JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Prior to tip-off on Monday night, Jan. 31, the New Jersey City University women's basketball team, as well as players from last year's squad, were honored for the program's first-ever New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship in history. Players and coaches from last year's team received championship rings to commemorate their outstanding achievement. Once the game began, however, the Gothic Knights came out a bit flat against The College of New Jersey at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC). Thankfully, whatever head coach Pat Devaney, Sr., said to his team in the locker room at halftime fired the squad up and, thanks to a massive third-quarter comeback, NJCU clawed all the way back and eventually took the lead en route to the 63-55 victory over the Lions.
 

The Green and Gold (7-6, 6-7 NJAC) get over the .500 mark for the first time since early December – the Gothic Knights unfortunately suffered a handful of NJAC forfeit losses earlier this year – and are now one of the hottest teams in the conference heading into the final portion of the season. As mentioned, the Lions (9-9, 6-7 NJAC) controlled most of the offensive opportunities in the first half of play and actually took a 26-18 lead into the break. Co-captains sophomore Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) (seven points) and junior Laney Fox (Parkland, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons) (scoreless) were held in check in the first 20 minutes, but the latter turned it on in the third quarter.
 
The two-time reigning NJAC Player of the Week poured in 13 points in the third quarter and helped the Gothic Knights to a 25-7, momentum dominating run from the 7:11 mark in the third – a lay-in from junior Jada Camacho (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) – to the 9:32 mark in the fourth – a quarter-opening layup from Fox. Once we got to the final quarter, Rodriguez scored 10 points overall to help push NJCU over the top in the victory. Fox started with a three at 5:20, followed by a rebound off her own shot and a put-back at 4:48 to make it a three-point, 33-30 game. She then drained a jumper at 4:02 to cut it to one and then gave NJCU its first lead of the game with a bucket underneath to make it 34-33 with 3:22 left in the third – that's nine straight points from just her.
 
TCNJ cut the lead back to one at 52-51 with 3:25 remaining in regulation. Fortunately, the Gothic Knights closed out the game from that point on an 11-4 run – sinking most of their free throws – to close out the win and split the season series with the Lions. After not beating TCNJ since January 18, 2006, the Gothic Knights have now taken down the Lions three times in their last four meetings – twice last season, including the road NJAC semifinal upset win in Ewing, N.J., and then splitting this year's two regular-season matchups.
 
Highlights:
- Rodriguez led all players with a game-high 23 points, pulled down eight boards and dished out a game-best five assists.
- Fox scored four more points in the fourth and finished with 17 to go with nine rebounds – just one shy of her second-straight and third-career double-double.
- Camacho led all players with 11 rebounds and was one point shy of a double-double with nine.
- Despite not missing a free throw all night (18-of-18), TCNJ was held to just 24.2 percent shooting from the floor thanks to some devastating Gothic Knight defense.
 
Up Next:
NJCU now hits the road for two straight NJAC games. The Gothic Knights first travel to Union, N.J., on Wednesday night, Feb. 2, for a 6:00 p.m. clash with Kean University. Then, the Green and Gold head to Mahwah, N.J., on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 5, for a 1:00 p.m. meeting with Ramapo College. Jersey City had won three straight over the Cougars dating back to February 22, 2020, before Kean snatched one from the Gothic Knights earlier this season. NJCU had also won two straight against the Roadrunners – both in overtime in the 2019-20 season – before a forfeit loss to Ramapo earlier this year.