Wednesday, December 08, 2010 (Men's Basketball)

NJCU HAMMERS VAUGHN BY 51, KNIGHTS DOMINATE IN ALL FACETS, WIN 92-41

JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com) | If there's one thing that's clear seven games into the 2010-11 basketball season at New Jersey City University, when the Gothic Knights do win, it's not even close. NJCU dominated from the opening tip and in all facets of the game and throttled Vaughn College by 51 points, winning 92-41, in a non-conference men's game on "Coach Charlie Brown Court" at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on Wednesday evening. In the 78-year history of men's basketball at the University, the win was the ninth by at least 50 points.

NJCU (3-4) wins its second straight game and its three victories this season have been by a combined 112 points—30, 31 and 51. NJCU wins a game by 40 or more points for the 32^nd time in school history and blows out a team by 30 or more for 87^th time ever—and third time this year. The Knights are 222-15 (.937) in 237 all-time games when scoring 90 in program history.

NJCU, matching the seventh most lopsided victory in school history, defeated an opponent by 50 for only the third time since 1989 and the first time since a 51-point decision at Rutgers-Camden on February 15, 2006.

The Knights forced 33 Vaughn turnovers and secured 23 steals while committing just 10 turnovers of its own. NJCU translated those key statistics into an overwhelming 42-7 margin in points off turnovers. That helped NJCU explode to a 32-0 advantage on the fast break and post a 3:1 margin in the paint, 60-20.

Meanwhile, in a game where all 13 active players saw between 12 and 21 minutes of action, NJCU's reserves outscored the entire visiting team, compiling 47 points off the bench. In all, 11 Gothic Knights scored and seven had at least eight points; 10 players had an assist, 10 grabbed a rebound and nine had a steal.

Leading all scorers off the bench was electric sophomore guard ASHMERE WILSON (East Orange, NJ/Weequahic), who poured in a career-best 16 points in 13 minutes, shooting 8-of-11 from the field (.727) with three steals, often slashing to the goal.

Senior guard JAMES LIVINGSTON (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) reached double figures for the third time in four games, collecting 15 points in 13 minutes of action. He drilled 6-of-8 from the floor—a .750 rate—and 2-of-3 from three-point distance.

Reigning New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, sophomore forward ISAIAH JOHNSON (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus), powered his way to 12 points, a game-high seven rebounds, and four steals in 19 minutes, shooting 6-of-8 (.750). Senior swingman ROB ROBINSON (East Orange, NJ/Malcolm X. Shabazz) also tallied 12 points in 19 minutes while shooting 5-of-7 (.714), with two assists and two steals.

NJCU's two point guards continue to play exceptional ball. Junior KEITH WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) collected eight points (2-5 FG), five steals and four assists in 17 minutes. Senior DA'SHON BARRINO (East Orange, NJ/Malcolm X. Shabazz) added nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, with four assists and no turnovers in 16 minutes.

Senior center RASHAD DAVIS (Newark, NJ/Amherst (Mass.)) achieved a career high with eight points on 4-of-8 shooting in 13 minutes.

As a whole, NJCU shot 54.8 percent from the field (40-73), including 58.1 percent in the second half (18-31), and sank 6-of-7 foul shots.

Vaughn, which shot 35.6 percent (16-4-5), received team highs of 14 points and seven rebounds from sophomore forward Al-Ameen Kabba (Springfield Gardens, NY), adding two blocks. No other Warrior scored more than seven points.

Leading 6-3 in the opening three minutes, NJCU put the game out of reach with a paralyzing 23-1 run over a span of 3:24 to build a 29-4 lead after Livingston drained the fourth triple by a Gothic Knight during the run. Leading 33-12 with 8:13 remaining, the Knights finished the half on a 17-2 spurt, capped by a Robinson three that gave NJCU a 36-point, 50-14 lead at the half.

With NJCU's first, second and third teams all seeing plenty of second half action, the lead stood in the 40s for most of the period. Davis put NJCU in front by 50 with 2:07 left and a Johnson layup with 1:09 provided the final points and the largest lead of the night.

NJCU will head to Albany, New York on Sunday and then play a historic doubleheader at the Times Union Center on Monday, December 13 at 5:30 p.m. The Knights meet Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in a neutral court game prior to a Division I contest between Siena College and Florida Atlantic University. Siena will retire the No. 4 jersey of NJCU fourth-year head coach MARC BROWN at halftime of the Saints game. Brown is the school's all-time leading scorer and considered its greatest player in program history.

—www.njcugothicknights.com—