JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University led by 17 in the first half before William Paterson University rallied and took a brief lead midway through the second period. But in a huge, early-season statement from a young Gothic Knight men's basketball team, it didn't take NJCU long to respond. The Knights countered William Paterson's comeback bid with a 10-0 run of its own and with contributions from its bench put away the Pioneers, 70-64, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on December 2 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
NJCU improved to 4-2 and 2-0 in the NJAC by winning for the fourth consecutive game after dropping two contests against teams currently ranked in the D3hoops.com Top 25 to open the year. Meanwhile, in a match-up of two schools expected to challenge for the NJAC title this year, NJCU snapped the Pioneers' five-game winning streak in the series; WP dropped to 4-3 (0-2 NJAC). NJCU is tied for first place in the conference with Ramapo (5-2, 2-0 NJAC).
Junior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, MD/Gwynn Park (Md.)) scored in double figures for fifth time as he produced 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting with a pair of threes (2-4) and 6-of-8 foul shooting in 38 minutes. He grabbed eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, freshman power forward Yuri Brutus (Roselle Park, NJ/Roselle Park) came off the bench to spark a decisive 34-12 differential in bench scoring for NJCU. He had never scored more than eight points or grabbed better than four boards in his first five collegiate games but excelled on a big conference stage, registering his first career double-double with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting and a game-high 11 rebounds (six defensive).
For the sixth consecutive game, NJCU, which ranks third nationally in forced turnovers, coerced an opponent into 20 or more giveaways as WP committed 21 in the game—the first time in a span of 10 games that the Pioneers have coughed it up 20+ times.
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