NJCU’S CHARLES BROWN BECOMES SECOND WINNINGEST MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH IN NEW JERSEY HISTORY WITH WIN #432
Just two weeks after losing to the College of Staten Island, 84-76, a new look New Jersey City University men’s basketball team got its revenge in the form of a convincing tournament championship rout of its neighbors across the Bayonne Bridge.
NJCU received 17 points and eight rebounds from sophomore power forward DEVIN DAVIS (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Regional), and 10 points from three players, including junior swingman MARK WASHINGTON (East Orange, NJ/West Side)—the tournament Most Valuable Player—as the Gothic Knights crushed host College of Staten Island, 92-60, in the championship game of the CSI Third Annual Tournament of Heroes. NJCU improves to 6-4 overall, and leads the all-time series, 11-4. The Dolphins fall to 7-3 in defeat.
The win was the 432nd in the 23-year career of NJCU head coach CHARLES BROWN, who becomes the second winningest men’s college basketball coach in New Jersey history at the Division I, II, or III level with the victory. The win allows Brown (432-193) to break a second-place tie with former New Jersey Institute of Technology coach James Catalano, who like Brown, is a graduate of NJCU. Former Princeton University coach Pete Carril is the winningest coach in New Jersey history. The Tigers went 514-273 in his 29 seasons as coach of the Division I program (1968-1996).
In a game where NJCU led by as many as 42 points, the Gothic Knights, who added six players to a depleted roster to begin the second semester on Tuesday, proved why they could be the most dangerous independent team in the nation this winter with a 57-14 run that spanned two halves.
Davis, the star of the first semester for NJCU, was named to his second All-Tournament team of the season. He scored 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting, thanks in part to seven offensive rebounds out of his eight boards. He added three assists while playing only 17 minutes. Washington followed up his 26-point performance in his season debut yesterday with 10 points and nine rebounds (eight defensive), to give him 792 points in his three-year career. He was named Most Valuable Player for his efforts.
NJCU held a 40-10 margin in bench scoring, and that was highlighted by freshman forward ANTOINNE MORGANO (Newark, NJ/University), who registered his first career double-double with 10 points (4-6 FG) and 10 rebounds (seven defensive) in just 15 reserve minutes of only his second collegiate game.
While Morgano is a rookie mid-season addition, junior point guard ROB FREENEY (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway), a transfer from Richard Stockton College, has been a tremendous veteran addition, and he added 10 points in NJCU’s win.
Sophomore center ABRAHAM WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) had eight points and five rebounds in 15 minutes, while senior forward CHRISTOPHER KATES (Metuchen, NJ/Metuchen) also added eight.
Senior guard Mike Stewart (Brooklyn, NY/George Westinghouse) led CSI with 20 points and six rebounds, but shot 6-of-19. Senior forward Mike Nebavlakis (Brooklyn, NY/FDR) had 13 points (3-9), five rebounds and four steals, and senior forward Jason Coke (Brooklyn, NY/Grady) contributed 10 points and five rebounds.
NJCU shot .508 from the floor for the game (33-of-65) and were uncharacteristically stellar at the line where the Knights shot .815 (22-of-27). NJCU also out-rebounded CSI 50-30, including 34-20 on defense. Meanwhile, the Dolphins made just 18-of-56 from the field (.321) and 1-of-10 from three-point range. CSI converted .742 of its free throws (23-31).
NJCU controlled the paint to a tune of 52-26, and turned 14 Dolphins miscues—a relatively low amount—into 25 points.
A game that amazingly featured nine lead changes and four ties saw CSI up by one, 21-20, with 8:42 left in the first half. However, NJCU reeled off a 25-4 run to pull in front by 20 at the break, 45-25. Morgano and Kates each scored eight points during the tear, including a pair of treys by Kates off the bench.
It only got worse from there as NJCU came out of the intermission on spurts of 24-6 and 32-10, which extended the streak to 57-14. The Knights scored the first 10 points of the second half to gain a 55-25 edge. That score ballooned to 77-35 at 10:37 when Morgano hit a jumper to give NJCU a 42-point margin. Davis tallied 11 of his 17 during the second period streak and 15 of his 17 in the second half, while Washington and Freeney had six and five, respectively during the run.
NJCU led by 42 at three junctures, and maintained a lead fluctuating between 38-42 points from the 11:35 to 4:57 mark of the second half—a span of 6:38. The 32-point win was the second largest point differential in series history. Then-Jersey City State topped CSI, 104-69 on December 28, 1989, for a 35-point margin.
NJCU returns to tournament action on Monday, January 3, 2005 at 6pm when it faces St. Mary’s College (MD) in the opening round of the Christopher Newport University Captains Shootout in Newport News, VA.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
Newspaper Box Score New Jersey City University vs College of Staten Island 12/29/04 4 pm at Staten Island, NY (Sports & Rec Center) At Staten Island, NY (Sports & Rec Center) NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY 92, COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND 60 NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY (6-4) Devin Davis 8-12 1-1 17; Rob Freeney 3-5 3-4 10; Mark Washington 3-10 4-5 10; Antoinne Morgano 4-6 2-2 10; Abraham Williams 3-6 2-2 8; Christopher Kates 3-6 0-0 8; Javier Rodriguez 2-3 3-4 7; James Kaiser 3-5 0-0 6; Will Morris 2-2 2-4 6; Luis DaSilva 1-3 2-2 5; Charles Coles 0-2 2-2 2; Ben Balcom 1-2 0-0 2; Lamar Jones 0-3 1-1 1; Shaun Patterson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-65 22-27 92. COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND (7-3) Stewart, Mike 6-19 7-8 20; Nebavlakis, Mike 3-9 7-8 13; Coke, Jason 2-5 6-8 10; Smith, John 2-10 3-4 7; Mesjasz, Robert 3-6 0-2 6; Martiniuk, Justin 2-3 0-0 4; Defazio, Billy 0-0 0-0 0; Holder, Chris 0-0 0-0 0; Jones, Mike 0-3 0-0 0; Ulett, Carlito 0-1 0-1 0. Totals 18-56 23-31 60. New Jersey City University.... 45 47 - 92 College of Staten Island...... 25 35 - 60 3-point goals-New Jersey City University 4-11 (Christopher Kates 2-3; Rob Freeney 1-3; Luis DaSilva 1-1; Javier Rodriguez 0-1; Charles Coles 0-1; Ben Balcom 0-1; Mark Washington 0-1), College of Staten Island 1-10 (Stewart, Mike 1-4; Nebavlakis, Mike 0-1; Coke, Jason 0-1; Mesjasz, Robert 0-1; Jones, Mike 0-2; Ulett, Carlito 0-1). Fouled out--New Jersey City University-None, College of Staten Island-Mesjasz, Robert. Rebounds-New Jersey City University 50 (Antoinne Morgano 10), College of Staten Island 30 (Smith, John 6; Stewart, Mike 6). Assists-New Jersey City University 17 (Ben Balcom 4), College of Staten Island 4 (Coke, Jason 2; Stewart, Mike 2). Total fouls-New Jersey City University 25, College of Staten Island 21. A-212 New Jersey City wins the 3rd Annual Tournament of Heroes. MVP-Mark Washington (NJCU) All-Tournament Team, Tim Dutille (Clark), Kyle O'Connor (McDaniel), Mike Stewart (CSI), Mike Nebavlakis (CSI), Devin Davis (NJCU). Charles Brown (win #432) becomes second winningest NJ men's coach ever