JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University led by 16 points in the second half and by 10 with nine minutes to go before William Paterson University staged a late comeback, fueled by 23 points in the second half by reigning New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Year Lance Brown (Teaneck, NJ/Paterson Catholic) to force overtime. Then with 18 seconds remaining in the extra session and the Pioneers unaware the shot clock was expiring, the guests heaved up a 38-foot desperation three-pointer that banked in, as WP outlasted the Gothic Knights, 69-64 (1 OT) in a conference game on January 5 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.'
In the 139th known meeting between the two programs with the most championships in NJAC history (NJCU, 12; WP, 11), Brown's career-high 34 points paced the defending NJAC champions to their third straight win as WP improved to 7-5 (4-3 NJAC).
The Knights shot .462 in regulation but made just 1-of-8 from the field in the extra period, in suffering their second consecutive overtime loss while playing for the third time in four days to open the 2013 portion of its schedule. NJCU falls to 4-9 overall and is 0-7 in the NJAC for the first time since the league formed in 1957-58.
In defeat for NJCU, 3-time NJAC Rookie of the Week and swingman KHALID MUHAMMAD (Orange, NJ/Orange) scored 16 points (7-11 FG; 2-5 3FG) and six rebounds as he led the Knights in points and rebounds for the fourth straight game. He now has led NJCU in scoring 10 times this season—reaching double figures on the scoreboard for the 10th time in 13 games to open his career—while pacing NJCU in rebounds for the eighth time.
Sophomore point guard DAKWAN SIMMONS (Newark, NJ/University) reached double figures for the third straight game and fourth time this season, netting 16 points (5-9 FG; 2-4 3FG; 4-6 FT) with five assists and four steals in 36 minutes.
Sophomore shooting guard DAVID COLE (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) scored NJCU's first 10 points of the game but didn't score again after that while seeing 26 minutes of action. His 10 equaled his season and career best.
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