Jan 17, 2024
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — With just 1:51 remaining in the first quarter during a home New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) tilt with Montclair State University on Wednesday night, Jan. 17, New Jersey City University women's basketball senior All-American point guard Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) sank a floater to become the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,675 at the time. As the final buzzer sounded, thanks in part to 21 points from Rodriguez, the Gothic Knights dispatched the visiting Red Hawks on Coach Charlie Brown Court, 71-56.
Things got started with a back-and-fourth first quarter for the Green and Gold (9-6, 7-3 NJAC) and Red Hawks (6-11, 3-7 NJAC) as the teams traded the lead nearly 10 times. Trailing by four with 3:53 to go, rookie sharpshooter Na'tori Postell (Passaic, N.J./Passaic Arts & Science Charter) drained a jumper from three to cut it to one before sophomore guard Tahirah Kelley (Linden, N.J./Immaculate Conception) tied it up. Rodriguez eventually put NJCU up, 11-10, with her record-breaking floater before Kelley drained a three and junior forward Tamia Warner (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) made it a four-point, 16-12 game with 18 seconds left. A three for Montclair made it a one-point game at the end of the quarter.
Out of the gate to start the second, the Green and Gold scored nine straight to go up, 25-15, with five points from senior forward Dayjah Anderson (East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech) and four from Rodriguez. The pair scored four more to make it a 12-point, 29-17 game moments later. And then again, a three from senior guard Alex Sams (Burlington City, N.J./Burlington City) made it 32-20 with 4:24 until the half. The Red Hawks eventually cut it back to five, but a long-range bucket from Rodriguez with 26 seconds to go gave NJCU the 37-29 lead after 20 minutes of play.
Montclair kept its foot on the gas and started the third on a 7-0 run to make it just a one-point, 37-26 game with 8:19 on the clock. A few minutes later, the Gothic Knights re-took momentum to the tune of a 17-0 run and then led by 18 at 56-38 with 2:16 to go in the period. Seven different NJCU players scored over that stretch, including splash threes from Postell and Rodriguez and a three-point play from junior guard Alaisha Mumford (Jersey City, N.J./Lincoln) on the break following a steal from Rodriguez. A quick basket from Montclair at 1:44 with answered at 1:21 with another three from Rodriguez and the Gothic Knights took the 59-40 lead into the fourth.
The Red Hawks trimmed it back to a 15-point game, but a quick 6-1 run for NJCU gave the Gothic Knights their largest lead of the night at 20 points with the score at 68-48 with 5:01 remaining in regulation. Mumford capped off that brief stretch with back-to-back buckets underneath. The Green and Gold eventually came away with the 15-point win after Montclair hit a few free throws at the end of the game.
Highlights:
- Rodriguez nearly secured her second-career triple-double, adding to her game-high point total with game-best marks in assists (10) and steals (8) to go with five boards.
- Mumford also finished in double figures with 12 points.
- Senior forward Sarah Edmond (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) worked the glass all night, especially the offensive boards, and finished with a game- and season-best 16 rebounds (11 offensive) to go with three points, two assists and a block.
- Anderson ended with nine points, while Postell had eight and Kelley notched seven. Kelley also had seven rebounds and three steals.
Up Next:
Now back on the winning saddle, the Gothic Knights look to make it two in a row as The College of New Jersey comes to the JMAC this Saturday afternoon, Jan. 20, for a 1:00 p.m. tip. NJCU has defeated the Lions in three straight and seven times over the last nine meetings dating back to Feb. 12, 2020.