Box Score

 Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey men's basketball team dropped a 65-53 decision to New Jersey City University on Monday night in Packer Hall.
 
The victory for the Gothic Knights (13-11, 8-9 NJAC) clinched a playoff berth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference post-season tournament.  The Lions (5-19, 3-14 NJAC) lost their final home game of the 2012-13 season.
 
Sophomore guard Emmanuel Matlock (Trenton, NJ/Solebury) led TCNJ in scoring with ten points. Junior Matthew Rista (Point Pleasant, NJ/St. Anthony's) netted eight points and grabbed nine rebounds, while freshman Mitch Miller (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) finished with eight points and five boards.
 
Freshman Khalid Muhammad (Orange, NJ/Orange) led all players with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Sophomore Khalid Crawford-Muhammad (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield) registered double figures with 10 points and senior David Jones (Millville, NJ/Cumberland Regional) collected a team-high eight boards.
                                                            
The Lions got off to a sluggish start on offense, connecting on just seven field goals in the opening 20 minutes. They tried to get their perimeter shooting game going, but came on empty on eight attempts from behind the arc and trailed 33-18 at the break.
 
The Gothic Knights shot 43 percent from the floor in the first half led by Muhammad's 13 points. He knocked down the first 3-pointer of the game with 1:57 remaining in the period, stretching the NJCU lead to 31-16.
 
The Lions picked up their tempo on defense following the intermission, but had trouble getting off quality shots. Sophomore Jayson Johnson (Bordentown, NJ/Life Center Academy) hit a baseline jumper to cut the deficit to 43-30 with 13:14 remaining in the second half. The Gothic Knights used its size to dominate the paint and maintain control of the contest as TCNJ battled but couldn't get over the hump. Johnson finished with eight points, all of them coming in the second half.
 
Senior William Lester (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) hit a three-pointer with 24 seconds remaining to make it a ten-point game. It was the final game in Packer Hall for Lester, the lone senior on the Lions' roster.
 
The Lions return to action for their regular season finale this Wednesday evening at Montclair State University at 8 p.m. The Gothic Knights will host Rutgers University-Camden.