Box Score

Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey men's basketball team put forth perhaps its best effort of the 2010-11 season, but dropped a heartbreaker to New Jersey City University 71-69 at Packer Hall.

Down by as many as 18 points in the opening half, the Lions (3-11, 0-4 NJAC) fought hard to make it a thrilling contest that saw eight lead-changes in the second half. TCNJ had a chance to go ahead with a three-pointer in the final seconds, but junior DaShawn Eagle (Newark, NJ/Weequahic) blocked the shot attempt to give the Gothic Knights (5-6, 1-2 NJAC) their first New Jersey Athletic Conference win of the year.

Junior Al Matlock (Trenton, NJ/Solebury) scored a career-high 23 points and matched a career-best in steals with four, while senior Steve Siracusa (New Providence, NJ/New Providence) played a tremendous game scoring 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting to go with a team-high seven rebounds. Sophomore Brian Kelly (Clark, NJ/Lawrenceville Prep) also hit a trio of clutch, three-pointers in the game to finish with 11 points.

The Gothic Knights stormed out to a 29-11 lead hitting 13 of their first 22 shots to open the game. NJCU was impressive in both size and athleticism as junior Keith Williams (Jersey City, NJ/Create Charter) hit four of his first five shots to lead the visitors with 10 first-half points.

The Lions battled back led by the tenacious play of Matlock. The junior guard provided a shot in the arm on both ends of the floor as he created havoc on defense and netted 13 points in the opening period. He and sophomore William Friedrich (Berlin, NJ/East Stroudsburg South) scored a pair of buckets in just over a minute of play to cut the margin to 31-24. Kelly stroked a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the period sending TCNJ to locker room trailing 36-31.

TCNJ came out ablaze in the second half as Kelly nailed a three-point shot followed by a Friedrich lay-up to knot the game at 36. Matlock then stripped Williams and went coast-to-coast for a lay-up as the Lions took their first lead of the game 38-36.

The lead would flip six more times before the Gothic Knights surged ahead for good when Josh Hosang (Hackensack, NJ/Palm Beach Central) hit a lay-up with 4:27 remaining to make it a 60-59 score.

The Lions cut the lead to a point when Siracusa took an inbounds pass underneath the basket and muscled his way to a bucket while being fouled to make it 67-66. But NJCU hit enough foul shots down the stretch to stave off the spirited rally by the hosts.

Hosang led the Gothic Knights with 18 points and seven boards. Williams netted 15 points and dished out three assists, while Naadir Williams (Newark, NJ/Weequahic) finished with 10 points and a steal.

TCNJ returns to conference play on Wednesday night when they visit Richard Stockton College for an 8 p.m. start. The Gothic Knights will host William Paterson University at 8 p.m. on Wednesday evening.