JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Despite leading by as many as eight points (44-36) midway through the third quarter in its home opener and first New Jersey Athletic Conference game of the season, the New Jersey City University women's basketball team fell to Rutgers-Newark, 69-61, on November 22. The Scarlet Raiders ended the third quarter on a 9-0 run and scored 14 of the final 15 points in the final 3:34 to claim a seven-point lead for their first win of the season against the Gothic Knights inside the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Charlie Brown Court).
 
NJCU (2-2, 0-1 NJAC) and Rutgers-Newark (1-3, 1-0 NJAC) battled back and forth in Tuesday's conference-opening match that featured six lead changes and there were four ties as each team's largest lead of the night was eight.
In defeat, senior guard Kiana Briggs (Paterson, N.J./Passaic County Tech) had a near triple-double with 10 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds (all defensive) in 24 minutes of action.
 
Freshman point guard Tu'ziah Hall (Greenville, N.C./Bannecker (NC)), this week's first NJAC Rookie of the Week, led the Gothic Knights in scoring for the fourth straight time to open her career. She had 15 points, including a perfect 2-of-2 from downtown. Hall dished out five assists and grabbed four rebounds before fouling out in the game's final moments.
 
In 29 minutes of action, senior guard/forward Jazz Randall (Parsippany, N.J./West Orange)secured 10 rebounds and scored seven points on 3-of-4 shooting. Junior guard Aaliyah Saud(Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive outing to open her NJCU career. She had 10 points and the NJAC's steals leader added a game-high four picks.
 
Maria Simmons (Irvington, N.J./Irvington) led Rutgers-Newark with 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting, which included 2-of-2 from downtown, and 7-of-12 from the line in 27 minutes played. The senior guard dished out a team-high six assists and secured five rebounds. Sophomore guard Faith Ashby (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) also had six assists and scored 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting in a full 40 minutes.
 
Also for RUN, freshman guard Hannah Ashby (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) complemented her sister's play as she buried 12 of her 14 points from beyond the arc (4-8 3FG) and shot 50% overall  (5-10) in 23 minutes of action. Junior forward Nicole Skelly (Belleville, N.J./Immaculate Conception)led Rutgers-Newark with eight rebounds and added six points on 3-of-8 shooting.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After trailing by two at halftime, 30-28, NJCU tied the game 20 seconds into the third quarter on Briggs' shot inside the paint. Her shot helped propel the Gothic Knights to outscore their NJAC foes 14-6 to open up the third quarter and take their biggest lead of the game (44-36) mid-way through the third period.
 
However, the Gothic Knights' lead was short-lived as Rutgers-Newark went on its decisive run at the end of the quarter. Simmons had seven of the 14 points during the late outburst, including a three with 2:05 left that gave the visitors the lead for good. Hannah Ashby had hit a three moments earlier.
 
NJCU made several bids to rally in the fourth quarter, cutting it to a one-possession game several times midway through the final period, including a one-point deficit (60-59) when freshman forward/center Atonie Johnson (Irvington, N.J./Irvington) hit two from the line with 4:05 left. But Simmons scored six points, including four from the line to provide enough separation and with the game still tight, Faith Ashby's layup, assisted by Simmons with 1:04 remaining, helped seal it.

 
QUOTABLE KNIGHTS
Second-year head coach Robyn Burton following Tuesday's conference-opening loss to Rutgers-Newark: "It was a tough loss. We have to do a better job on defense. It's very cliché, but defense wins games. We know what we have to work on, so we will be back in the lab hard at work tomorrow."
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 70th meeting. Rutgers-Newark has won the last 13 meetings and lead the all-time series, 49-21.
• Jazz Randall hauled in a career-high 10 rebounds after having just six in the first three games of the season. Her previous high was seven on three occasions, including twice last year.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?:
NJCU remains at home for its next game as they take on Pratt Institute in non-conference action on Saturday, November 26 at 1:00 p.m. inside the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Charlie Brown Court). It will be the first meeting between the schools in women's basketball in 36 seasons. NJCU leads the all-time series, 2-0, winning by 58 (78-20) in Jersey City on January 31, 1980, and by a 56-point margin in the last meeting in Brooklyn, N.Y. on January 29, 1981 (93-37).

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