SOURCE: http://www.njcugothicknights.com/news/2017/11/25/201711-25_MBASKETBALL_at_Farmingdale_State.aspx

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University is 5-0 after knocking off reigning Skyline Conference champion and league preseason favorite Farmingdale State College on the road. The Gothic Knights used a 10-1 run midway through the second half to push their advantage to nine and junior shooting guard Lavrone Green (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) hit a dagger three pointer with 1:21 left as NJCU defeated Farmingdale, 77-71, in non-conference men's basketball action on November 25.
 
NJCU is 5-0 to start a season for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign as sophomore power forward Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) matched his career high with 24 points and Greenscored 13 of his 19 points in his second consecutive electric second-half effort. Farmingdale State is 1-2. NJCU had a 19-2 run over an 8:10 span in the middle of the first half but had to come from behind after FSC answered what was overall a 25-6 outburst for the Gothic Knights with a 21-2 spurt of its own.
 
Toney scored 14 in the first half when the host Rams went to the break leading 43-39. Toney finished with 24 points—his third 20-point scoring effort of the season—shooting 8-of-15 overall with four triples (4-9), six assists, five rebounds and two blocks in 32 minutes.
 
Green, who scored 19 in the second half on November 21, tallied 19 in the win, knocking down three three pointers (3-7) while shooting 7-of-16 overall in 32 minutes.
 
Also for NJCU, junior center Yuri Brutus (Roselle, NJ/Roselle Park) chalked up 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting with seven rebounds. Junior point guard Shaquan Worthy (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central)finished with eight points, four assists and three steals while junior small forward James Julius(Linden, NJ/Linden) scored all eight of his points in the first half, adding five boards.
 
Farmingdale received a game-high 29 points from junior guard Ali Mableton (Brentwood, N.Y.), shooting 12-of-15 overall. He had 15 in the first half but committed seven turnovers in 34 minutes. Senior guard Liam Monaghan (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) contributed 17 points (5-9 FG, 6-8 FT) and six assists while junior forward Eriq Williams (Valley Stream, N.Y.) had seven points (3-3 FG) and six boards.
 
Farmingdale hit more than half of its shots (25-47, 53.2 percent) but struggled from three-point distance (3-14, 21.1 percent) and committed 23 turnovers. NJCU had a 29-17 margin in points off turnovers and buried 10 three-pointers in the win. The Rams shot 60 percent (15-25) in the first half.
 
KEY MOMENTS:

• In a see-saw first half that saw each team gain a big lead, FSC used an 8-2 run over a 90-second stretch to grab a 16-7 lead on a fast-break layup by Mableton.
• Eight consecutive points in the game by Julius—his entire scoring for the afternoon—brought NJCU back within one. He had a three-point play to start the stretch and capped it with a three with 14:02 left to make it a one-point deficit (16-15).
• Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) drilled back-to-back-to-back three-pointers on three straight possessions with 10:13, 9:49 and 9:11 left in the opening half to give NJCU a 26-18 lead, and punctuate the 19-2 run.  
• A three by senior guard Ruben Acosta (Waterbury, CT/Bogota) (8:00) and a three-point play by Toney with 7:33 to go gave NJCU its largest lead of the game—a 10-point, 32-22 advantage. That stretched the overall scoring run to 25-6.
• Farmingdale would respond with 21-2 outburst of its own, turning a 32-22 deficit into a 43-34 lead with 1:42 left—a 19-point swing. Mabletonaccounted for nine of the 21 points, including a layup to cap the run. Monaghan added five during the streak, hitting a three that made the deficit two (32-30).
• NJCU scored the final five points of the second half, including a trey by Green, to send the visitors to the break down by just four.
• In the second half, NJCU drew closer on a three by Toney (47-46) and tied it on a three by junior guard Robert Gordon (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) (49-49, 13:59). The team traded ties at 51-51 and 53-53. NJCU regained a four-point margin with 10:03 to play before FSC again tied it at 57-57.
• NJCU reclaimed the lead for good when Green put back an offensive rebound with 8:43 left and expanded it to six on baskets by Toney (7:23) and Brutus (5:49, 63-57). A bucket by Worthy and a fast-break score by Green off his own steal made it 67-58 with 3:34 remaining.
• After a three by Mableton and later foul shots by Monaghan trimmed the margin to two (67-65) with 2:09 to play, NJCU turned it over but had a defensive stand and Green buried a dagger three with 1:21 left (70-65) before Worthy and Toney iced it with seven combined free throws.

 
NOTABLES:
 

• Series: 11th meeting. NJCU leads the series, 9-2.
• First meeting between the schools since December 3, 2009 in Jersey City.
• NJCU was last 5-0 to open the 2013-14 campaign and was 11-1 last year (2016-17). NJCU was also 6-0 to open the 2011-12 season.
• Lavrone Green (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck)'s 19 points marked his fourth double-figure effort in five games at NJCU.
• Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) scored in double figures for the 23rd time in 34 career games.
• Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) reached the 20-point plateau for the sixth time in his career.
• Toney equaled his career high of 24 vs. Stockton on February 18, 2017, in the NJAC Quarterfinals.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• On Wednesday, November 29 (8 p.m.), NJCU plays its first home New Jersey Athletic Conference game of the season when it hosts rival William Paterson University at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court'). NJCU owns a 19-game regular season home court winning streak. It will be the 150th meeting on record in the all-time series which NJCU leads, 80-69, winning the last four meetings.

 
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