NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark downed New Jersey City, 51-49, to hold onto first place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference in a battle which literally went down to the last shot.
 
 The Scarlet Raiders (14-5, NJAC 10-2) stretched their winning streak to eight games despite scoring just 17 points in the second half against the scrappy Gothic Knights (10-8, NJAC 6-6), getting to register the split of their regular-season series against NJCU only after senior point guard Jahmill Jenkins's last gap 3-point jumper bounced high off the back of the rim as the horn sounded.
 
 Junior guard John Snow netted 12 of his team-high 17 points in the first half when the Raiders constructed a 34-27 edge going into the break.  He also added seven rebounds and four assists to lead Rutgers-Newark in all three key categories.
 
 Junior forward Christian Garcia finished with 14 points, five rebounds and a game-saving steal in the final seconds.  Garcia knifed in front of NJCU senior forward Walik Albright to pick off a pass from junior guard Jourdan Roberson with four seconds left.  He was immediately fouled by Albright, but missed the first shot of a one-and-one chance to set up Jenkins' final attempt.
 
 Albright, who scored his 1,000th career point on a free throw to open the second half scoring, poured in 11 of his game-high 18 points in the final 20 minutes.  He also notched nine rebounds to barely miss a double-double.
 
 The Gothic Knights opened the second half with an 11-0 run behind four points by Albright and five by junior guard Jamall McDaniel to seize the lead.  A layup by junior center Eddie Brown put NJCU up 38-34 with 15:16 left. 
 
 Garcia, who had gone to the bench with three fouls just ahead of the Gothic Knight rally, reentered the game to spark the Raiders back into the lead for good.  He started the decisive 10-0 run with a conventional 3-point play and capped it with a jump shot off of a feed from Snow to stake Rutgers-Newark to a 47-40 lead with 6:25 left.  Snow knocked down a 3-point jumper and put back a Raider miss to account for the other five points in the outburst.
 
 NJCU stayed close drove as Albright inside for three baskets and added a free throw in the final 4:07.  His slashing drive down the left side of the lane with 56 seconds left trimmed the Raider lead to 51-49.  When sophomore forward Faraji James blocked a driving jump shot by Raider junior guard Doze Ikwuegbu with 26 seconds remaining, the stage was set for Garcia's clutch steal.
 
 Rutgers-Newark junior guard Chris Foreman netted a pair of long-range jumpers on his way to nine points while Ikwuegbu finished with seven points and a pair of treys.
 
 McDaniel and sophomore guard Khalid Muhammad scored seven points apiece for NJCU with Muhammad adding six rebounds and a game-high three steals.  Roberson dished off a game-high seven assists while adding five points and four rebounds.
 
 Rutgers-Newark hosts Richard Stockton in an NJAC doubleheader on Saturday night in The Golden Dome.  The women's game tips off at 6 with the men to follow at 8.
 
 The Osprey men (15-3, NJAC 9-2), who handed Rutgers-Newark its last lost on January 4, 77-68 in Galloway, can reclaim the NJAC lead with a victory.  The Raiders can go up a full game in the loss column with a victory.