JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Stevens Institute of Technology used potent three-point shooting to separate itself, hitting 14 in the game, and held off the New Jersey City University men's basketball team, 81-75, in the 2019-20 season opener for both schools on November 12 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
NJCU got within six points with two minutes remaining and forced three turnovers and four fouls but could not capitalize on its late chances to change the outcome.
Senior guard Spencer Cook (Washington Township, N.J.) helped Stevens (1-0, 0-0 MAC Freedom) jump out to a 15-4 first half lead and while the Gothic Knights tied it in the second half, NJCU (0-1, 0-0 NJAC) could never take the lead. It was the second consecutive year Stevens nipped NJCU in the first game of the season.
Cook finished with 29 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-10 from three-point range, and was a perfect 8-of-8 at the line. He added six rebounds, five assists and two steals in a full effort.
Reigning First-Team All-American Sam Toney, the DIII News Preseason National Player of the Year, paced the Knights with 17 points (5-13 FG, 5-7 FT) and six rebounds.
Stevens shot 14-of-34 from three-point distance—41.2 percent—and was lights out from the field in the second half when it made 53.8 percent from the floor (14-of-26). The Ducks shot 58.3 percent from three-point distance in the second half (7-of-12).
Cook scored 13 in the first half with four assists on 4-of-9 shooting (3-7 FG). For the Ducks, graduate student guard Kevin Florio (Stamford, Conn.) had 14 points (5-11 FG, 4-7 3FG) before fouling out. Freshman guard Matt Crowley (Westfield, N.J.) finished with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. Junior forward Alec DiPietrantonio (Mount Laurel, N.J.) blocked four shots.
For NJCU, transfer senior small forward Jaimik Moore finished with 14 points while junior power forward Jahmere Calhoun chipped in 11 points. Junior point guard Tarique Holmes had eight rebounds, seven points and five assists.
NJCU, which had more significantly more size, could not capitalize much on the boards, with just a 46-45 margin, nor could it take advantage of 25 Stevens turnovers. NJCU made just 3-of-14 from three-point distance and shot 30.3 percent.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Stevens led early, 5-4, before a 10-0 run over 3:56 gave the visitors, sparked by sharp shooting against a man-to-man defense, gave the Ducks an early 15-4 advantage, led by Cook who hit a pair of threes during the spurt. After NJCU scored again, Stevens got a three from senior guard JoJo Mosca (Branchburg, N.J.) and the lead stood at 20-6 with 11:07 to go in the half—a 15-2 outburst overall.
NJCU called upon its bench which helped sparked a rally as the Knights went on a 9-0 run to cut it to 20-15 when Toney returned and hit a jumper. A three in the left corner by senior guard Dylan Walsh (Staten Island, N.Y.) pushed the Ducks lead back to 10 (25-15). A fast-break basket by Toney from Holmes cut it to eight before another Stevens triple by Mosca made it 28-17.
NJCU cut it to 34-28 with under a minute to play in the first half on a three-point play by senior guard Jeff Haddock, Jr. and Calhoun scored on a give-and-go off a screen against contact, making a shot fall in the lane to trim the deficit to just 34-30. Cook buried a three-point shot at the buzzer for a 37-30 halftime advantage.
NJCU came out with more energy in the second half. A tip-in by Holmes two minutes into the half cut it to two (37-35). Former Cincinnati Bearcat and senior center Quadri Moore's tip-in of his own miss high off the glass trimmed it to 39-37 and Toney's fall-away jumper tied it at 39-39 with 16:48 to play. NJCU could never go in front.
Stevens tried to separate itself with as fast-break running three by Cook for his 19th point to make it a 48-41 game with 15:01 to go. Jaimik Moore responded with an offensive board and putback and Quadri Moore sank two at the line to make it a one-possession game (48-45). Two foul shots by junior shooting guard Denzel Banks made it a two-point game (51-49). NJCU still trailed by two (53-51) before a 7-0 run by Stevens, including a three by sophomore guard Sashank Sindhia (Monroe Township, N.J.) and Cook's jumper for his 21st points.
After a technical foul on Stevens, Toney sank two opportunities, and Quadri Moore, who was fouled prior, also hit two from the line, to trim the score to 60-55. Crowley hit a three for the Ducks with 7:33 to go. A jumper by Cook with 6:28 to play pushed the lead to nine (65-56). With 5:12 to go the deficit was 10 (66-56) and Stevens beat the full court press for a basket that made it 68-57 with 4:46 left.
Down 70-58, Jaimik Moore drove the baseline and converted a three-point play (70-61) with 4:22 to go. Calhoun had putback baskets on consecutive trips down the floor. Florio hit a wide-open three in front of his own bench to make it a 12-point game. Toney rattled in only NJCU's second three of the game with 3:09 left (77-68). Toney drilled another three from the left arc with 2:05 left to trim it to 77-71.
Stevens hit two foul shots with 1:52 to go (79-71). Banks could not convert either on his trip to the line with 1:24 to play but Calhoun got the rebound and did hit a pair (79-73). Banks forced the Ducks into a traveling violation with 1:21 on the clock but NJCU couldn't score on the possession. NJCU got the ball back and Toney was fouled from three-point range with 54.4 seconds to go, making one to trim the score to five (79-74). The Ducks were called for a back-court violation against the press (45.4 seconds). With possession back Holmes drove to the glass and was fouled with 40.0 to go but could only hit the back end (79-75). With 14.7 seconds left Crowley missed the first free throw, made the second (80-75) and NJCU called timeout with 11.6 to go but couldn't hit a pair of three-point tries as time ran out.
NOTABLES:
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Series: NJCU leads, 6-3. Stevens won 76-72 on November 13, 2018. The Hudson County schools first played during the 1933-34 season.
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NJCU was ranked No. 17 in the DIII News Preseason Poll and received votes from D3hoops.com.
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Game opened NJCU's 87th season of intercollegiate men's basketball.
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Sam Toney upped his career scoring totals to 1,379 points. He needs 79 more points to pass Hall-of-Famer and assistant coach Abdul Madison (1,457 points, 1993-97) for the Top 10 in school history.
UP NEXT:
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NJCU will be off for one week when it plays the second straight home game against Mount Saint Vincent on Tuesday, November 19 at 7 p.m.
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