LAS VEGAS, Nev. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls were tied 66-66 with 3:36 remaining before the Falcons hit a big three—their third in a two-minute stretch—and used a late 7-0 run to outlast the Gothic Knights, 79-69, on the third day of the 10th annual D3hoops.com Classic on December 29 at the South Point Arena. NJCU ends its historic two-game appearance at the nation's largest and most visible regular-season Division III event with a 1-1 ledger.
In a rare regular-season matchup of the nation's two premiere public school conferences—the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC)—NJCU (5-7) led by as many as 14 points (38-24) with 4:00 to go in the first half before the Falcons rallied to set up a competitive second half in a game that featured seven ties. However NJCU, shot just 6-of-24 in the second half and was held without a field goal for the final 5:08 of the game as the Falcons pulled away. UWRF (7-3) outscored NJCU 13-3 to end the game, with the final eight points coming from the line.
In defeat, senior small forward Jaimik Moore was named to the All-Tournament Team after contributing 37 points on 14-of-24 shooting with 21 rebounds in two games. He led all scorers with 22 points (9-16 FG) and added eight rebounds.
Senior center Quadri Moore finished the tournament with 33 points after scoring a career-high 20 points with seven rebounds. He drew nine fouls and was 13-of-17 from the line.
NJCU led 40-36 at the half after the Falcons used a 12-0 run to close a double-digit margin. NJCU opened three six-point leads early in the second half but the teams played mostly neck-and-neck the rest of the half.
NJCU had a chance to pull away after three key Falcons found themselves in foul trouble and the Knights held UWRF without a point for a span of 5:58. But despite the advantage, the Knights could only work the lead to five, 55-50, with 9:30 to go. After trading a pair of leads, the game was tied 60-60 with 6:27 to go after a layup from Jaimik Moore.
A three-pointer by senior guard Matt Keller (Elk River, Minn.) with 5:43 to go put the Falcons back up by two (63-61) and Quadri Moore tied it with an offensive rebound and putback with 5:08 left. It was NJCU's last basket of the night.
With NJCU up one (64-63) after a Jaimik Moore free throw (4:35), junior guard Jack Stensgard (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) hit another three with 4:14 left to give UWRF a 66-64 edge. Two foul shots by NJCU sophomore guard Kayton Darley with 3:36 to go forced the final tie of the night, 66-66.
But the Falcons countered on the ensuing possession. Junior forward Ross Ingersoll (Elkhorn, Wis.) hit a triple from the corner to put the WIAC school up by three (69-66) and after NJCU failed to convert its next shot, Ingersoll scored inside off a feed from Stensgard with 2:49 to go. After a costly midcourt turnover by NJCU with 2:20 left, senior forward Julian Jackson (Minneapolis, Minn.) hit two from the line to elevate the lead to seven (73-66) and the Falcons iced the win from the line over the final two minutes.
Stensgard led UWRF with 20 points (8-12 FG, 3-6 3FG), six assists and five rebounds and Jackson avoided fouling out, finishing with 18 points (8-14 FG) and seven rebounds, drawing nine fouls while committing four. Keller (3-7 3 FG) had 14 points and five assists while junior forward Alex Ohde (Chetek, Wis.) played a key role off the bench with 14 points (6-10 FG) in 21 minutes, adding eight rebounds and two blocks.
UWRF, which had five players 6-foot-6 or greater on the floor, outrebounded NJCU, 42-28. It shot 51.9 percent in the second half (14-27) and finished 48.4 percent for the game (30-62).
In defeat, two-time NJAC Player of the Year and two-time All-American senior power forward Sam Toney had 10 points. NJCU led 17-16 with 12:13 to go in the first half before scoring seven straight, including a fast-break three by Toney to claim a 24-16 lead. A three by Quadri Moore and a putback and triple by Jaimik Moore pushed the lead to 14 (38-24) before threes by Keller and Stensgard in the final 2:15 allowed it to become a four-point game at the half.
NOTABLES:
- Series: First meeting.
- Game was NJCU's first meeting with any member of the WIAC since losing to Wisconsin-Platteville in the 1992 NCAA Division III Final Four in the national third-place game in Springfield, Ohio. Platteville won that game, 72-61, on March 21, 1992.
- Jaimik Moore scored in double figures for the fifth time in six games after missing six games between November 19 and December 17.
- Quadri Moore scored in double figures for the fifth time at NJCU and his eighth time as a collegian, doing do three times for the Cincinnati Bearcats. His previous career high was 15 points against Montclair State on December 11.
- Toney, seventh in school history, increased his career scoring total to 1,547 points. Next up on NJCU's all-time list: Eric Moore with 1,587 points (1976-80). Toney scored in double figures for the 76th time in 96 career games.
UP NEXT:
- NJCU flies back across the country on December 30 and will be off until Wednesday, January 8 when it hosts The College of New Jersey in NJAC action at 8 p.m. at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
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