Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey basketball teams are looking forward to their final conference test before the winter break. The double header against New Jersey City University will be highlighted by two of the three remaining men's squads who have yet to surrender a defeat during conference play. The Lions enter the game on a four game winning streak, while the Gothic Knights counter with a five game streak of their own. The Lion women meanwhile, finally see a slight reprieve in what has been the fifth most difficult schedule in all of Division III, as they face a Gothic Knight squad that enters the contest have dropped four straight decisions.
 

Players to Watch:

NJCU Women – Tu'ziah Hall – Hall is the Gothic Knights leading scorer (14.1 ppg) and passer (4.4 apg), and ranks fifth in the NJAC, and first amongst rookies, in each of those catergories. Hall is also fourth in the NJAC with 2.7 steals per game.

TCNJ Women -  Charlotte Schum – Schum ranks sixth in the conference with a team leading 8.7 boards per contest. Schum leads the Lions and ranks eighth in the NJAC averaging 2.3 steals.

NJCU Men – Jalen Harris – Harris ranks third in the NJAC with a team leading 18.6 points per game. Harris is effective from everywhere he shoots, ranking in the top 10 of the conference in shooting percentage, three-point percentage, and three-point field goals made per game.

TCNJ Men – Eric Murdock, Jr. – Murdock, Jr. finished one rebound shy of a triple double last time out and leads the NJAC in assists (5.9 apg), is 11^th in scoring (13.0 ppg), sixth in steals (2.0 spg), and seventh in free throw percentage (83.0%).
 

Key Stat:

NJCU Women – 18 – The Gothic Knights have blocked a total of just 18 shots this season, second fewest in the NJAC. By comparison, Nikki Schott has amassed 17 to lead the Lions this season, and the Lions rank third in the conference as a team in blocks.

TCNJ Women -  74.4 – The Lions lead the NJAC from the free throw line, shooting 74.4% as a team. Kim Dana leads the conference, and ranks 26^th nationally, shooting 90.5% from the charity stripe. Conversely, the Gothic Knights have struggled on their free throws shooting just 56.5% on those opportunities.

NJCU Men – 24.8 – The Gothic Knights lead the conference and are seventh in the country, allowing teams to shoot just 24.8% against them from beyond the arc. The Lions have typically done their damage from deep this year, leading the conference, knocking down 10.6 triples per game, while shooting 37.0% from deep, second best in the NJAC.

TCNJ Men – 13.4 – The Lions turn the ball over 13.4 times per game, fewest in the NJAC. Close behind in second are the Gothic Knights, giving up possession just 14.8 times per contest, while also recording 12.6 steals per game, seventh most in all of division III. Backed by those numbers, NJCU has the third best turnover margin in the country, forcing 8.5 more turnovers per game than their opponents.

 
Last Time Out:

NJCU Women – The Gothic Knights ran into the Sizzling hot Marajiah Bacon, who scored a game high 23 points, as NJCU dropped an 86-65 decision to Kean. The loss was the Gothic Knights fourth straight, all of which have
come by double digits. Shege Haxhaj led NJCU in the loss with 17 points.

TCNJ Women -  The Lions entered the fourth quarter against Rowan University with a seven-point lead, but a 12-0 Prof run turned the game around and TCNJ found themselves on the wrong side of the ledger for the third straight time. The Lions were led by Schott, who compiled 15 points and six blocks, one off her career high set in January against the Gothic Knights, and Kate O'Leary who chipped in 13 points to go along with nine boards.

NJCU Men – The Gothic Knights jumped out to a 13-point halftime lead on their way to cruising to a 78-52 victory over Kean. Jalen Harris led the way scoring 17 points, with Sam Toney adding 15 points to go along with six rebounds. The win extended the NJCU winning streak to five games, with four of the five victories coming by double-digits.

TCNJ Men – The Lions got big performances from several players, including Murdock Jr.'s near triple-double, Corey Stanford recording his third double-double of the season, Bobby Brackett scoring in double figures for the eighth time in nine games, and Ryan Jensen coming off the bench to hit two triples, for an 87-79 come from behind victory. The win was the Lions fourth straight, and TCNJ has been out-scoring their opponents by an average of 14.5 points over the stretch. The Lions have also welcomed the return of Eric Klacik, who got his second consecutive start in his third game back from an offseason injury.


Next Time Out:

NJCU Women – The Gothic Knights play host to SUNY-Old Westbury in a non-conference match-up December 17 at 1:00 PM.

TCNJ Women -  The Lions have one final home game in 2016, as they Host Delaware Valley University on December 17 at 1:00 PM, TCNJ then will take part in the Juniata Tournament where they will take on DeSales University and Arcadia University December 29-30.

NJCU Men – The Gothic Knights remain at home for a non-conference tilt, when they host Albertus Magnus College on December 17 at 3:00 PM.

TCNJ Men – The Lions kick up their feet and enjoy the winter break, returning to action in the new year when they travel to Western Connecticut State for a non-conference tune up January 2, 2017 at 7:00 PM.