JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University senior point guard Marajiah Bacon became the 47th player in NCAA Division III history to reach the 2,000-point plateau and did so in her 85th career game while playing against her former school, Kean University. But despite the historical moment and a hard-fought effort by NJCU, the Gothic Knights dropped a 69-64 New Jersey Athletic Conference decision to the Cougars on January 16 on Coach Charlie Brown Court at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

The moment came with 6:18 remaining in the second quarter on a driving layup on the right side of the lane. Bacon, who ranks No. 3 in the country in scoring and first in steals, scored 1,587 points at Kean from 2015-18 and entered the day with 1,994 total points between Kean and NJCU. She is the fourth player in NJAC history to score 2,000 points and she became the first to reach the milestone while wearing an NJCU uniform.

With 2,021 career points she is 28 points shy of becoming the all-time leading scorer in NJAC history (Michelle Jones, William Paterson, 2,048 points). Bacon finished with 27 points on 10-of-22 shooting (7-10 FT), adding on five rebounds and three steals in a full 40 minutes.

Kean won back-to-back NJAC games to move to .500 in the league (8-9, 5-5 NJAC). After losing to Kean 77-46 earlier in the year, NJCU (4-13, 1-9 NJAC) had numerous chances to get redemption in the second half but couldn't get a tying shot to fall.

The Gothic Knights came out a bit tight, clearly knowing that history was likely to be made, and the Cougars took advantage, winning the first quarter 18-11 and getting up by as much as 10 before Bacon reached her milestone bucket. After play was stopped for a 2000-point ceremony to honor Bacon, the game resumed and the Knights immediately went on a run to cut the lead down to two. NJCU went into the half with that same margin (34-32 Kean).

With the first possession of the second half, the Knights tied it up, but Kean had an immediate response of their own, scoring the next 12 points and pushing out to what looked like an insurmountable lead. The Knights, meanwhile, couldn't buy a bucket, going nearly four minutes without scoring a single point during that stretch.

However, they once again were able to flip the switch, with a Bacon fastbreak, pull-up jumper triggering an 9-0 to get right back into the thick of it.

Bacon's twin sister, Miesha Bacon, had another double-double performance to finish with 13 rebounds and 10 points and senior guard Christine Bizub also continued her recent stretch of strong, aggressive play, finishing with 13 points and five boards, helping to key that third quarter comeback. Kean freshman guard Shannon McCoy (Barnegat, N.J.) had the answer for the Cougars all night, however, and she hit a pair of jumpers late in the third to give Kean an eight-point cushion heading into the final frame.

McCoy finished with a game-high 28 points (12-22 FG), with seven rebounds and four assists added on. Junior guard Payce Lange (Tewksbury, N.J.) finished with a double-double (12 points and 11 rebounds), but needed 17 shots to do so (4-17). Sophomore guard Casey Filiault (Ocean Twp., N.J.) had 12 points (5-7 FG) in just 15 minutes.

Bacon collected the first four points of the fourth at the line, and later in the quarter, a pair of free throws from her twin sister Miesha Bacon brought the margin down to just three (58-55) with 4:42 to go.

For every NJCU push, however, was an equal and opposite response from Kean. NJCU freshman Teresa Ortiz hit a jumper with 1:20 to go (64-61); Filiault hit a jumper on the next possession. NJCU head coach Pat Devaney drew up a perfect out-of-bounds play to get a layup for Zyearah Taylor-Gaston with 21 seconds to go (66-63) before Kean iced it from the line.

In the end, Kean was able to keep NJCU at just enough of an arm's length, leading for the final 19:53 of the game, despite the back-and-forth nature of the game.

NOTABLES:

• Series: 68th meeting between these two sides, Kean leads 56-12 and has won the last 10 meetings.

• Marajiah Bacon saw her scoring averaging creep up a tenth of a point to 25.5. She leads the NJAC in scoring, while ranking third in the country in points per game. Her three steals bring her to 4.8 steals per game on the season; she ranks second in the country.

• Marajiah Bacon now has 2,021 career points. She is 28 away from being the all-time leading scorer in NJAC history. She currently sits fourth.

• With 10 points and 13 rebounds, Miesha Bacon collected her fourth double-double of the season and in her career.

• Christine Bizub had her seventh career double-digit scoring effort.

• Marajiah Bacon has now scored in double figures 84 times in 85 career games between Kean (2015-18, 67 times in 68 games) and NJCU (17 times in 17 games). Other updated career totals for Bacon:

  • 20-Point Games: 58 (44 at Kean, 14 at NJCU)

  • 25-Point Games: 39 (30 at Kean, nine at NJCU)

  • 30-Point Games: 20 (16 at Kean, four at NJCU)

  • 35-Point Games: 10 (eight at Kean, two at NJCU)

  • 40-Point Games: 5 (four at Kean; career high, 46 at NJCU)

UP NEXT:

• The Knights head to Rowan University (10-7, 8-2 NJAC) for a tough NJAC matchup. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. in Glassboro, N.J.

GOTHIC KNIGHTS on SOCIAL MEDIA:

For the latest on #NJCUWBB, follow the Gothic Knights on social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and SnapChat. Preferred hashtags are #GothicFamily and #GothicGameDay.

—www.NJCUGothicKnights.com | @NJCUAthletics—