MONTCLAIR, N.J. — To say that the New Jersey City University women's basketball program has had a monumental turnaround over the last few seasons would be an understatement. Under the guidance of third-year head coach Pat Devaney, Sr. '12, the Gothic Knights went from 0-21 in 2017-18 (the season before he took over) to New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Champions for the first time in the program's 51-year history! NJCU made the NJAC Tournament for the first time since 1988-89 in 2019-20 and won its first-ever postseason tournament game. And this season, the Gothic Knights put a cap on that turnaround by winning the NJAC Championship Game 64-60 over top-seeded Montclair State University today, Saturday, April 3.
The win marks the first title in program history, as well as the program's first win over the Red Hawks on the road. And one other small tidbit in case you forgot, NJCU has now swept the NJAC Basketball Championships for the first time ever, as the men's program claimed its crown back on March 19 in buzzer-beating fashion — it's also the first time any school has swept the two conference titles since 2011-12 when William Paterson University accomplished that feat.
Statistical Breakdown
The Gothic Knights (9-2, 6-2 NJAC) were led by a balanced attack all game long, as four players scored in double figures against MSU (8-2, 6-0 NJAC), who had not lost a game to a NJAC opponent since Feb. 28, 2020. NJCU's leading scorer was rookie guard Nahjeemah Holmes (Elizabeth, NJ/John E. Dwyer Tech), who poured a team-high and season-best 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting and also pulled down a season-high-tying eight boards. Senior Ayanna Lewis (Willingboro, NJ/Burlington County institute of Technology) came off the bench for 19 minutes of action and finished behind Holmes with a season-high 13 points on 4-for-6 from the field. NJAC Rookie of the Year hopeful Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) chipped in 12 points in a team-high-tying 36 minutes (tying with Holmes) and added a game-high eight assists to go with a collegiate-best seven boards. Senior Dayjah Anderson (East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech) contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Another freshman, center Briana Davis (Bronx, NY/Lincoln (via County Prep)) led all players in rebounds with 11 — the first time she's hit double-digit boards in her career — as well as blocks (3).
No Rust on the Road
NJCU had not played a game in 21 days following a long layoff between the semifinal and final rounds of the NJAC Tournament. However, the Gothic Knights showed little rust and immediately jumped out to an 11-3 run two-thirds of the way into the first quarter before taking the 13-8 advantage into the second. Their strong play continued in the second 10:00 of the matchup as NJCU eventually stretched its lead to 11 points at 22-11 with 5:38 remaining in the half. The Red Hawks were able to chisel that gap down to five points at the end of the first 20:00 and the Gothic Knights went into the break up 27-22.
The Rest
For the remainder of the game, NJCU and Montclair State battled as the home squad held the one-point advantage, 38-37, in the final 20:00 of the game. However, if you do the math, that means the Gothic Knights were able to hold on for the four-point, 64-60 victory! In the third quarter, the Red Hawks were able to trim the lead down several times, but NJCU was again able to extend its lead to nine points with just one quarter remaining at 50-41. A quick trio of foul shots for Lewis at the start of the final period gave the Gothic Knights their largest lead of the day, 12 points at 53-41 with 8:36 left. Down the stretch, MSU was able to hit a trifecta of three pointers to make NJCU sweat in the waning minutes and seconds and make it a two-point, 62-60 game with just 00:35 on the clock. Following a timeout, Holmes — who else? — was able to ice the game with a jumper in the lane with just 0:08 remaining. And then, in the final possession of the day, the Gothic Knights' were able to clamp down on defense and not allow the Red Hawks to make a field goal.
What's Next
And then the final buzzer sounded, the Gothic Knights stormed the court and the rest is (program) history. Devaney, Rodriguez, Holmes and the rest of the Gothic Knight crew will look to run it back next season, this time with aspirations of earning the program's ever-ellusive first berth to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. It's the logical next step.