JERSEY CITY. N.J. – The TCNJ women's basketball team fell on the wrong end of a tale of two halves in a 63-55 NJAC setback at New Jersey City on Monday night.

Despite a dominant defensive performance in a first half that saw them lead by as many as 13 points, the Lions were unable to withstand a big third quarter for the Gothic Knights. After shooting just 8-for-43 (18.6 percent) in the first half, NJCU was 10-for-16 in the third quarter and 16-of-30 overall for the second half.

The Lions (9-9, 6-7) were a perfect 18-for-18 from the free-throw line, but the field proved a different story. TCNJ finished at just 24.2 percent overall (15-for-62), including 6-of-34 (17.6 percent) after intermission.

Julia Setaro scored 13 of her team-high 15 points in the second half and added six rebounds, one of five Lions to secure at least five caroms. Izzy Leazier paired 14 points with seven rebounds, while Isabella Cafaro (nine points, five rebounds), Emily Toy (seven points, six rebounds), and Morgan Heller (eight rebounds) were all in on the rebounding effort.

TCNJ scored the game's first six points, on 3-pointers by Leazier and Toy, and allowed just two points in the first five-plus minutes of the opening quarter. After NJCU (7-6, 6-7) pulled even at 8-apiece, Setaro knocked down a jumper to put the Lions back on top.

Cafaro drained a 3-pointer and converted a driving lay-up during a 12-0 spurt bridging the end of the first quarter, which ended with a Leazier trey that made it 22-9 just shy of the midway point of the second stanza. During the burst, TCNJ held NJCU without a point for more than five minutes.

The Gothic Knights got the deficit back to single digits and went into half down 26-18, though, and the momentum carried over after the break. After being shut out in the first 20 minutes, Laney Fox scored 13 points in the third quarter alone to ignite a 17-2 rally that gave NJCU a 42-35 advantage with a minute to play in the frame.

The game hung in the balance for much of the fourth quarter, and TCNJ found itself down just 52-51 after a pair of Leazier free throws with 3:25 to play. Damaris Rodriguez came back with consecutive jumpers to restore a cushion for the Gothic Knights and, after two more freebies from Leazier, grabbed another bucket to make it 58-53 with 1:13 to go. The Lions would get no closer.

Rodriguez finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, and five assists to lead the Gothic Knights, while Fox had 17 points and nine rebounds. Jada Camacho collected nine points and 11 boards.

NJCU committed just eight turnovers on the night compared to 23 in the teams' first meeting, a 64-60 Lions win on December 11.

TCNJ heads back home to face Stockton on Wednesday night.