JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University's men's basketball team keeps winning and on Senior Night 2011, the Gothic Knights posted their most impressive win of the season. NJCU handed #22 ranked Ramapo College, the No. 1 ranked team in the Atlantic Region, its most lopsided loss of the season as the Knights extended their winning streak to eight in a row and 12 wins in their last 14 outings with an 81-69 romp of Ramapo in a New Jersey Athletic Conference North Division contest on Saturday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on "Coach Charlie Brown Court." With the win, NJCU clinches its first NJAC Tournament berth since the 2006-07 season.

NJCU improves to 15-8 overall and 7-4 in the NJAC North Division while Ramapo (18-5, 9-2 NJAC), ranked No. 22 in the D3hoops.com national poll, losses for only the second time in its last 11 games and the first time within divisional play this season. NJCU leads the all-time series, 60-18.

All eight wins during the current winning streak have been by double figures and 12 of the Knights 15 wins this year have been by 10 or more.

With Rutgers-Newark's 66-48 win over Montclair State University on Saturday night, the Knights move into a share of second place in the NJAC North with two games remaining in the regular season—both against Montclair on Monday, February 14 (home) and Wednesday, February 16 (away) With one win in the two games, NJCU also clinches the No. 2 seed in the division, and a home game in the conference quarterfinals against Rowan University.

Ramapo, which entered as the NJAC scoring leaders at 80.3 per game, was held to fewer than 70 points for only the second time this season. Prior to the 12-point loss to NJCU, Ramapo's largest margin of defeat was an 11-point setback to then #4 ranked and preseason Division III No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

NJCU shot 47.2 percent overall (25-53) and was sharp from the foul line, making 28-of-37 chances (.757). Ramapo was held to its lowest shooting percentage of the season at 30.4 percent (21-69) and were 2-of-9 from three-point range and .641 from the line (25-39). Once again, NJCU's speed was lethal as the Knights owned a decisive 18-4 advantage in fast break points.

"The guys are stepping their games up," said fourth-year head coach MARC BROWN about the win that lifted his club into the conference tournament for the first time in his career. "Guys came off the bench and played hard. ROB ROBINSON (senior, swingman, Newark, NJ/Malcolm X. Shabazz) and TOM McDERMOTT (senior, power forward, Kearny, NJ/Kearny) especially stepped up their defensive games. This team is committed to defense and the guys are playing well together. Our switching defense is working well right now. The key has been we finally figured out how to play collectively on defense and we shot well."

Senior point guard DA'SHON BARRINO (East Orange, NJ/Malcolm X. Shabazz) led all players with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, with three assists and three steals. Junior point guard KEITH WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) made 7-of-9 from the line and 4-of-7 from the field to contribute 16 points with four assists.

Senior guard JAMES LIVINGSTON (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) shot 11-of-12 from the line and scored 13 points in 21 reserve minutes, adding a game-best five assists. McDermott grabbed a game and season-high 12 rebounds and provided eight points (3-6 FG) and two blocks.

Also for NJCU, sophomore forward WALIK ALBRIGHT (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) tallied eight points and sophomore guard ASHMERE WILSON (Newark, NJ/Weequahic) finished with seven points (3-6 FG) and five rebounds. Robinson grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots and junior center JOSH HOSANG (Hackensack, NJ/Palm Beach Central (Fla.)) swatted a career-high four blocks as NJCU rejected nine in the game.

Prior to the game, NJCU honored its 2011 senior class—Barrino, Livingston, McDermott and Robinson.

Ramapo's leading scorer, junior guard Ahmad Hassan (Edgewater, NJ/Leonia) led the Roadrunners with 16 points, but struggled from the field (7-21 FG, 2-8 3FG). Junior guard Anthony LoRusso (Mahwah, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) added 15 points, making 7-of-7 from the line (4-11 FG), with three assists. Junior forward Demetrius Boards (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) also finished with 15 points on 3-of 5 shooting, but 9-of-17 from the line.

Sophomore forward Stephon Treadwell (Newark, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) finished with 11 rebounds, seven points (2-5 FG) and two steals. Junior center LaQuan Peterkin (Paterson, NJ/John F. Kennedy) ended with seven rebounds, six points (2-9 FG) and three blocks.

NJCU, which led 42-36 at the half, took the lead for good at the 14:30 mark of the first half and never relinquished it, shooting .500 (14-28) in the first period, and 12-of-14 (.857) from the line.

The game remained close through much of the first portion of the opening half. NJCU led early 16-11 before Ramapo cut it to 16-15 with a pair of Boards foul shots. Two more free throws by Treadwell made it a three-point game, 21-18.

NJCU opened up a 10-point lead by scoring the next seven points as Williams drilled a three (7:20), McDermott scored on a fast break pass from Williams after a Barrino steal, and Barrino picked off a pass and raced down court for another transition basket at 6:33 and a 28-18 lead. Williams twice gave NJCU a 12-point lead in the period, making four consecutive foul shots, including two that made it 34-22 with 4:04 left. Wilson kept the lead at 10 with a jumper off a Livingston feed at 1:44 before Treadwell cut it to six with a layup in the final 30 seconds.

Ramapo was able to whittle the second half margin to just one, 46-45 with 15:47 to play as Hassan had a layup and three-pointer and LoRusso converted layup. Two Livingston foul shots (15:13) and a steal and fast break full court sprint by Wilson made it 50-45. A dunk by junior forward TAQUAN ABDULLAH (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley) and an offensive rebound and putback by Wilson increased the lead to 54-46 and Robinson made it 56-47 at the 11:59 mark before a layup by Peterkin trimmed the RCNJ deficit to five (56-51).

That was as close as the Roadrunners would get. Barrino drilled a three at 8:23 and sank a jumper off a Williams feed to open the lead back to 11, 62-51. NJCU extended the lead to 67-56 with 4:06 left on two foul shots from Livingston. He made two more for a 14-point, 70-56 margin at 3:25. After that NJCU led by as many as 15 at three junctures of the final minutes before Hassan made a three with 10 seconds left to prevent Ramapo from having a season scoring low.

NJCU plays its final home game of the regular season against Montclair on Monday, February 14 at 8 p.m.

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