SOURCE: http://www.njcugothicknights.com/news/2018/1/13/201801-13_MBASKETBALL_vs_Ramapo.aspx

MAHWAH, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University sophomore power forward scored 40 of his career-high 42 points in regulation—the most points in a road game in the 85-year history of Gothic Knight basketball—but Ramapo College's Josh Ford hit an uncontested driving layup with just under two seconds remaining as the Roadrunners survived, 85-84, in a thrilling rematch of the 2017 New Jersey Athletic Conference championship game on January 13 at the Bill Bradley Center.
 
Junior shooting guard Lavrone Green (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) had given NJCU a one-point lead, 84-83, with a three with eight seconds left in OT. But on the ensuing possession, Ford sprinted down the court and when two defenders failed to switch, he drove uncontested through the right side of the lane with 1.7 seconds left and NJCU couldn't get a desperation shot off.
 
The Knights fell to 12-3 overall and 6-2 in the league. Defending NJAC champion Ramapo, which beat NJCU on a half court buzzer beater in the last game played on that court on February 24, 2017, wins another dramatic home game against the Knights and improved to 12-4 and 8-1 in the NJAC.
 
The loss spoils one of the greatest individual efforts NJCU has ever seen. Toney's 42 points are the fourth most in any game in NJCU history and the most by any player since February 1981—almost 37 years ago. His fifth effort of 30+ points—all in NJAC action—break the school record for points in a road contest set by Johnny Mayers when scored 41 at Kean on February 9, 1987.  
 
Toney added 14 rebounds (12 defensive) to produce his 11th career double-double, his sixth of the season and his second this week. Meanwhile, he could not be stopped, shooting a staggering 14-of-21 from the field (.667), 7-of-11 from three-point range and a perfect 7-of-7 from the line in 39 minutes.
 
Toney had 19 of NJCU's 32 first half points when the Knights led 32-30 at the break, shooting 7-of-8 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range in 17 minutes with seven boards. He scored 21 in the second half on 6-of-11 shooting (2-6 3FG) and hit all seven foul shots in 17 minutes.
 
Green didn't have a great shooting night (19 attempts) but still netted 17 points with three assists in 39 minutes against Ramapo, the team he played for sparingly last season. No one else on the team had more than six points. Freshman point guard Kamal Williams (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) returned the court after missing the last five games and contributed a career high six assists.
 
For RCNJ, senior forward Christopher Moseley (Fair Lawn, N.J.) and sophomore guard Patrick Peterson (Blauvelt, N.Y.) each scored 18 points on identical 7-of-12 shooting lines. Senior forward Thomas Bonacum (Fanwood, N.J.), last year's NJAC Player of the Year, who hit the winner in the NJAC title game, was just 6-of-15 (1-7 3FG) but finished with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists. Ford (Fort Lee, N.J.), a senior guard, had eight points, including the game-winner, and four assists.
 
Ramapo made twice as many foul shots (22) and NJCU even attempted (11). Only Toney and Greenwent to the line the entire game and combined to shoot 10-of-11 (.909). Ramapo was 22-of-26 (.846) from the stripe. Behind Toney, NJCU hit 10 threes and shot .417 from deep (10-24).
 
KEY MOMENTS:
NJCU led by as many as seven points in the first half (18-11) when Toney drilled the third of five triples. Ramapo countered with a 13-0 run to claim a six-point margin (24-18, 5:05), including the final six from the line. Toney responded by knocking down threes with 4:49 and 3:19 remaining in the half to shave the margin to two and his jumper tied it at 28-28 with 2:50 to go. A layup by sophomore center R.J. Thomas (East Orange, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep) and another by freshman center Chika Wosu (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter)), put NJCU up two at the half after scoring nine of the final 11 points in the period.
 
In the second half, NJCU fell behind by four but countered with a 9-2 streak to move up by six, 52-46, with 12:51 remaining. Down 53-52, NJCU scored the next seven on jumpers by Green, a three by senior guard Ruben Acosta (Waterbury, CT/Bogota) and a Williams jumper with 9:29 left.
 
But neither side could pull away and that distinction has become the hallmark of recent NJCU/Ramapo battles. The teams were tied at 67-67 (3:44) and Toney hit six foul shots over a span of 1:26, to tie it at 69-69 with 2:55 to play. Toney's three-point play on a layup and foul shot with 2:26 left elevated the probable NJAC Player of the Year to the 40-point plateau for the first time as a collegian and put NJCU in front 72-69 on the road.
 
But the lead wouldn't hold. Moseley cut it to one with a jumper with 2:15 to go and after Green sank two foul shots with 1:20 left for a 74-71 margin, Peterson buried a three to tie it at 74-74 with 52 seconds left. Green missed on his next trip down the floor and Bonacum's three at the buzzer to win it was unsuccessful.
 
In overtime, Ramapo hit all three shots it attempted. After Green drilled a triple with 3:29 left for a 79-76 edge, Bonacum answered with a trey with 2:32 to go, tying it again (79-79). Moseley's layup with 1:21 left to put Ramapo up two (81-79) before Toney evened it at 81-81 with a tip-in with 51 seconds left. Ford hit two foul shots with 32 seconds left to put RCNJ back on top 83-81 before Green buried a go-ahead three with eight seconds left, leading up to Ford's winning driving layup.
 
QUOTABLES:
 
Head Coach Marc Brown— 
 
On Sam's performance: "He carried us once again but it wasn't enough. You can have the best player in the world but if you don't play on the other end of the floor you're not going to win. The team's lack of defense wasted an unbelievable effort with a blatant breakdown at the end of the game. I haven't been this disappointed since last year in that building. To see that kind of effort offensively by one guy and still come up short shows we have a whole lot of work to do to become the team we need to become."
 
On if it was the best performance he's ever seen in Division III: "When you add the fact Sam hit all those contested threes, it was probably the best effort I've seen in my coaching career, and it was wasted."
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: 92nd meeting in a series NJCU leads, 66-26
• NJCU ranked No. 26 in NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, one point outside the Top 25, after being ranked No. 20 last week.
• Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) scored 30+ points for the fifth time this season and in his career—all against NJAC opponents. The performances:
  • 42, at Ramapo, January 13, 2018 (1 OT)
  • 36, at Rowan, January 6, 2018
  • 36, vs. William Paterson, November 29, 2017 (1 OT)
  • 31, vs. Kean, December 6, 2017
  • 30, at Rutgers-Camden, December 2, 2017
• Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) scored in double figures for the 31st time in 44 career games.
• Sam Toney (Plainfield, NJ/Williamstown) scored at least 20 points in a game for the 13th time in his career and the 10th time in 15 games this season.
• Toney reached double figures in rebounds for the 12th time in his career.
• Toney produced his 11th career double-double and sixth of the season.
• Lavrone Green (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) reached double figures in scoring for the 12th time in 15 games as a Gothic Knight. For Green, it was the 29th double digit scoring effort of his collegiate career.
• The Roadrunners are 6-0 at home this year and 19-1 at home in the last two seasons, with its only loss coming in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. RCNJ has won the last five home meetings with NJCU.

 
UP NEXT:
 
NJCU will look to sweep the season series from Rutgers-Newark for the third year in a row when the Knights host the Scarlet Raiders (6-9, 2-7 NJAC) on Wednesday, January 17 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court'). NJCU won the first meeting this year in Newark on November 21, 68-54. It will be the 83rd meeting. NJCU leads all-time, 65-17 (won last 5).
 
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