JERSEY CITY, N.J. — In need of a victory to clinch a first round bye, the #6 overall seed and a berth to the quarterfinal round of the 2022 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament, the New Jersey City University women's basketball team accomplished just that behind yet another standout performance from sophomore co-captain guard Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) on Wednesday evening, Feb. 16. The Gothic Knights, thanks in part to game-high in points (26) and assists (10) from Rodriguez, defeated Stockton University at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) by a score of 67-57.
After a tight first quarter, after which NJCU (10-8, 9-9 NJAC) held a two-point, 15-13 lead, the home squad pulled away a little more in the second and took a 30-24 lead after 20 minutes of play. Rodriguez finished the half as the only player in double figures at the time with 12 points, the next closest at eight. However, the Ospreys (10-14, 8-10 NJAC) exploded offensively in the third quarter, outscoring the Gothic Knights 23-13 to make it a 47-43 game in the road team's favor. A huge part of that comeback was a 17-2 run during the mid-way part of the quarter to take six point, 47-41 lead with 1:14 left until the fourth.
Thankfully, Jersey City fired back with a 17-4 run a couple minutes into the fourth, powered by threes from Rodriguez and junior co-captain guard Laney Fox (Parkland, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons), to jump out to a commanding nine-point, 62-53 lead with just 1:37 remaining. Coincidentally, that final bucket of the run — a fastbreak lay-in from junior guard Jada Camacho (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) — is under consideration for the SportsCenter Top 10 plays thanks to a dazzling behind-the-back assist from Rodriguez, who entered the night ranked second in all of NCAA Division III in assists per game.
Highlights:
- This is Rodriguez' eight double-double of the season and her career, and fourth in her last five games.
- Fox finished the night with 16 points to go with six boards, four assists and two steals.
- Camacho rounded out the Gothic Knights in double-figures with 11 points, five rebounds and two outstanding blocks. She currently ranks third in the NJAC with 1.5 blocks per game.
- Junior center Jimmirah Johnson (Prospect Park, N.J./International) came close to a double-double. She pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and also chipped in nine points.
Up Next:
Having earned a bye in the first round of the NJAC tournament, the #6 seeded Gothic Knights return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at a to-be-determined time. They will travel to Montclair, N.J., and square off with #3 seed Montclair State University. NJCU split with the Red Hawks this season, winning the most recent matchup in Montclair just four days again on Feb. 12. Fox (22 points) and Rodriguez (15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) led the charge in the win over the Red Hawks that day.