EWING, N.J. – Grace Kowalski buried an improbable game-winning shot from about 30 feet as the TCNJ women's basketball team stunned host New Jersey City, in an epic NJAC clash on Saturday.
The Lions had let an 11-point fourth-quarter lead slip away and seemed doomed to a gut-wrenching loss when the Gothic Knights hit two free throws in the closing seconds. But Kowalski came to the rescue, taking the inbounds pass and several dribbles before launching a one-legged runner that went straight through the net as time expired.
FOR THE RECORD
- TCNJ moved to 11-7 overall and 8-3 in the NJAC, while NJCU now sits at 9-7 and 7-4 in league play. The Lions are one game behind Kean and the winner of Saturday's Stockton/Ramapo game for first place
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Lions trailed only once before the closing seconds, and it came at 9-7 about six minutes in. Still tied at 13 late in the first quarter, Nina Branchizio and Julia Setaro splashed consecutive triples to end the period and give the visitors a 19-13 edge
- A pair of 3-pointers by Kowalski and Arianna McCleod, sandwiched around a basket inside by Kaitlyn Deiter, upped the TCNJ margin to 32-20 late in the second, and NJCU was only able to get within nine (34-25) at the break
- The Lions fought off an early NJCU surge in the third, eventually going back up by double digits (39-29) after five straight points from Setaro. The fifth-year then converted a three-point play and knocked down another long ball to make it 45-34 at the 5:16 mark, and the spread ballooned to as many as 13 (49-36) on Kowalski's layup with 2:43 to go
- TCNJ continued to keep the Gothic Knights at bay in the fourth, going up 56-45 on a 3-pointer by Katie Fricker and maintaining that margin at 59-48 on a Myah Hourigan-Hutton bucket with 5:49 to go
- NJCU made its move from there, pulling into a 63-all deadlock on a 3-pointer with 2:17 to go, but Setaro's free throw put the Lions back on top, and two more freebies from Izzy Leazier made it 66-63 with 1:45 to go
- The Gothic Knights tied it again at 66 on another 3-pointer with 1:20 to go, and both sides missed multiple chances to take the lead in the ensuing possessions. After a miss by Kowalski, TCNJ was whistled for a foul, and Alaisha Mumford sunk two free throws to give NJCU what looked to be a come-from-behind-victory
- That's when Kowalski stepped in, taking Leazier's inbounds pass and maneuvering up-court before swishing her shocking game-winner
FOR THE FOES
- Na'Tori Postell (18 points) and Mumford (10 points, 13 rebounds) had big games, but the Lions did an exceptional job on two-time NJAC Player of the Year Damaris Rodriguez. The senior scored 14 points but was just 6-for-24 from the field and committed five turnovers
STANDOUT LIONS
- Setaro paced the pride with 17 points, including a trio of treys
- Leazier had nine points, while Branchizio and Kowalski chipped in eight apiece; Branchizio also tallied five rebounds and five assists
- Fricker (seven points, four rebounds) and McCleod (six points, four boards) made meaningful contributions off the bench, while Deiter paired six points with seven rebounds
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- TCNJ made 10 3-pointers (10-for-24) and turned it over only 11 times to 16 for NJCU
- The Lions held the Gothic Knights to 34.7-percent shooting (26-for-75), helping to offset a 54-39 rebounding advantage and 20 second-chance points for the hosts
NOTES
- TCNJ snapped a three-game skid against NJCU, which won by a point in Ewing last year before eliminating the Lions in an overtime heartbreaker in the NJAC semifinals
- Leazier surpassed 600 career points, while Deiter snagged her 300th career rebound
UP NEXT
- The Lions return home to face Rowan on Wednesday
