PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | If three minutes can tell the story of an entire season, New Jersey City University's 71-70 come-from-behind win over University of Valley Forge on February 16 is a microcosm of the 2014-15 campaign. In a game of grand bookends, NJCU junior shooting guard Khalid Muhammad(Orange, NJ/Orange) scored his 1,000th career point on the opening play of the game and senior center Eddie Brown (Newark, NJ/Newark East Side) converted a game-winning layup with four seconds left as the Gothic Knights rallied from a 70-65 deficit with 2:57 remaining to pull even at .500 on the season.
UPDATED 1,000-POINT CLUB
NJCU is now 12-12 and has now won nine times in its last 11 games after opening the season just 3-10 overall. The win snapped Valley Forge's six-game winning streak as the Patriots fell to 15-9 and for only the third time at home in 10 games.
Muhammad entered the day needing just two points to become the 28th member of NJCU's 1000-point club and 25 seconds into the game, the 2013 New Jersey Athletic Conference and D3hoops.com Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year reached the coveted milestone in just his 79th career game on an unassisted driving layup.
And while the beginning of the game produced some program history, the final six minutes generated even more drama.
NJCU took the lead with 5:21 to go in the first half, led 43-38 at the intermission, and remained in front for a majority of the second half. NJCU elevated its lead to nine three times, including 58-49 with 10:01 to go and maintained a six-point, 62-56 advantage when senior small forwardNeville Joseph (Newark, NJ/West Side) converted a three-point play with 5:59 on the board.
But the Patriots would counter.Joseph Taylor hit a three with 5:34 left, a steal and fast break layup byBrandon Rembert made it a one-point game (5:11) before Taylor tied the game with a foul shot with 4:39 showing. Taylor extended the Valley Forge run to 9-0, knocking down a three with 4:04 left and the hosts led for the first time in the second half, 65-62.
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