DANBURY, Conn. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University led by one with 5:34 to play, before Farmingdale State scored eight of the next nine points and took advantage of a lackluster shooting effort by the Gothic Knights as the Rams outlasted NJCU, 62-52, in the opening round of the Hat City Classic, hosted by Western Connecticut State College on January 2.

NJCU (5-5) lost its first game of the 2015 portion of its schedule despite the fifth consecutive double-double by  sophomore power forward Bria Smith (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy), who grabbed a tournament-high 16 rebounds (11 defensive) and added 12 points (6-9 FT) with three blocks and three steals in 37 minutes. It was her seventh double-double of the  season and 17th of her career.

But NJCU, which led 28-24 at halftime, shot just 21.6 percent in the second half (.8-37) and 26.3 percent from the field (20-76), and could never find its outside shooting touch as the Gothic Knights were just 1-for-17 from three-point distance in the loss (.059).

Meanwhile, in the first meeting between the clubs in five seasons, the Rams (4-5) took advantage of a pair of 20-point scoring efforts. Andrea Desvignes scored 22 points (8-27 FG, 2-8 3FG) with three assists in 37 minutes and Nicole Lanteri had a near triple-double with 20 points (9-17 FG), seven assists, seven rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes. With 14 points and six assists in the second half, Lanteri had a hand in 12 of 15 made baskets in the period.

Desvignes and Lanteri accounted for 44 of the Skyline Conference team's 62 points and 44 of its 72 field goal attempts

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