Box Score
Jersey City, NJ---TCNJ received 14 points (4-8 FG; 6-7 FT) from senior guard Corey Gilmore (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield), and 11 points and eight rebounds from sophomore guard Jay Frank (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) as the Lions stunned NJCU on Saturday night. NJCU's junior guard Dana John (Hillside, NJ/Pocono Mountain East (Pa.)) scored 11 consecutive points late in the second half for New Jersey City University to erase a nine-point deficit and give the Gothic Knights a lead.
The College of New Jersey scored eight of the final 11 points to break a 44-44 tie with 3:00 left and the Lions stunned NJCU, 52-47, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference interdivisional game at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on Saturday night.
The game was played as part of Homecoming/Green and Gold Days 2008 at NJCU, and the jinx associated with the event continued as the men's program dropped to 1-4 and both basketball programs a combined 1-9 since the event first was held in conjunction with the winter season in 2004.
The loss also snapped NJCU's 12-game NJAC regular season home court winning streak—the first home court loss in-season to a conference opponent since a 91-89 loss to Rowan University on January 28, 2006. That game was also played on Homecoming.
NJCU, which had won 20 of its last 21 home court NJAC regular season games overall since 2004, falls to 13-7 and 5-3 in the league. TCNJ had entered with a five-game losing streak, but upset the Knights to improve to 6-13 and 2-6 NJAC.
NJCU shot just 25.9 percent for the game (14-54) and was held to its lowest scoring output since a 71-47 loss at William Paterson University on December 4, 2002.
John scored 15 of his game-high 18 points in the second half, and was 6-of-6 from the line with five rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes. Freshman forward Derek Miller (Newark, NJ/East Side) made his second career start, supplying 12 points (5-11 FG; 2-4 3FG) in 18 minutes.
None of the remaining 11 players who logged time for NJCU scored more than four points, combining for just 17 points on 4-of-29 shooting.
TCNJ received 14 points (4-8 FG; 6-7 FT) from Gilmore and 11 points and eight rebounds from Frank. Senior guard Jeff Warner (Jackson, NJ/Jackson) had seven points and six rebounds, while sophomore guard William Jett (Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton) finished with eight points (3-5 FG).
TCNJ held a modest lead for most of the first half, including an 18-16 edge with 5:31 remaining before closing the half on an 11-2 run, capped by a Gilmore driving layup with three seconds left. NJCU shot just 20.0 percent (6-30) in the opening period and TCNJ led 29-18 at the break. NJCU's first four field goals of the game were all three-pointers, but it did not make a two-point shot until 5:31 remained in the half.
John did all he could to rally the Knights. His steal and fast-break jam made it a three-point game, 31-28, before TCNJ expanded its lead to eight, 36-28 with 7:53 left in the second half. A John jumper made it 36-32 before the Lions went ahead 38-32 with 6:37 left.
After a foul and additional technical foul on TCNJ's bench, John, the No. 2 free throw shooter in the league, sank four consecutive foul shots to make it a 38-36 deficit with 5:21 remaining, and after grabbing a defensive rebound, raced down the floor, stopped on a dime, and nailed a three from the left wing with 4:50 on the clock to give NJCU a 39-38 lead—its first of the game.
A pair of Gilmore free throws made it 40-39 TCNJ before John picked off a pass and raced down court for a fast-break lay-up. His 11th straight point for NJCU gave the hosts a 41-40 margin with 4:07 left. Warner added two free throws to give the Lions back a one-point cushion before Miller drilled a three from the right wing for NJCU's largest lead of the game, 44-42, with 3:22 left.
But two foul shots by Gilmore with 3:00 left tied it and a Jett triple put TCNJ in front to stay, 47-44, with 2:15 on the clock. Gilmore followed with a jumper with 1:13 left after NJCU failed to get off a clean shot on its previous possession and TCNJ led 49-44. NJCU missed five straight shots after taking the two-point lead and the Lions converted 7-of-8 free throws to seal the upset.
TCNJ won despite shooting .386 overall (17-44) and 1-of-12 from three-point range, while committing 20 turnovers. The Lions outscored NJCU in the paint, 24-14, to overcome NJCU's 13-4 advantage in transition points.
NJCU will return to action when it hosts Ramapo College in an NJAC North Division game on Wednesday, February 6 at 8 p.m. The Lions face #17 ranked Stevens Institute of Technology that night at 7 p.m. in Ewing, NJ.
