SOURCE: http://njcugothicknights.com/news/2017/2/15/201702-15_MBASKETBALL_vs_Stockton.aspx

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park (Md.))'s parents, Tasha and Moncrease, drove nearly four hours each way on a weeknight to see their son play his Senior Night game at New Jersey City University. Harris gave his parents, and the Gothic Knight fans, a performance worthy of the occasion. Harris scored a career-high 31 points and NJCU erased a 12-point deficit late in the first half with a 17-3 outburst as the Gothic Knights clinched the No. 3 seed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament with a regular-season concluding, 73-63 triumph over three-time defending NJAC champion Stockton on February 15 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court').
 
The win sets up a rematch between NJCU and Stockton in just three days when the Knights will host the Ospreys in the NJAC Quarterfinals on Saturday, February 18 at 3 p.m.
 
NJCU, which moved up to fourth in the NCAA Division III Atlantic Region earlier in the day, ends the regular season with an impressive 19-6 ledger and 13-5 in the conference and with an 11-0 home court record this season, wrap up the 25-game slate with an 18-game regular season home court winning streak intact. Stockton, which entered the day with a five-game winning streak, just to make the postseason, fell to 14-10 (9-9 NJAC).
 
Harris reached the 30-point threshold for the second time in his two-year career in Jersey City and went over the 900-point plateau, shooting 9-of-13 overall (3-7 3FG) and 10-of-11 from the line in 34 minutes. He added three assists. Harris, who scored one more than his previous high of 30, had 18 points in the first half and 29 with 12:45 remaining in the game before fatigue set in. He knocked down eight of his first nine shots and his first seven foul shots. He tallied 10 of NJCU's first 14 points.
 
NJCU trailed 31-19 with 4:07 remaining in the first half before Harris and junior small forward Kevin Brown (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) ignited the 17-3 run that allowed the Knights to pull in front (36-34) with 36 seconds left in the first half. The spurt reach 26-5 when NJCU seized a nine-point, 45-36 advantage, just 90 seconds into the second half. It never got closer than five points the rest of the game and NJCU led by double figures for a majority of the final 16 minutes of the contest.
 
Freshman power forward Sam Toney (Somerdale, N.J./Williamstown), who did not start for the first time this year because NJCU's five seniors were in the opening lineup, produced a solid all-around game. The six-time NJAC Rookie of the Week had nine points (3-6 FG), six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals in 19 minutes. His triple with 36 seconds left in the first half capped the run.
 
Brown came off the bench to bury a pair of threes in a span of 36 seconds late in the run and he finished with eight points, including 2-of-2 three-point accuracy (3-5 FG) in 17 minutes. Graduate student power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) had eight points, including a thunderous dunk.
 
NJCU, which entered the day No. 5 in the nation in three-point percentage defense after leading that category for a large portion of the season, limited Stockton to just 2-of-20 three-point shooting—10 percent.
 
Stockton's leading scorer was sophomore guard Kashaun Barnes (Toms River, N.J./Manchester Township) with 18 points—nearly half from the line where he was 8-for-8, after missing all six threes in tried. Junior forward Marcus Harmon (Whitesboro, N.J./Middle Township) had nine points, eight rebounds and three assists. Junior forward Blake Rossell (Margate, N.J./St. Augustine) was 4-for-4 from the field, scoring eight. The Ospreys shot 17-of-20 from the line (.850). 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Stockton jumped out to an 11-4 lead with NJCU's five-man senior class on the floor. An NBA range three by Harris off an offensive rebound cut it to two (11-9) and Harris' second three of the game from the right sideline (eighth point) made it a 15-12 deficit. Sophomore shooting guard Joseph Kelley (Newark, N.J./University) entered the game and immediately picked off a pass on the first touch, sprinting down court to feed Harris for his 10th point. Sophomore point guard Shaquan Worthy (Trenton, N.J./Trenton) hit two foul shots midway through the half to put NJCU in front by one (16-15).
 
When Wosu uncharacteristically missed back-to-back wide-open layup attempts off amazing dishes from Worthy, Stockton countered with a run to take the lead. A jumper by Rossell made it 25-17 approaching five minutes to go in the half., A jumper in the lane by junior guard Khalid Ford (Millville, N.J./Millville) and a layup by freshman forward Steve Ferebee (Galloway, N.J./Absegami), extended the Stockton streak to 16-3 over a span of 5:55 and the guests led, 31-19. Harris did make two foul shots with 4:40 to go for his 900th points.
 
From there, NJCU began clawing back. After a basket by Toney, Harris scored the next six for the Knights, including back-to-back fast breaks on two steals and assists by Toney as the rookie dove on the floor to gather loose balls. His pull-up jumper with 2:33 left—his 18th points of the half—made it a four-point deficit and after Stockton hit a pair from the line, Brown drilled a three from the far corner with 2:04 left, then another with 1:28 to go in the half, and the deficit was just one (34-33). Toney drilled another three from the right arc with the shot clock winding down and NJCU regained a 36-34 lead to cap the 17-3 run. Senior point guard Andrew Tomlin (Newark, N.J./Central)'s foul shot with four seconds left in the period put NJCU on top, 37-36, at the break and the Knights never trailed again.
 
Senior point guard Ata Robinson (Newark, N.J./East Side) connected on an NBA range three just eight seconds into the second half and Harris bombed a straight away triple for his 21st point immediately after an NJCU offensive rebound to extend the margin to 43-36. He made two foul shots with 18:30 left to cap the 25-point run over a duration of 5:19.
 
When Stockton drew within five (45-40), Wosu got redemption for earlier misses, swiping a midcourt pass and taking off for a fast break dunk. Just 18 seconds later, a fast break and three-point play by Harris resulted in his 26th point and pushed the margin in double figures (50-40) for the first time. The lead stayed in double figures for all but five junctures the remainder of the game. Harris' 29th point came from the line to make it 55-44. He eventually got back on the stat sheet and achieved his new scoring high with 1:18 remaining on a drive to the rim. NJCU led by as many as 14 points three times in the win.
 
QUOTABLE KNIGHTS: 
Post-game interview with the Senior Class on Facebook live:
https://www.facebook.com/NJCUGothicKnights/videos/10154602492464915/
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 81st meeting. NJCU leads the all-time series, 46-35. Stockton won the first meeting in Galloway, N.J. on January 11, 70-65.
• Rankings: NJCU is ranked fourth in the NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional rankings released on February 15—up one spot from week one's poll. NJCU also received 18 points in the week 11 D3hoops.com national poll, equivalent to a No. 27 listing. NJCU has received points or been nationally ranked every week this season.
• Jalen Harris' 31 points eclipsed his previous career high of 30 vs. Montclair State (in Jersey City) on February 13, 2016 when he shot 11-of-17.
• Jalen Harris scored 20 or more points for the ninth time this season and the 19th time in two seasons at NJCU.
• Jalen Harris scored in double figures for the 47th time in 53 career games as a Gothic Knight. He has 121 career three-pointers and 913 points.
• Prior to the game, NJCU honored its five-man senior class—all of whom are co-captains—power forward Chris Freeman (Atlantic City, N.J./Atlantic Christian), Harris, Robinson, Tomlin and Wosu.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU, the league's preseason favorite, and winners of a record 12 conference championships will host the nine-time league champions, winners of the last three crowns, when the Knights and Stockton open the postseason in the place the regular season ended, when the Knights host the Ospreys. Stockton, as the No. 2 seed, won the NJAC title in 2016 when then top-seeded NJCU was upset in the semifinals. NJCU has fallen in the NJAC semifinals in each of the last two seasons.
 
The Knights will be making their 30th appearance in the NJAC Tournament since 1977-78 and are 20-22 all-time in the event and 16-10 at home. It will be the sixth meeting between NJCU and Stockton in the conference tournament and the third in Jersey City. Stockton is 3-2 against NJCU in the tournament and defeated the Knights, 55-51, in Galloway, on February 16, 2013. The teams have split the two previous meetings in Jersey City. It will be the first NJAC Tournament meeting between the schools in Jersey City since an 80-67 win for then Jersey City State over Stockton State College in the semifinals on February 27, 1992. NJCU won the league title that year and advanced to the NCAA Division III Final Four.
 
The winner of the game meets No. 2 seeded TCNJ (18-7, 14-4 NJAC) on Tuesday, February 21 in Ewing, N.J. The other half of the bracket features No. 4 Rowan (16-9, 11-7 NJAC) hosting No. 5 Montclair State (13-12, 10-8 NJAC), with the winner heading to Mahwah to square off with No. 1 seeded Ramapo (23-2, 16-2 NJAC). Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for children, students and senior citizens; NJCU students with ID will be admitted for free.