Rowan’s Defense Frustrates NJCU Women with Season Scoring Low

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University women's basketball team was frustrated by the Profs' full-court press defense which scored 34 points off of 30 Gothic Knight turnovers, and NJCU was limited to a season scoring low as Rowan University won 91-53, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference makeup game inside the John J. Moore Athletic and Fitness Center ("Charlie Brown Court") on January 9.
 
NJCU played its first home game of 2017 two days later than originally scheduled as Saturday's winter storm postponed the matchup to Monday night. Rowan (10-4, 4-3 NJAC) held a 24-12 lead after the first quarter when it 56.3 percent and gradually expanded the lead to as many as 44 points late in the fourth quarter. The Profs shot 39 percent overall, led for all but five seconds of the contest, and scored at least 20 points in each quarter of play.
 
NJCU (4-10, 0-7 NJAC) had trouble navigating past Rowan's full-court press defense for most of Monday's contest as it was held to 13 or fewer points in three of the four quarters. As a result, Rowan's stingy defense forced NJCU to shoot a season-low 25.8 percent overall (17-66) and 23.5 percent from beyond the arc (4-17).
 
Three Rowan players scored in double digits. Anyssa Sanchez (Pine Hill, N.J.) and Summer Crilley (Galloway, N.J.) led the way as each scored a game-high 21 points. Four days after registering her 1,000 collegiate point, Sanchez (6-15 FG) sank eight of her 10 free throw attempts in only 23 minutes of action, adding seven rebounds and three steals.
 
Crilley was equally impressive as the junior guard finished two rebounds shy of a double-double performance. In 22 minutes of plays, she shot 9-of-19 overall and made 3-of-4 from downtown with eight rebounds. Alex Raring (Linwood, N.J.) scored 11 points (4-7 FG) in only 14 minutes. Jenna Hoffner (Medford, N.J.) hauled in a game-high matching 10 boards (eight defensive) in 19 minutes.
 
In defeat, five-time NJAC Rookie of the Week and freshman guard Tu'ziah Hall (Greenville, N.C./Bannecker (NC)) was NJCU's lone scorer in double digits as she netted 11 points and was the team's leading scorer for the 11th time this season. No other Gothic Knight had more than six points. Junior center Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) corralled a game-high 10 rebounds (six offensive) and added five points and two blocks in 19 minutes on the court. Senior guard/forward Jazz Randall (Parsippany, N.J./West Orange) added six points (2-4 FG), five boards and two steals.
 
Rowan led 44-25 at halftime and 64-36 after three quarters. The Profs dominated inside as they held a 40-22 points in the paint advantage. Rowan's depth was evident as its bench outscored the NJCU reserves, 42-22. In total, 14 Rowan players registered at least three minutes of play and 12 players had at least two points.
 
OF NOTE:
  • 57th meeting. Rowan leads the all-time, 45-12 (Rowan won last 5)
  • Hall registered double digits in points for the 12th time in 14 games this season.
 
WHAT'S NEXT?:
The Gothic Knights head to Galloway, N.J. when they take on Stockton University (10-3, 5-1 NJAC, Lost 1) on Wednesday, January 11 at 6 p.m. It will be the 60th meeting between the two NJAC teams. Stockton leads the all-time series, 46-13, and has won 25 of the last 26 meetings since November, 1998. The Ospreys are receiving 13 points in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, equivalent to a No. 29 national listing.
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SOURCE: http://njcugothicknights.com/news/2017/1/10/201701-09_WBASKETBALL_vs_Rowan.aspx