JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Unbeaten Colby College used three-point shooting to open a 40-28 halftime lead and outshot the New Jersey City University men's basketball team in the second half, en route to an 81-67 non-conference road victory on November 30 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
In the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Colby improved to 6-0 on the season, shooting 56.5 percent in the second half (13-23) to quell several comeback bids by NJCU. The Gothic Knights fall to 3-2 on the year, losing twice at home in the same month to non-conference opponents for the first time since February 1973.
NJCU lost despite outrebounding the Mules, 54-37, including 20-5 on the offensive glass and holding the Mules to a season-low 81 points, coming into the day averaging 98.8 points per game; its previous low was 91.
Colby, members of the arguably the best conference in NCAA Division III men's basketball—the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC)—hit 12 threes in the win. NJCU shot 3-of-14 from three-point distance and uncharacteristically low from the line, just 14-of-27 (.519), including 6-of-14 in the second half. It was NJCU's first-ever home game against a member of the NESCAC.
Junior guard Matt Hanna (Milford, Mass.) led all players with 26 points, shooting 9-of-19 overall and 5-of-13 from three-point distance, with five assists and three steals. He was one of three Mules in double figures. Senior guard Sam Jefferson (Newton, Mass.) scored 20 (6-12 FG) while sophomore guard Noah Tyson (Rutland, Vt.) had a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds, all defensive.
Junior shooting guard Denzel Banks scored 20 or more for the third consecutive game, leading the Knights with 22 points (8-18 FG), six rebounds and four assists while senior power forward and First-Team All-American Sam Toney collected his first double-double of the season with 12 points (5-13 FG) and 12 rebounds. Junior point guard Tarique Holmes finished with nine points. NJCU had a 19-5 differential in second-chance scoring.
Neither team shot particularly well in the first half but NJCU committed 13 turnovers and Colby had just three in the opening 20 minutes. Colby had a 21-13 advantage in points off turnovers on the day.
Tied 6-6, three-pointers by Hanna (15:52) and Tyson (15:24) on consecutive possessions put Colby in front to stay. Seven straight points by Banks allowed NJCU to stay within one possession in the middle of the half, before back-to-back jumpers in the paint by Hanna extended the margin to 22-14. Three-pointers by Hanna (6:03, 27-16) and Tyson (4:57, 32-18) pushed the lead into double figures and NJCU was playing catch-up the rest of the game. Colby twice led by as many as 17 early in the second half. NJCU made three attempts at a comeback, cutting the deficit to eight each time, including 73-65 with 3:46 to go, but Colby iced it down the stretch; Jefferson scored six in the final two minutes to seal it.
NOTABLES:
- Series: First meeting. Colby was the first NESCAC school to ever play NJCU in Jersey City.
- NJCU was facing a member of the NESCAC (Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity (Conn.), Tufts, Wesleyan (Conn.) and Williams) for the first time since a loss at Trinity (Conn.) on January 19, 2009.
- NJCU All-Time vs. NESCAC: 1-4
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- Amherst (0-1), Bates (1-0), Bowdoin (0-0), Colby (0-1), Connecticut College (0-0), Hamilton (0-0), Middlebury (0-0), Trinity (Conn.) (0-1), Tufts, Wesleyan (Conn.) and Williams (0-1).
- After losing to Stevens on November 12 and Colby, NJCU lost to a non-conference opponent twice in the same calendar month for the first time since February 10, 1973 (Bentley) and February 15, 1973 (Bloomfield).
- NJCU received 14 points in the Week 1 D3hoops.com Top 25 national poll, equivalent to a No. 35 national ranking.
- The Mules, based out of Waterville, Maine, received eight points in the D3hoops.com Top 25, equivalent to a No. 40 national ranking.
- Banks scored in double figures for the 18th time in 33 career games and netted his seventh 20-point effort. His career high is 26 points vs. Montclair State on January 30, 2019.
- Toney produced his 24th career double-double and Toney reached double figures in rebounds for the 25th time in his career.
- Sam Toney upped his career scoring totals to 1,440 points. He needs 18 more points to pass Hall-of-Famer and assistant coach Abdul Madison (1,457 points, 1993-97) for the Top 10 in school history. Toney scored in double figures for the 70th time in 89 career games.
UP NEXT:
- NJCU will try again to give 13th-year head coach Marc Brown his milestone 200th career win when it hosts William Paterson University in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Wednesday, December 4 (8 PM) in Jersey City.
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