JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | For the second game in a row, the New Jersey City University men's basketball team smothered a high-scoring opponent with one of the best defenses in NCAA Division III. Albertus Magnus College, winners of five of the last seven Great Northeast Athletic Conference championships, came into the contest 20th in Division III at 89.6 points per game but the Gothic Knights limited the Falcons nearly 31 points under that average in a convincing 81-59 non-conference victory on December 17 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Charlie Brown Court). The Gothic Knights, ranked No. 5 in the nation in scoring defense, won for the seventh consecutive outing.
In one of the marquee non-conference games in the nation this weekend, NJCU, sitting just outside the D3hoops.com Top 25 national rankings in 26th place, improved to 9-1 after 10 games for the first time since the 2011-12 season while dropping Albertus Magnus to 6-3, snapping the Falcons three-game winning streak. NJCU is 5-0 at home this year.
Leading 48-40 with 12:07 to go, NJCU held the Falcons without a field goal for more than five and a half minutes and unleashed a 16-0 run that pushed the lead to 24. The Knights led by as many as 27 in the rout.
The 59 points for AMC were a season low and the first time the Falcons have scored less than 70. It's the least AMC has scored in a loss since February 2014. AMC has won 20 or more games in five consecutive seasons.
After holding The College of New Jersey 30 points under its average in the last outing on December 10 (54-52 win), NJCU held an opponent under 60 points for the third game in a row and the fifth time this season. The Knights have not allowed more than 64 points in a regulation game.
NJCU, ranked third in Division III in three-point field goal percentage defense (.247), held the Falcons in check at 3-of-18 three-point shooting (.167) and 20-of-61 from the field (.328). The Knights forced 21 turnovers and outrebounded the guests 58-51, including 29-16 on the offensive glass. That led to a 29-8 margin in second chance points.
While four Gothic Knights scored in double figures, sophomore center Yuri Brutus (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park) had perhaps the biggest spark, scoring 12 points in 10 minutes off the bench (5-10 FG) while grabbing six rebounds. He scored eight in a row to ignite the 16-0 outburst and 10 of the first 12 points. It was a season high for Brutus, who had scored just 30 points in the first nine games.
Freshman power forward Sam Toney (Somerdale, N.J./Williamstown), winner of three of the first four New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week awards, led the Knights with 15 points (5-9 FG) and nine rebounds in 22 minutes, adding two blocks. No NJCU player saw more than 22 minutes of action.
Senior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park (Md.)) has scored in double figures in every game this year and tallied 12 points in 21 minutes including a pair of threes. Sophomore Nelson Goodwater III (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow) had scored no more than five points in any game and just 21 in his first eight games as a Gothic Knight, but notched a career high with 10 points in 13 minutes off the bench (3-6 FG).
Graduate student power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) narrowly missed a double-double, seizing 10 rebounds (six offensive) and nine points in 22 minutes. Senior power forward Chris Freeman (Atlantic City, N.J./Atlantic Christian) had six offensive rebounds (seven total boards).
Albertus junior forward Jaqhawn Walters (Hartford, Conn.), eighth in Division III in double doubles, had game highs of 22 points (8-15 FG) and 15 rebounds (11 defensive) in 39 minutes. Senior guard Devin Coleman (Bridgeport, Conn.) was second among Falcon scorers with nine.
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