JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University men's basketball team picked up its sixth victory of the season on Saturday evening, Dec. 17, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) on Coach Charlie Brown Court. The Gothic Knights, thanks in part to a game-high 13 points from senior co-captain forward Kayton Darley (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) — he led a balanced team offensive effort, with four players scoring in double figures — bested non-conference foe Farmingdale State College for the sixth straight time by a final score of 68-50.
NJCU (6-4) actually got off to a quick start against the Rams (7-3) and took a 6-0 lead with 16:03 to go in the first half. Junior forward Ryan Savoy (Lakewood, N.J./Lakewood) began the game with his first bucket at 18:36, followed by a jumper from senior co-captain guard Jason Battle (Jersey City, N.J./Roselle Catholic) at 17:59. Junior forward Avante Gilbert (Paterson, N.J./International) finished it off with a good field goal of his own to close out the brief run. However, it was Farmingdale State that eventually took control late in the half as the visitors went up by seven points at 23-16 with 4:49 remaining until the break. The Gothic Knights did trim the lead back down to two with just over a minute remaining in the first before the Rams took a four-point, 26-22 lead in tho the half.
Farmingdale State started off the second half by extending its lead to six at 30-24 with 18:14 remaining in regulation. At that point, the hometown Knights busted out on an 11-4 run to take their first lead since the 10:44 mark in the first half. Gilbert started it off with a jumper, followed by a free throw and then a bucket from Darley to cut it to one at 30-29 with 17:21 left. The Rams scored on a lay-in, but then Gilbert drew a foul and sank both his free throws to bring it back to one. Another Farmingdale layup was again quickly answered, this time by senior forward Yvens Monfleury (Newark, N.J./American History) to cut it back to one before Darley drew a shooting foul. The senior sank both his shots to put NJCU up, 35-34, with 15:53 left in the second.
The teams then traded the lead back and forth a couple more times before Battle sank a jumper at 14:43 to put NJCU up by one, 39-38 — from that point forward, the Gothic Knights would not trail again. The difference was really made thanks to a 14-0 run that began with a three-pointer from junior forward Jacob Valeus (Pleasantville, N.J./Pleasantville) at 10:34. Darley followed with two more shots from the line, as well as a jumper. Then Gilbert converted on a three-point play with an and-one to stretch out his team's lead to 12. Darley again sank two more from the stripe and Savoy closed out the run with a jumper to give Jersey City the 55-39 lead with just 5:08 remaining.
NJCU did enough to maintain and extend its lead for the remainder of the game and topped the Rams by 18, which was just shy of last year's 22-point home victory over Farmingdale State.
Highlights:
- Darley led all scorers with his 13 points, going 7-of-8 from the foul line. He added five boards.
- Savoy had a strong all-around performance, finishing with 12 points, three blocks and a game-best eight rebounds.
- Battle was 5-of-8 from the field and finished with 12 points, a career-high-tying seven rebounds and a game- and season-best five steals.
- Gilbert chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds, a game-high-tying three dimes and to steals.
- Monfleury contributed with four points, four rebounds, a game-high-tying three assists, two steals and a block.
- Junior center Michael Clement (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) added six points, a game-high four blocks and three rebounds.
Up Next:
Jersey City will now take nearly two weeks off for the Holiday Break before returning to action on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 29-30, in Willimantic, Conn. The Gothic Knights are one of four teams taking part in the Eastern Holiday Tournament over those two days, including host Eastern Connecticut State University — NJCU faces the Warriors in the first round on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. — SUNY New Paltz and #10 Middlebury College. The winners of each game face off in Friday's 2:00 p.m. championship, while the remaining two programs square off in the 12:00 p.m. consolation tilt.