WAYNE, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In the first meeting of the season between New Jersey City University and William Paterson University, the Pioneers overcame a double-digit deficit to outlast the Gothic Knights and pick up a key New Jersey Athletic Conference win. But that was nearly a month ago and NJCU is clearly now a different team. That fact was on display on February 2 as NJCU returned the favor on rival WPU, overcoming a double-digit second half deficit to continue its improbable late-season surge as the Gothic Knights defeated the defending NJAC-champion Pioneers, 54-47, in league basketball action at the Rec Center.
NJCU (11-11, 6-9 NJAC), winners of four consecutive games, continued its potential march towards an unlikely conference-tournament berth while evening its record at .500 overall for the first time since game two of the season on November 17.
Since opening the season with a school-record worst 0-7 league mark, NJCU is sizzling, having won for the seventh time in nine outings while standing victorious in six of its last eight conference games. WPU fell to 13-9 (8-7 NJAC) in the NJAC and did not score a field goal in nearly the final 11 minutes of the game.
With three games remaining—all in conference play—NJCU is tied with Rutgers-Camden for the sixth and final conference tournament berth, and sits two games behind WPU for fifth place. Camden downed Kean, 61-51, on Saturday after NJCU opened the day with the same record as both clubs in the conference. NJCU already has a road victory over R-C this season and a win over second-place Richard Stockton College to its credit.
The Knights continue to win with defense and took over the league lead with the best scoring defense in the conference at 59.1 per game as NJCU held an opponent to 55 or fewer points for the fourth consecutive game and to fewer than 50 points for the third time this season. The 47 points scored by the Pioneers are the second fewest allowed this year by NJCU.
NJCU also won with free throw shooting. The Knights knocked down 13-of-15 from the stripe in the second half—86.7 percent—and finished 15-of-19 overall for the day (.789). That proved to be important because WP made its free throws as well, converting 15-of-18 (83.3 percent), including 9-of-10 in the second half.
"I'm really proud of the team," praised sixth-year head coach Marc Brown. "We still have some work to do but they're fighting. We've made some adjustments as a coaching staff as the season has gone along and this is a tribute to the players because they're executing everything we're telling them to do."
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