NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey City University women's basketball team kept pace in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) standings on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 6, and remain locked in a four-way tie for second place overall. The Gothic Knights dispatched Rutgers-Newark on the road today, 86-47, behind four players in double-figures scoring, including a team-high 18 points from senior forward Dayjah Anderson (East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech) and a double-double from senior guard Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus).

NJCU (7-5, 5-2 NJAC) started off the day fast against the Scarlet Raiders (2-12, 1-6 NJAC) by jumping out to a 9-0 lead the game's first 3:13, with four different players scoring over that stretch. By the end of the first quarter, the Gothic Knight defense had allowed just four points from Rutgers-Newark, while taking a 16-point, 20-4 lead into the second. Thanks in part to 10 points from Rodriguez alone in the second quarter, NJCU jumped ahead by as many as 25 points before taking a 24-point, 41-17 advantage into the lockerroom.

The Green and Gold did not take their foot off the gas and nearly doubled that lead, jumping ahead by 45 points and led 75-30 after three quarters of play. Anderson and rookie guard Na'tori Postell (Passaic, N.J./Passaic Arts & Science Charter) led NJCU in scoring over the third with nine points apiece and overall eight Gothic Knights tallied a point in what the squad's most efficient shooting quarter of the game — 63.6 percent from the floor (14-of-22) and a perfect 6-of-6 from the foul line. The fourth and final quarter was much of the same as NJCU eventually took a game-high 48-point, 84-36 lead with just 5:41 remaining before coming away with the 39-point victory. Junior guard Salma Eddahiri (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic) led the Gothic Knights with five points in the final period.

Highlights:
- NJCU outscored Rutgers-Newark in points off turnovers (44-11) after notching 17 steals and forcing 32 turnovers.
- Additionally, the Gothic Knights held a 24-12 advantage in offensive rebounding, which led to a 21-5 differential in second chance points.
- The Green and Gold bench outscored that of the Scarlet Raiders, 32-7, led by 11 points from Postell. NJCU also outscored Rutgers-Newark, 46-16, in the paint.
- Anderson added eight boards and two steals on the day, while Rodriguez' double-double featured 17 points and a game-best 10 assists.
- Sophomore guard Tahirah Kelley (Linden, N.J./Immaculate Conception) finished with 10 points, five rebounds and three steals.
- Senior forward Sarah Edmond (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) was extremely efficient in her 11 minutes, going 2-for-2 from the floor and grabbing a game-best nine rebounds to go with two blocks, two steals and five points.
- A total of 13 of NJCU's 14 players scored at least one point. Additionally, after missing all of last season and all of this season until today due to injury, junior guard Olivia Wooten (East Orange, N.J./Immaculate Conception) officially completed her comeback with 10 minutes on the floor.

Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to Coach Charlie Brown Court at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) on Wednesday evening, Jan. 10, for a 5:30 p.m. NJAC clash with Rutgers-Camden. NJCU has defeated the Scarlet Raptors in six straight dating back to 2019.