JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Trailing by eight with 2:25 remaining, New Jersey City University twice pulled within two in the final minute but committed a turnover before missing a potential winning shot at the buzzer as Rutgers University-Camden survived, 50-48, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball game on Saturday afternoon at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on "Coach Charlie Brown Court."

Rutgers-Camden improves to 9-11 (2-7 NJAC) with the win and leads the all-time series, 28-20, snapping the Gothic Knights' (4-15, 0-8 NJAC) four-game winning streak between the schools. The game was played as part of NJCU's annual "Green and Gold Days" week on campus and the Knights remain winless (0-8) all-time during the event.

Camden junior guard Brittany Turner (Belleville, NJ/Queen of Peace) scored a game-high 20 points for the Scarlet Raptors, shooting 9-of-19 in a full 40 minutes of action. She added five rebounds and three steals but had eight of the Raptors' 24 turnovers.

The Knights had three players reach double figures, led by rookie forward MARIA SUAREZ (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park), who scored 10 of her team high 12 points in the second half and added five rebounds in just 15 minutes of reserve time.

Sophomore guard GABRIELLE RIVERA (Teaneck, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) collected 11 points and seven rebounds in a full 40 minutes of action. Senior guard CAROLINA GARCIA (Plainfield, NJ/Franklin) contributed 10 points (5-14 FG) and three steals while playing a full 40 minutes in a game for the 20^th time in her career. She increased her 10^th place career scoring total to 857.

Also for NJCU, sophomore forward DELIA CHERNEZ (Union City, NJ/Union City) hauled down a game-best 11 rebounds (eight defensive). Sophomore point guard NIDIA CARMONA (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) had nine points, five rebounds and three steals before fouling out, to overcome committing 10 of the club's 25 turnovers.

For the Raptors, junior forward Stephanie Deisley (Riverside, NJ/Holy Cross) tallied 13 points (5-11 FG). No other Raptor scored more than six points. Sophomore forward Alyce Milakovic (Blackwood, NJ/Triton Regional) and freshman forward Tina Croxton (Deptford, NJ/Deptford) each had eight rebounds; Croxton stuffed four blocked shots and Milakovic added two blocks.

In the first half, Camden led 6-0 before NJCU etched 15 of the next 17 points to claim a 15-8 lead with 10:32 to go on a jumper by Garcia, as four of the five starters netted points during the 15-2 spurt. NJCU led by seven at two other points of the half, 6:44 when Rivera nailed a jumper (20-13) and again with 2:35 to go on another Rivera basket after the two clubs went a combined 3:55 without scoring.

Camden scored the final four points of the first half for a three-point, 22-19 halftime deficit and continued its hot play out of the locker room, scoring 17 of the first 19 second half points for a 36-24 lead with 13:18 remaining at the tail end of a combined 21-2 run. Deisley generated seven points during the streak and Turner had six points.

While that was the Raptors' largest lead of the game, Turner, who scored 12 in the second half, helped the visitors maintain a 10-point lead with field goals at 9:33 (40-30) and 8:06 (42-32). Suarez sank three foul shots until Camden snapped another long scoring drought between the two schools—a 3:27 stretch—on a layup by sophomore guard Cesyana Thompson-Blissett (Washington, DC/Theodore Roosevelt). With 3:42 left, Thompson-Blissett hit a jumper to maintain a nine-point lead (46-37). A Carmona jumper with 2:49 on the board cut it to six before Turner extended the lead to 48-40 with an offensive rebound and putback at 2:25.

But from there, NJCU made it extremely interesting and had multiple chances late to tie the game or move in front. At 2:16 Rivera converted a pass from Carmona and sank a foul shot for a three-point play. With 1:45 left, Suarez picked off a pass and raced down court, drawing a foul, which she capitalized on with two made free throws, as NJCU clawed within three points, 48-45 (1:38). After Camden missed a three-pointer (1:11), Carmona was fouled and made the back end of two shots, shaving the lead to two, 48-46, with 52.7 seconds standing. Deisley made two foul shots to push the lead to four, 50-46, with 46 seconds to play.

After a timeout, Garcia buried a jumper for a two-point deficit, 50-48, with 23 seconds remaining. Senior guard Samantha Bragg (Lindenwold, NJ/Lindenwold) was fouled but missed the 1-and-1 free throw and Suarez grabbed the rebound. Carmona, who typically handled the ball for the Knights going up the court, fouled out on the previous play and Rivera advanced the ball up the floor with 12 seconds to play. Bragg made a nice defensive play at midcourt to steal the ball and was fouled. In her return trip to the line Bragg again missed the 1-and-1 and Chernez grabbed a rebound with eight seconds remaining and no timeouts left.

With time winding down, Garcia and Rivera were both well defended and the Knights could not get a clean look into the lane. The ball was swung to the left arc where sophomore forward MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) had a chance to win the game with a three-pointer shot, but the attempt fell short at the buzzer as Camden held on for the two-point decision.

Camden shot 37.3 percent overall (22-59), but made 14-of-33 (.424) in the second half. The Knights shot 33.3 percent overall (19-57) but were good on just 9-of-21 in the second half (.290). The schools combined to shoot 3of-20 from three-point distance.

NJCU returns to the court on Wednesday, February 2 with a road NJAC North Division game at the Golden Dome versus Rutgers-Newark at 6 p.m. Camden travels to Richard Stockton College that evening at 8 p.m. in Pomona, NJ.

—www.njcugothicknights.com—