knights, ranked No. 21 by D3hoops.com and No. 3 in the NCAA Atlantic Region, were led by Toney who had 16 points (6-11 FG), including 4-of-6 three-point tries, and five rebounds in 25 minutes. Sophomore swingman James Julius (Linden, N.J./Linden) had a huge first half when he scored 11 of his 13 points, on 4-of-5 shooting and 3-of-4 from three-point distance. He finished 5-of-9 from the floor and had four blocks, including the stuff of long with 38 seconds to go.
 
Harris had a rare off night shooting (3-13 FG, 2-8 3FG), but still contributed his 50th career double-digit scoring effort with 11 points and three assists. Wosu had seven rebounds while junior small forward Kevin Brown (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) scored eight first half points, making both three-point shots he tried.
 
Ramapo, which won its first conference title since the 2012-13 season and fourth overall, was led by Bonacum with 20 points (7-14 FG, 2-4 3FG), nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in 39 minutes. Senior forward Sultan Aminu (Old Bridge, N.J.) notched a double-double of 12 points (6-8 FG), 11 rebounds and three blocks (six turnovers). Junior guard James Long (Matawan, N.J.) collected nine points, shooting 3-of-4 from three-point distance, including two crucial threes for RCNJ during a late rally. Stanek had eight points.
   Sam Toney was a big part of NJCU's record three-point shooting in the first. (Photo Credit: NJCU Professor Rob Romeo).
 
KEY MOMENTS:
Bonacum scored the first four for Ramapo and RCNJ used a 10-0 run, scoring on five straight possessions to gain an early 10-3 lead. Ramapo hit 5-of-6 shots to open the game. Brown drilled a three from the right arc (14-11) before Bonacum answered with a straightaway three. He had nine of the first 17 for RCNJ and the Knights were down 28-24 with 6:41 left in the half.
 
NJCU swayed momentum its way with a 16-2 run, powered by four three pointers. After a layup by Toney tied it at 28-28 with 5:27 left, a triple by Julius from the far corner put NJCU ahead for the first time since it was 3-0. 31-28. Julius buried a step back three with one on the shot clock from the far sideline for a 34-30 margin. NJCU's eighth three in 15 attempts by Toney from the right arc swelled the lead to 37-30 with 2:47 on the clock and he buries another trey from the left sideline to push the lead to 40-30 (2:06 left) as NJCU was 9-of-16 from long range. Toney buried a 25-foot three-pointer at the first half buzzer to make the margin 11, 46-35, at the break.
 
Bonacum had 14 points (5-5 FG) in the first half and Aminu added eight points (4-5 FG) and six rebounds. Ramapo shot 60 percent in the first half (12-20), but only attempted three three pointers (1-3).
 
NJCU gained the largest lead of the game for either side less than 90 seconds into the game when Harris hit a baseline jumper for a 50-37 lead. NJCU was held without a field goal for the next 6:38 and RCNJ rallied within five (51-46) on a three-point play by Bonacum. After baskets by Kelley and Wosu, NJCU was held without a field goal for the next 5:06. A jumper by Stanek and two foul shots by freshman guard Patrick Peterson (Blauvelt, N.Y.) cut it to one with 7:45 left.
 
Harris hit a three with 6:08 left for a 58-54 margin before Long hit a three from the right arc to cut it to 58-57 with 5:21 left then hit an NBA-range fall-away three to give Ramapo back the lead, 60-58, with 4:24 to go; it was the first lead for Ramapo since 28-26 with six minutes left in the first half. Toney tied it with a fall away jumper in the lane (60-60) with 4:05 left. NJCU hit one foul shot with 3:42 left to reclaim a one-point lead. Stanek scored inside (3:33) for a 62-61 edge, before Harris put the Knights back on top with two late foul shots, leading to the events of the final minute.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series:  91st meeting. NJCU leads the all-time series, 66-25. Ramapo won 2-of-3 during 2016-17 season.
• Third meeting between NJCU and Ramapo in the NJAC Tournament and the first meeting between the schools in Mahwah, N.J. Ramapo is 3-0 all-time against NJCU in the conference tournament. The first was an 89-78 result in the 2006 NJAC Quarterfinals (February 21, 2006). Ramapo also upset NJCU, 83-81, in one overtime on February 23, 2007, with a short jumper with 3.8 seconds left to win.
• Rankings: NJCU is No. 21 in NCAA Division III in the D3hoops.com Week 12 Top 25 poll. It is the sixth week this year NJCU is nationally ranked, receiving 86 points in the national poll. NJCU is also ranked third in the NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional rankings. Ramapo is No. 7 in NCAA Division III and No. 2 in the Atlantic Region.
• NJCU, making its 30th appearance in the NJAC Tournament since 1977-78 is 22-23 all-time in the tournament in 45 games. NJCU is 5-13 all-time in NJAC Tournament road games.
• NJCU is 7-5 all-time in NJAC championship games.
• NJCU tied the program record for three pointers in a half when it hit 11-18 and shot 61.1 percent in the first half; that matches the 11 threes (11-21, .524) NJCU hit when it set a single-game record of 17 at Rowan on January 27, 2007.
• Jalen Harris scored in double figures for the 50th time in 56 career games as a Gothic Knight. He has 126 career three-pointers and 968 points. He now needs 32 points to become the 29th member of the 1,000-point club and just the first player to accomplish the feat in a two-year career. Harris moved into fourth place in school history in career threes, passing Jeff Jordan (125, 1987-91).
• Harris now has scored 1,072 total points as a collegiate basketball player—968 at NJCU, 42 in 11 games at Albright (2014-15) and 62 in 23 games at Nyack (2013-14).
• Sam Toney scored in double figures for the 18th time in 28 games.
• James Julius netted his 11th career double-digit scoring effort and fourth of the season—all in the last six games.
• The 67 points were the second fewest scored by Ramapo all season (66, Salisbury, December 28).