JAMAICA, QUEENS, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park (Md.)) picked up right where he left off at the end of last season, scoring 22 points in 20 minutes and the New Jersey City Universitymen's basketball team played stifling defense in a 37-point season opening win at York College (NY), trouncing the Cardinals 82-45 on November 15 at the York College Gymnasium
The 37-point margin of victory was the largest in a season opener for the Gothic Knights (1-0) in 27 years and the 45 points scored by York were the fewest scored by an opponent in a season opener since 1979. NJCU led 41-20 at halftime and never was threatened in the second half.
Harris, the Most Outstanding Player of NJCU's run to the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Metro/Upstate championship to end the 2015-16 season, reached the 500-point plateau in just his 29th game as a Gothic Knight. He shot 8-of-10 from the field, including 5-of-6 three-pointers, scoring 19 points in 16 minutes in the first half (7-9 FG, 4-5 3FG). With the game well in hand, he played just four minutes in the second half. He equaled a team high with seven rebounds.
Junior small forward Kevin Brown (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth), a transfer from Essex County College, added 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in his NJCU debut while senior point guard Ata Robinson (Newark, N.J./East Side) contributed seven points (3-5 FG), five assists and four steals.
Also for the Knights, senior guard Andrew Tomlin (Newark, N.J./Central) tallied nine points in 12 minutes and sophomore shooting guard Joseph Kelley (Newark, N.J./University) had eight points (4-7 FG) in nine minutes. All 16 players logged time for the Knights.
York sophomore Ryan Smart led the Cardinals with a double-double of 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in 35 minutes, but NJCU's defense held him in check, shooting just 4-of-14.
The Cardinals committed 26 turnovers and it led to a 34-4 margin in points off giveaways for the Knights. NJCU also had a 33-13 margin in bench points and 26-12 in the paint.
NJCU never trailed and jumped out to a 9-1 lead after back-to-back baskets by Harris. He knocked down consecutive three pointers to score his 10th straight point for the Knights and give the team a 15-5 lead just eight minutes into the action. York came no closer than six from there. York was limited to just one field goal over the next 7:44 as NJCU turned a 19-13 advantage into a 19-point, 35-16 differential.
Early in the second half the lead swelled to 29 on a three by Brown after he and Harris each knocked down triples as NJCU scored eight points in the first 1:11 of the second half. NJCU's largest lead was 42 on two occasions in the middle of the second half, including 77-35 with 7:06 to go.
QUOTABLE KNIGHTS:
Reigning NJAC Coach of the Year Marc Brown assessing his team's debut: "We played hard and we really shared the ball. Obviously Jalen shot the ball really well. The key was the defense. We did a great job defensively and held their best player [Ryan Smart] in check."
OF NOTE:
- Series: 10th meeting. NJCU leads all-time series, 8-2.
- The 37-point margin of victory was the most lopsided season-opening win since then Jersey City State defeated Bloomfield College on the road by 45 points (106-61) on November 18, 1989.
- It was NJCU's first 30+ point season opening margin of victory since a 33-point, 91-58 win over St. Joseph's (LI) on November 16, 2012.
- The 45 points are the least scored by an opponent since a 64-45 win over Kean on November 22, 2014.
- The 45 points are the least scored by an opponent in a season opener since NJCU defeat Bloomfield on the road, 59-43, on November 28, 1979.
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will head to Maryland for its first tournament of the season when it meets Spalding University (Ky.) in the opening round of the 2nd Annual Dan Greene Memorial Tournament at St. Mary's College (Md.) in St. Mary's City, Md. on Saturday, November 19 (8 p.m.).
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