JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Freshman point guard Damaris Rodriguez posted a near triple-double, and the New Jersey City University women's basketball team posted its most lopsided win ever against William Paterson University as the Gothic Knights cruised past the Pioneers, 69-49, in the opening game of a New Jersey Athletic Conference home-and-home series on February 19 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).

NJCU improved to 5-0 overall and 5-0 in the NJAC, officially matching the 1974-75 squad for the best start to a season in the 51-year history of the program. William Paterson (2-3, 2-3 NJAC) saw its two-game winning streak snapped. 

NJCU led by as many as 25 points when it held a 40-15 advantage with 1:15 left in the second quarter and its 20-point margin of victory surpassed the 17-point, 53-36 outcome on December 3, 1986 for then-Jersey City State College over William Paterson College.

Rodriguez, vying for the sixth triple-double in school history and the first for a freshman, finished with 19 points of 7-of-11 shooting, including a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point distance, a career-high nine assists, seven steals and only one turnover in 37 minutes. She had 11 points, six assists and six steals by halftime to help stake NJCU to an insurmountable 40-17 lead.

Freshman guard Nahjeemah Holmes scored a career-high 11 points off the bench, surpassing the 10 she netted in the season opener, to spark a 31-4 differential in bench scoring in favor of NJCU. She shot 5-of-7 overall in just 12 minutes. Also for the Knights, senior forward Ayanna Lewis tallied 11 points and six rebounds off the bench and sophomore guard Zianna Goda sank 3-of-5 three-point shots in her reserve role to finish with nine points and five rebounds.

Meanwhile, senior wing Dayjah Anderson finished with 10 points and five rebounds, and sophomore forward Sarah Edmond had nine rebounds, five points and two blocks.

William Paterson, which dressed just seven players, was led by sophomore forward Allison McBride with 15 points (6-11 FG) and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Yakira Rosa finished with 13 points (5-7 FG) and four assists. Junior forward Justina Cabezas, who was named the NJAC Player of the Week on Monday after back-to-back double-doubles last weekend against Rutgers-Newark, was limited to just six points on five shots (2-5 FG). She did have a game-high matching 10 rebounds but committed 13 of WP's 26 turnovers before fouling out. 

After WP led early in the first two minutes, NJCU scored nine straight points to take the lead for good (11-5) and closed out the opening quarter on a 17-3 streak to lead 19-8 after 10 minutes. The hosts shot 57.1 percent in the opening quarter (8-14 FG). NJCU outscored the Pioneers 21-9 in the second quarter. NJCU limited the Pioneers to just 6-of-27 shooting (.222) in the first half. Conversely, NJCU notched 6-of-9 three-point success in the opening half.

WPU started the second half on a 12-4 outburst to try to make a game of it but couldn't draw any closer than 13 points in the third. WP shot 62.5 percent in the third quarter (10-16) and 13-for-22 in the second half (.591) but was plagued by 26 turnovers. NJCU outscored the guests 31-10 off turnovers in the win.

NOTABLES:

• Series: 78th meeting, William Paterson leads, 65-13.
• NJCU won consecutive games against the Pioneers for just the third time and the first time in 19 seasons. NJCU swept William Paterson during the 2001-02 season, winning 67-53 at home on Nov. 24, 2001 and 78-67 on the road on January 26, 2002. NJCU also won back-to-back meetings over the course of two seasons in the mid 1980s — Jan. 25, 1984 (77-75, in Wayne, N.J.) and Dec. 5, 1984 (56-46, in Wayne, N.J.)
• Dayjah Anderson scored in double figures for the 21st time in 29 games at NJCU. 

UP NEXT:

• NJCU will seek the first 6-0 start in the history of the program, its first-ever three-game winning streak over William Paterson and look to sweep the two-game series when it visits the Pioneers on Saturday, February 20 at 2 p.m. at the Rec Center in Wayne, N.J. As with all games this season, fans will not be permitted to attend, but all action will be streamed live on the William Paterson website.

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