JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In a late-season battle of the top two teams in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, New Jersey City University trailed Stockton University 20-3 and by as many as 12 in the second half before igniting in the final 10 minutes. The Gothic Knights did not allow a basket in the final 5:35 and outscored the No. 1 ranked team in the Atlantic Region by a 10-1 margin to close the game as NJCU rallied for a scintillating 68-61 over Stockton on February 10 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
 
NJCU (16-7, 13-3 NJAC) is now on the verge of its first NJAC regular season championship and the No. 1 seed and home court advantage throughout the NJAC Tournament. The Knights won for the seventh time in their last eight games, swept a season series from Stockton for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign and thwarted the Ospreys' eight-game winning streak while denying 30th year head coach Gerry Matthews his 600th career win. NJCU is now 9-1 at home this season. The Ospreys (17-6, 12-4 NJAC) lost for the first time since January 9 (at Ramapo, 70-64).
 
If NJCU, ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Atlantic Regional Rankings released earlier in the day, can defeat Montclair State at home on February 13, it will clinch the league's regular season title and the post-season advantages that it entails.
 
NJCU won despite shooting just 17.6 percent in the first half (6-34) and 1-of-12 from three-point range (8.3 percent) in those 20 minutes when Stockton hit 48.3 percent of its shots (14-29).
 
Junior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, MD/Gwynn Park (Md.)) scored 11 of his 15 in the second half and hit two crucial shots—a three-pointer with 7:22 left to trim what had been a 53-43 deficit with 10:20 to play into a one-point, 57-56 hole—and his steal and fast break basket with 5:57 left gave NJCU its first lead, 58-57, at the end of a 15-4 outburst.
 
After Stockton momentarily regained a 60-58 edge on a three from the right arc by sophomore forward Marcus Harmon (Whitesboro, NJ/Middle Township) with 5:35 to go,  freshman small forward James Julius (Linden, NJ/Linden) scored his only two baskets of the game at the most urgent time. He drilled a three from in front of his own bench with 5:10 to play to put NJCU back on top and after Stockton was forced into three turnovers over the next two minutes, Julius buried another trey with the shot clock winding down and 3:12 on the clock to boost the lead to 64-60.

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