JERSEY CITY, N.J. – In a doubleheader headlined by celebratory ceremonies – the women's basketball game was prefaced by a 2021 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship ring presentation –New Jersey City University men's basketball honored some of its greatest players in program history during halftime tonight, Monday, Jan. 31. However, the game itself, which saw the Gothic Knights squeak by The College of New Jersey, 63-61, was a rousing affair that needed every bit of the game's 40 minutes to ensure there was a winner.
 
The Green and Gold (10-10, 7-6 NJAC) started off the night very strongly against the Lions (7-9, 4-9 NJAC) and managed to jump out to a game-high 17-point, 34-17 lead with 6:40 left in the first half. Trailing by two with 14:22 left in the first, NJCU ran out on a 9-0 run to take the 20-13 lead at 12:23, started by a three-point play from senior Denzel Banks (Newark, NJ/East Orange Campus) and capped off by a dunk in transition from junior Derryen Whyte (Irvington, N.J./Union).
 
Then came another 9-0 Gothic Knight run – with eight points coming from freshman Ben Todd (Woodland Hills, Calif./El Camino Real Charter) – to make it a 15-point, 31-16 game. Banks then stretched that out to a 12-1 run by draining a three to make it a 17-point game. TCNJ managed to trim its deficit down to 11 by the end of the half and the Gothic Knights held the 38-27 lead at the break.
 
During halftime, as mentioned, Jersey City men's basketball recognized two very special groups of the Gothic Knight family, all of whom were graced under the tutelage of Hall of Fame head coach Charlie Brown. The first, a group men's basketball Hall of Famers from over the years, were honored with NJCU Athletics Hall of Fame rings that – in addition to their plaques within the walls of the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) – commemorate their achievements. The second group of men to be recognized was the 1985-86 squad, which was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2020 thanks to their amazing run to a NJAC Championship that year, as well as a three-game winning streak in the NCAA Division III Tournament, which earned them the honor of being a Final Four team and national semifinalist.

As we resumed action for the second half of the Jersey City-TCNJ matchup, the Lions continued to push back against the NJCU lead before eventually making it a one point, 53-52 game with just 9:01 remaining in regulation. After nearly a minute and a half of scoreless ball, Todd sank a jumper to make it a three-point game with 7:32 left. Both teams then sank a couple baskets over the next several minutes and the contest was once again a one-point game, 60-59 in favor of NJCU with 4:17 remaining.
 
It was at that point that both teams went cold offensively, combining to go 0-for-12 from the floor over the next nearly-four minutes. At that point, Whyte got himself to the line with 00:20 left and sank both free throws to make it 62-59. TCNJ then earned an opportunity at the charity stripe and sank both of its shots to bring it back to a one-point game. Senior Kayton Darley (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) was the final scorer on the night, splitting a pair of foul shots with 00:09 on the clock to make it 63-61. The Lions had one final opportunity to tie the game with seconds left, but Banks notched the game-saving block with 00:01 remaining to seal the victory.
 
Highlights:
- Whyte led NJCU with 15 points (5-of-10 shooting) to go with eight boards. He made the start and played a career-high 35 minutes.
- Todd notched the best game of his young collegiate career. The rookie center chipped in 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting (perfect 4-of-4 FTs) to go with a pair of rebounds.
- Senior Jason Battle (Jersey City, N.J./Roselle Catholic) also finished the night in double figures, adding 12 points on 4-of-8 from the floor – including 2-of-2 from long range – to go with four boards, two assists and a team-best four assists.
- Banks had a tough day shooting but still finished with eight points, two steals, two assists, a block and a game-high nine rebounds.
 
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action for two road NJAC matchups this week. They begin by travelling to Union, N.J., on Wednesday night, Feb. 2, for an 8:00 p.m. battle with Kean University. Then, NJCU heads to Mahwah, N.J., on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 5, for a 3:00 p.m. clash with Ramapo College. Jersey City is currently riding a 15-game winning streak against the Cougars and has taken five of the last seven against the Roadrunners, including the last two meetings.