GARCIA POURS IN 19, MOVES INTO NINTH PLACE IN SCORING AS NJCU TOPS BERKELEY, 60-47

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University senior guard CAROLINA GARCIA (Plainfield, NJ/Franklin) poured in a game-best 19 points as the Gothic Knights defeated Berkeley College (NY), 60-47, in a non-conference women's basketball game on Monday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on "Coach Charlie Brown Court."

NJCU improved to 5-16 on the season with the win. Berkeley (2-14) dropped its sixth straight. It was the first-ever meeting between the schools as the visitors are in their first year with a women's program.

Garcia shot 8-of-18 overall and added six steals, four assists and three blocks in 35 minutes. She moved into a share of ninth place in program history in scoring with 887career points, matching Donna Scerra who scored 887 from 1981-84.

Freshman forward ALNISA HERNAIZ (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) registered her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds, adding four steals and two assists. Sophomore guard GABRIELLE RIVERA (Teaneck, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) added 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals while sophomore point guard NIDIA CARMONA (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) collected seven points, six steals and four assists in 19 minutes.

Freshman center OLIVIA OBANYE (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) had seven rebounds. Freshman guard TATIANA CLARK (Newark, NJ/Newark Tech) added six points, two assists and two steals.

Berkeley was led by 6-foot-2 freshman center Rahinet Koti (Bronx, NY/Walton), who finished with 15 points (10 defensive), seven points, six blocks and two steals in 35 minutes before fouling out. She had nine rebounds in the first half.

Also for the BC Knights, sophomore guard Olivia Byfield (Queens, NY/Washington Irving) tallied 14 points and nine rebounds (eight defensive), with eight points and six rebounds in the first half. She committed eight turnovers. Freshman guard Linda Staples (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield) added 12 points (5-14 FG, 2-5 3FG), collecting eight points and five caroms in the opening half.

Berkeley committed 35 turnovers in the game and NJCU registered 23 steals, recording a decisive 34-13 margin in points off turnovers. The 23 steals are the most by NJCU this season; the Knights had 23 steals in three games last year. NJCU also recorded a 20-4 advantage on the fast break.

Berkeley committed 18 first half turnovers and NJCU capitalized early, grabbing a 12-4 lead with 11:13 left in the half after a steal by Rivera led to a fast break basket by Garcia. After the BC Knights cut it to 14-10, a steal by Carmona resulted in another fast break field goal by Garcia and the hosts led, 17-11.

BC score 11 of the final 15 points of the first half to claim its first lead of the game with 1:21 remaining  and led at the break, 22-21.With the shot clock winding down, Staples threw up a desperation three from the corner that fell for a 22-21 margin. Byfield earlier made a triple to tie the game at 19-19.

Staples jumper at 18:39 of the second half gave BC a three-point lead (24-21) before NJCU scored seven straight for a 28-24 lead. With NJCU ahead 28-26 with 15:35 remaining, the Knights amassed a 12-3 run to build a double-digit, 40-29 lead. Back-to-back baskets by Clark capped the run. Berkeley could not draw closer than nine the remainder of the game, increasing the margin to 14 when Hernaiz stole a pass and fed Garcia for another fast break basket with 6:05 left for a 47-33 lead, before the Knights prevailed by 13.

NJCU returns to the court for the first of four New Jersey Athletic Conference games to close the season on Wednesday, February 9 at 6 p.m. when it visits #24 ranked William Paterson University in an NJAC North Division contest at the Rec Center in Wayne, NJ.

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