EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ men's basketball team was unable to slow down New Jersey City in the second half of Saturday's NJAC showdown as the Gothic Knights shot 67.6 percent from the field after intermission en route to an 81-72 decision inside Packer Hall.

Naysean Burch and Anthony DiCaro scored 16 points apiece to lead the Lions (5-4, 2-3), who built up a double-digit lead in the first half and were up by as many as nine points in the second. The Gothic Knights, nationally ranked in the D3hoops.com preseason poll, got what they wanted after that and outscored the home side by a 56-38 count after halftime.

The biggest difference in the game came in the turnover department, where NJCU converted 21 TCNJ miscues into 29 points. The Gothic Knights committed only five turnovers for the afternoon.

The Lions were locked in defensively in the early going, stifling the high-powered Gothic Knights into a 28-percent effort in the first half and helping to overcome their own slow start on the other end. NJCU took a 16-15 lead at the 8:10 mark of the first half, but TCNJ turned the tables with a 15-4 spurt.

DiCaro got loose for a lay-up on a nice feed from Jim Clemente, then assisted on a 3-pointer by Jason Larranaga. He scored in the paint again before setting up a deep 3 by Trevor Covey. Danny Bodine connected from long range and Covey made a pair at the line to extend the Lions' lead out to 30-19 at the 2:56 mark of the first half.

TCNJ still led by nine a few minutes into the second half, but Hakeem Wilson's 3-pointer – part of a 16-2 run – gave the Gothic Knights the lead at 39-37 with 16:25 to play.

Back came the Lions, who responded with a 10-3 spurt capped by a 3-pointer and bucket by Burch on back-to-back trips and regained a 48-45 lead with 11:29 left. That was as good as it got for TCNJ.

NJCU scored the next seven points to take control, using their athleticism to get to the rim and convert opportunities on the fast break. TCNJ got within three twice, both courtesy of Burch, who buried a deep left-wing triple and used a euro step to get free for a lay-in as the shot-clock buzzer sounded to cut the deficit to 64-61 at the 4:19 mark. But the Lions turned it over after getting a stop, NJCU converted on the other end, and the hosts could not get closer than six the rest of the way.

Wilson had 18 points for the Gothic Knights, with Denzel Banks (17), Kayton Darley (14), and Ryan Savoy (13) each hitting double figures as well. NJCU was 19-of-28 in the second half and was able to keep the Lions at arm's length by hitting on 16 of its 21 free-throw attempts after halftime.

DiCaro and Burch each had five rebounds to go with their 16 points, and DiCaro handed out five assists. Bodine finished with 12 points and five boards, and Clemente just missed a double-double with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

The men's basketball team has a couple weeks off before heading to Randolph-Macon to take on Averett in the opener of a holiday tournament.