BETHLEHEM, PA (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | While New Jersey City University has struggled at times to score during the 2012-13 campaign, it's defense has been consistent and at times, smothering. An 18-day break did nothing to change that fact on Wednesday night. Rookie shooting guard KHALID MUHAMMAD (Orange, NJ/Orange) notched his first career double-double and NJCU overcame a sub-30 percent shooting night of its own by allowing an opponent season-low 46 points as the Gothic Knights opened the 2013 portion of its schedule on January 2 with a 51-46 neutral court victory over Valley Forge Christian College in the opening round of the 35th Annual Greyhound Starters Classic at Moravian College.
NJCU (4-7) wins its second consecutive game while facing VFCC (7-5) for the first time. The Patriots lost their third straight after winning seven of their first nine games this year.
The 46 points were the fewest allowed by NJCU in a game this season and the fourth consecutive contest in which the Knights have limited an opponent to fewer than 60 points. In all, NJCU has held an opponent under 60 points seven times this season and only one has reached 70 points.
NJCU will face host Moravian—63-54 winners over fellow New Jersey Athletic Conference member Kean University in Wednesday's early game—in the championship game on Thursday, January 3 at 7:30 p.m. NJCU and Moravian have met just once before—a one-point win for the Greyhounds in the 1984 Eastern College Athletic Conference Metro championship game.
The Knights shot below 30 percent in a game for the fourth time this season and the third time in four games, but won for the first time that has happened since January, 2004. The Knights shot 26.3 percent in the first half (10-38) but improved slightly in the second period to finish at 29.7 percent (22-74) for the night. NJCU shot 3-of-19 from three-point distance (.158) but the Patriots were just 1-of-9 (.111) from that far.
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