JERSEY CITY, N.J. -  The TCNJ women's basketball team fell victim to a storybook ending in its matchup against New Jersey City Saturday afternoon, dropping a 66-65 decision to the Gothic Knights.
 
Up 65-64 with the ball and the shot clock off, all signs pointed toward a seventh straight win for the Lions. Grace Kowalski received the inbound and got the ball across half court, but was pegged with a rare carry call to give the ball back to NJCU and keep the game alive.
 
Now with the fate of the program in their own hands – the Gothic Knights will no longer exist as the university gets absorbed by NJAC counterpart Kean beginning next academic year – it was the hosts' Autumn John getting Katie Fricker in the air before hitting what would be the game-winning layup to put her side up 66-65. Riley Ahrens had a look at a winner of her own on the other end, but saw her turnaround jumper fall short to end the Lions' six-game winning streak and complete the Cinderella ending for NJCU.
 
TNCJ had a trio of double-digit scorers in Kowalski (17), Ahrens (14) and Myah Hourigan-Hutton (10), but were held to just 31.3 percent shooting (20-of-64) from the floor while committing 18 turnovers in just its second loss this calendar year. Katie Fricker added a team-high nine rebounds while Amanda Baylock finished with eight points, five rebounds and a game-high four assists.
 
Both offenses were flowing at the start of Saturday's game in a quarter that saw the sides shoot a combined 53.3 percent (16-of-30) from the floor and 46.6 percent (7-of-15) from deep. NJCU jumped out to an early 7-3 lead before a 10-2 run bookended by Kowalski and Ahrens triples shot the Lions in front 13-9. A Gothic Knights 3-pointer made it a one-point game, but it was Kowalski and Ahrens combining again to score the first five points of a 7-0 burst that gave TCNJ its largest lead of the afternoon (20-12).
 
The Lions narrowly maintained their lead through the quarter change before it was NJCU's turn to go on a 9-0 run in the span of two minutes to take its largest lead of the night at 33-27. Kowalski did her best to keep TCNJ in the game, hitting two of her game-high five 3-pointers before Fricker joined in with her lone triple of the night to once again make it a one-point game. The NJAC's leading scorer would have the final say in the half, however, with Meghan Gentile hitting a 3-pointer of her own to give the Gothic Knights a 40-36 lead at the break.
 
TCNJ – which was held to 11 points in the second quarter – flipped the script to start the second half, limiting NJCU to just eight points on 25 percent (3-of-12) shooting in the third. The visitors' offense also continued to struggle initially, but after going down five (46-41) midway through the frame it was the Lions ending it on a 7-2 run to level the score at 48 with 10 minutes to go.
 
Another 7-0 burst from Kowalski and Ahrens put TCNJ up 59-54 with 4:48 to go before turnovers plagued the Lions down the stretch, the last of which gave NJCU the sixth and final lead change of the frame and handed TCNJ the 66-65 loss.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Lions shot 31.3 percent (20-of-64) from the floor, 27.8 percent (10-for-36) from beyond the arc and 83.3 percent (15-for-18) from the free throw line.
• The Gothic Knights shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from the field, 34.8 percent (8-of-23) from deep and 57.1 percent (8-of-14) at the charity stripe.
• TCNJ held a commanding 46-31 edge on the glass, including 19 offensive rebounds.
• The Lions' bench also outscored NJCU's 17-1 paced by Ahrens' 14.

STANDOUT LIONS

• Kowalski stayed red-hot from beyond the arc, going 5-for-8 en route to her team-high 17 points.
• Ahrens finished with 14 points and a season-high eight rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.
• Hourigan-Hutton reached double figures for the second time this season, notably going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

FOR THE FOES

• The Gothic Knights' trio of Gentile (20), John (19) and Na'tori Postell (17) accounted for nearly 85 percent of NJCU's points.
• John added 12 rebounds to secure the double-double.

UP NEXT

• The Lions return home Wednesday, Feb. 18 for their regular season finale against Montclair State. Tip is scheduled for 5 p.m.