JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University led 25-8 early in the second quarter and 31-21 at halftime but after being in front for close to 28 minutes, the Gothic Knights could not hold off Kean University. The Cougars outscored NJCU 19-9 in the third quarter to tie it at 40-40 and doubled up the Gothic Knights, 18-9, in the fourth, to spoil a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball upset bid and survived 58-49, on February 1 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
Kean freshman guard Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune), a nine-time NJAC Rookie of the Week selection and the No. 2 scorer in NCAA Division III scored 16 of Kean's 21 points in the first half and exactly half of the Cougars' total points as she netted 29 on 12-of-33 shooting while playing every second. She had five assists, five rebounds and four steals and was the biggest factor for Kean after two-time NJAC Player of the Week and junior guardJaquetta Owens (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) picked up four fouls in the first 16 minutes, did not score in the first half (0-6 FG), and fouled out with 6:24 left in the game.
Meanwhile, 6-foot-1 freshman center Ruby Asabor (Elmont, NY/Long Island Lutheran) stuffed 12 blocks in the game in 32 minutes. The 12 blocks are the most ever on record by an opposing player and the most by any player in the NJAC since February, 2008.
The loss spoiled a historic effort for senior forward Deseree Johnson (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) who knocked down the 99th and 100th three-pointers of her career, becoming the second Gothic Knight to reach the century mark. She finished with nine points (3-8 FG, 2-5 3FG), eight points and five assists.
Moreover, sophomore center Sharaunda Fiedtkou (West Orange, NJ/Bayonne) continued her excellent play in the second half of the season as a dual-threat player. For the second straight game, she had a double-double by the end of the third quarter and finished with her third straight double-double—the only ones of her career—with 14 points (6-13 FG), 11 rebounds (eight defensive), six blocks and two steals in 36 minutes.
Junior forward Ziyadah Williams (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter) added 10 rebounds and three assists. NJCU also got a nice spark in 16 minutes off the bench from 6-foot-0 center Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst), the captain of NJCU's women's volleyball team, who made her debut as a two-sport collegiate athlete and was impressive, shooting 3-of-4 from the field with six points, four rebounds and three blocks in her first basketball game since high school.
For Kean, Owens scored all 10 of her points in the second half. She struggled shooting (2-12 FG, 1-5 3FG) although she did contribute eight assists against eight turnovers. Freshman guard Danielle Oakley (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial)finished with seven points, seven rebounds, five steals and three assists and freshman forward Diana Todaro (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) chipped in nine rebounds (seven offensive), six points and three assists.
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