JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Down 11 points with 5:33 remaining, New Jersey City University had a chance to force overtime on its final possession but Denzel Banks' runner off the window went halfway down the cylinder before rolling out as Montclair State University survived for an 85-83 win over the Gothic Knights on December 11 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court). There were 14 lead changes and five ties.
In a potential preview of the New Jersey Athletic Conference championship, MSU (6-2, 4-0 NJAC) came into the day scoring at an absurd rate—99.4 points per game with five players averaging double figures—while allowing 92.1, but NJCU (4-4, 2-2 NJAC) held the Red Hawks 14.4 points under their scoring average.
Still, despite the defensive pressure by NJCU, the Red Hawks only committed 11 turnovers and MSU's bench outscored the Knight reserves, 27-6. NJCU outscored Montclair in the paint, 52-32, but struggled from three-point range (2-10 3FG) and had a poor night at the line, shooting 55.6 percent (15-27)—a major difference in the outcome.
Each team had four players in double figures and NJCU lost despite producing two 20-point efforts. Banks, the junior shooting guard, scored 20+ for the sixth time in eight games this year, finishing with a game-high 22 (8-18 FG, 6-9 FT) with six rebounds and three assists while senior power forward and First-Team All-American Sam Toney was 8-of-12 from the floor and tallied 20 points and five rebounds.
Sophomore shooting guard Kayton Darley made his second career start and poured in a career-high 18 points—eight more than his previous best—on 7-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds and seven assists. He was a big factor in NJCU's +11 rebounding margin (49-38). Senior center Quadri Moore had his best effort for NJCU, scoring a career-high 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting with six rebounds. No other Gothic Knight scored more than four points as NJCU fell to 2-4 at home this year.
Moore had 13 in the first half (6-10 FG), Banks scored eight and Darley had six points and five assists.
Senior guard Nate Nahirny (Houston, Texas) led Montclair with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting, with six rebounds and three assists. Senior guard Akbar Hoffman (Newark, N.J.) bounced back from a four-point first half to finish with 18 points (6-16 FG) on 4-of-12 three-point shooting. Nahirny scored 12 in the first half (4-7 FG, 2-2 3FG).
Senior forward Jalen Parham (Hillsborough, N.J.) added 13 points (5-9 FG), five rebounds and three blocks and junior forward Joseph Radi (Monsey, N.Y.) hit 4-of-8 three-point shots to finish with 12 points and added four blocks. Radi hit several big shots in the game, including the three to give Montclair its largest lead of the night, 78-67, with 5:33 to play.
There were nine lead changes in the first half with both teams shooting under 40 percent (NJCU: 15-39, .385; MSU: 14-39, .359). NJCU outrebounded MSU, 31-20 in the first half. Montclair led 39-35 at the intermission.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- NJCU scored the first eight points of the games—four each from Moore and Banks and Darley found Toney underneath to quickly take a 10-4 lead. A three by Nahirny cut the lead to 10-7. MSU would take the lead on a trey by Radi with 11:30 to play (13-12) and worked it to 21-16 with 9:46 to go on another jumper by Nahirny as the Knights gave up several uncontested shots.
- Moore sank a fall away jumper with the shot clock winding down to trim the deficit to 21-19. Nahirny answered with a straightaway three and Moore hit a jumper (24-21). With 7:17 left Darley cut the MSU lead to one (24-23) with a jumper.
- Banks scored on a fast break to tie the game with 6:14 to go off of Darley's fourth assist of the half. A three-point play from Parham made it 28-25. Darley scored on a driving layup, was fouled with 5:35 to go and after missing the foul shot, Toney grabbed the board, and Banks found Moore underneath for a layup. Moore's 13th point on a fast-break feed from Darley put NJCU on top 31-30. A spin move under the basket by Banks made it 33-32, NJCU.
- After MSU hit two foul shots, Banks found junior power forward Jahmere Calhoun down the court for an easy layup (35-34).
- MSU reclaimed a one-point lead (36-35) on a Callender layup with 2:04 to go in the half before Radi hit a straightaway triple with one on the shot clock in the final seconds to give Montclair a 39-35 halftime edge.
- Moore's career-high 15th point on a dunk tied it (39-39) and Toney backed into the basket to tie it at 41-41.
- A jumper by Darley (17:40) gave NJCU the lead and Moore's strong rebound led to Banks scoring in transition (10th point) for a 45-41 lead. Hoffman, who scored just four points in the first half, hit a step back three (45-44). Parham and Toney traded baskets before Hoffman tied it (48-48) with his ninth points to force another tie.
- Banks scored down low on an inlet pass from Melvins before Hoffman hit a long three (51-50) and Nahirny hit a floater off the window (53-50). After NJCU missed two foul shots, Montclair hit back-to-back threes (Radi and junior swingman Irving Callender IV (Somerset, N.J.) to grab a seven-point lead (59-52).
- A basket by Banks cut it to five but NJCU missed half of its foul shots to that point (8-16). Porter scored in transition with 12:03 to play and NJCU fell behind 62-54.
- With 7:50 left Darley sank a shot to pull NJCU with five (69-64) before Hoffman's steal led to a homerun pass to Callender whose layup elevated the lead back to nine (75-66). Radi's three from the left corner put the lead back into double figures (78-67) for its largest lead of the game.
- Darley's circus shot off the window while being fouled and three-point play for his career-high 15th point with 5:18 left was followed by an offensive rebound and two-handed dunk by Parham (80-70).
- But NJCU would chip away. With 3:37 left, Darley grabbed a defensive board, lofted a pass down court to Toney who hit a mid-range fast-break jumper to cut the deficit to 80-74.
- With 3:03 left, Darley drilled a 3 from the right wing and NJCU was within three (80-77). After a timeout, Hoffman answered with a three (2:45 to go) and Nahirny hit two foul shots. Toney buried a right-corner three (2:19 to go) to make it an 85-80 deficit.
- After an MSU shot clock violation, Toney powered his way to the window to draw within three (85-82) with his 20th point.
- After a timeout with 1:15 to go, Hoffman turned it over and NJCU had possession with 1:05 left.
- Banks was fouled with 55.8 left, made the first (85-83) and missed the second but the loose ball went out of play, last touched by Montclair. Toney was hit hard going to the rim. No foul was called and after an inbounds play, NJCU committed a shot-clock violation with 32.7 left.
- Nahirny was fouled with 12.7 seconds left. In a 1-on-1 opportunity, he missed, Moore grabbed the rebound and NJCU called timeout with 6.2 seconds left to draw up the final shot, needing a basket to tie it.
- On the final inbounds play, Toney caught it and set a high screen for Banks to drive around the lane and take it to the window but his runner off the right-side glass rolled in before falling out at the buzzer.
NOTABLES:
- Series: 173rd known meeting between these historic rivals. Montclair currently leads the series, 96-77.
- Banks scored in double figures for the 21st time in 36 career games and netted his ninth 20-point effort.
- Toney upped his career scoring totals to 1,494 points—six away from becoming the ninth Gothic Knight to score 1,500 career points. He passed charter class Hall of Famer Fred Douglas (1967-70) on the all-time scoring list for ninth place. Douglas graduated in 1970 as Jersey City State's all-time leading scorer with a then 1,476 points.
- Toney scored in double figures for the 73rd time in 92 career games.
UP NEXT:
- The Knights will play their final NJAC game of the 2019 portion of the schedule on Saturday, December 14 with a road contest at Rutgers-Newark on Saturday, December 14 (8 p.m.) at the Golden Dome in Newark. Toney needs 14 points to pass Samar Battle (1,507 points, 2000-04) for eighth place in school history and 21 points to eclipse Andy Kemp (1,513 points, 1976-80) for seventh place
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