News Release

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Saturday, March 06, 2004 (MEN’S BASKETBALL)

NEW JERSEY CITY ADVANCES TO NCAA SWEET 16 WITH 74-67 VICTORY OVER LYCOMING

GOTHIC KNIGHTS TO FACE AMHERST IN SECTIONAL SEMIFINALS FRIDAY

New Jersey City University received a balanced scoring attack and overcame a late Lycoming run to advance to the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Sweet 16, by defeating the Warriors, 74-67, Saturday night in the NCAA Second Round at the NJCU Athletic & Fitness Center.

NJCU’s magical season continues, as the Gothic Knights improve to 22-6 overall with their fifth consecutive victory. The Warriors’ season ends at 21-8. NJCU will face Amherst College (MA), one of the top teams in Division III, in the sectional semifinals on Friday, March 12 at 7pm. The site of that game will be announced on Sunday. Amherst advanced easily by defeating Plymouth State, 113-85. The two schools have never met in men’s basketball.
The winner will advance to the Elite 8 on March 13.

NJCU is 2-0 all-time against Lycoming, as the teams were meeting for the first time since the 1974-75 season. This was the first match-up in Jersey City. The Gothic Knights, making their 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1973 by winning the 2004 NJAC championship on February 28, improve to 17-16 all-time in the NCAA’s. The Knights have made four Elite 8 showings (1979, 1980, 1986, and 1992). NJCU was making its first appearance in the NCAA’s since 1998-99.

NJCU had four players in double figures, led by sophomore guard KAREEM COLLINS (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) with 15 points (6-of-13) and five rebounds in 24 minutes. Senior forward HAROLD WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/St. Aloysius) poured in 10 of his 14 points in the second half, play 21 minutes overall.

NJCU’s two all-conference players each scored 13. Senior guard and All-America candidate SAMAR BATTLE (East Orange, NJ/Clifford Scott), the 2004 NJAC Player of the Year, had his 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting, but added seven rebounds (six offensive) and two blocks in 32 minutes. Sophomore forward MARK WASHINGTON (East Orange, NJ/West Side) made 5-of-10 in reaching 13, and had team-highs of eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 34 minutes, despite committing five turnovers.

The Warriors received a game-high 24 points from sophomore forward Jonathan Pribble (Woolrich, PA/Central Mountain), nine rebounds, and two steals in 38 minutes. The shooter had scored at least 32 in each of his previous three games, but struggled, hitting 9-of-24 overall and just 2-of-12 from three-point territory. He had 32 on Thursday in Lycoming’s six-point win over Lehman College in the NCAA First Round.

Also for the Middle Atlantic Corporation Freedom champions, senior 6-8 forward/center Matthew Stackhouse (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) had a solid double-double, with 20 points (8-of-12), a game-best 14 rebounds (eight offensive), and two blocks in 25 minutes, despite playing with four fouls for much of the second half. Senior 6-8 center L.J. Huggler (Kersey, PA/Saint Mary’s Area) had 10 points, and nine rebounds, but shot 2-of-9 from the field and committed five turnovers before fouling out while seeing 22 minutes. Junior point guard Shaun Morris (Camp Hill, PA/Trinity) dished a game-high seven assists and had three steals in 32 minutes, but also had five turnovers. Junior 6-9 center Jeremiah Edison (Mifflinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) added seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

In a clear contrast of styles, Lycoming, which started two players 6-8 or taller, and one at 6-5, had problems all night dealing with the somewhat smaller, much quicker, up-tempo running attack of the Gothic Knights. NJCU’s full-court press was partially responsible for 27 Warrior turnovers, and that led to a dominating 32-6 advantage in points off miscues. NJCU had 18 turnovers. Lycoming did out-rebound NJCU, 49-41.

After receiving a first round bye and not playing in a week, rust was not apparent for the home team. Lycoming jumped out to an early lead before the Knights tied it at 15-15. NJCU began to capitalize on the Warriors’ ball-handling errors, and went ahead 24-18 on a fast-break dunk by Battle. Lycoming bounced back from a 26-20 deficit and went ahead 31-28 with 2:26 remaining in the first half on a Stackhouse lay-up that capped an 11-2 run. NJCU scored with two seconds left in the half to grab a one-point, 34-33 advantage.

The game remained close throughout the second half, and stood at 51-50 with 7:59 remaining. However, NJCU used its speed to spark a 12-1 run, and went head 62-52 with 5:01 left on a pair of Washington free throws. Williams scored six points during the tear, including two on offensive rebounds and put-backs, and senior guard MIKE BARRY (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) drilled an important trey for the Knights.

Lycoming slowly chipped away at what was a 64-56 lead with 3:09 left, and cut the deficit to one, 64-63 at 2:14, when Morris converted two freebies, as the Warriors scored seven points in 53 seconds. After an NJCU free throw with 1:57 left, the Warriors had the ball, but Pribble coughed up a turnover, Collins seized the steal, and finished a fast-break lay-up with 1:30 on the board for a 67-63 lead.

It remained 68-64 after a Collins free throw with 57.9 on the clock. The Warriors took advantage of a bad foul, as Pribble nailed three free-throws after being fouled from deep, and shaved the score to 68-67 with 50.2 left.

With 38 seconds left and NJCU in possession, Washington was picked off by Edison, and Lycoming had the ball with a chance to move in front. But Morris missed a driving lay-up with 27 seconds remaining, Collins grabbed the rebound, and hit two freebies with 25.8 left after being fouled. NJCU led 70-67 after a timeout. On the ensuing inbounds play, Stackhouse’s pass sailed into the scorer’s table. Barry was fouled, and hit a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left, to make it 72-67. Battle added two more free throws with 5.2 left to seal the 74-67 final margin.

After struggling all season from the foul line, NJCU continued to shoot extremely well from the stripe in the final few weeks of the season. The Knights converted a season-best 80 percent from the line (20-of-25), while Lycoming made 61.3 percent (19-of-31). Both teams struggled from the field. NJCU shot 38.2 percent (26-of-68) and 11.8 from deep (2-of-17). The Warriors were nearly equal to NJCU, making 38.3 percent of their shots (23-of-60) and 2-of-15 (13.3%) from three-point range.
-WWW.NJCU.EDU/GOKNIGHTS-

Newspaper Box Score
Lycoming College (PA) vs New Jersey City U.
03/06/04 7 pm at Jersey City, NJ (Athletic & Fitness Ctr)
At Jersey City, NJ (Athletic & Fitness Ctr)
NEW JERSEY CITY U. 74, LYCOMING COLLEGE (PA) 67
LYCOMING COLLEGE (PA) (21-8)
Jonathan Pribble 9-24 4-4 24; Matt Stackhouse 8-12 4-7 20; L.J. Huggler 2-9
6-9 10; Shaun Morris 1-6 3-5 5; Brad Musser 2-3 1-4 5; Jeremiah Edison 1-5
1-2 3; Nick Myers 0-1 0-0 0; Scott Corrigan 0-0 0-0 0; Patrick Baylor 0-0
0-0 0. Totals 23-60 19-31 67.
NEW JERSEY CITY U. (22-6)
Kareem Collins 6-13 3-4 15; Harold Williams 6-11 2-2 14; Mark Washington
5-10 3-4 13; Samar Battle 4-14 5-5 13; Rodney Ligon 1-8 4-4 6; Mike Barry
1-4 2-2 5; Abraham Williams 2-6 1-4 5; Javier Rodriguez 1-2 0-0 3; Bo Agnan
0-0 0-0 0; Arshen Hunter 0-0 0-0 0; Christopher Kates 0-0 0-0 0. Totals
26-68 20-25 74.
Lycoming College (PA).........   33   34  -   67
New Jersey City U.............   34   40  -   74
3-point goals-Lycoming College (PA) 2-15 (Jonathan Pribble 2-12; Shaun
Morris 0-3), New Jersey City U. 2-17 (Javier Rodriguez 1-1; Mike Barry 1-2;
Mark Washington 0-4; Samar Battle 0-4; Rodney Ligon 0-2; Harold Williams
0-1; Kareem Collins 0-3). Fouled out--Lycoming College (PA)-Brad Musser;
L.J. Huggler, New Jersey City U.-None. Rebounds-Lycoming College (PA) 49
(Matt Stackhouse 14), New Jersey City U. 41 (Mark Washington 8).
Assists-Lycoming College (PA) 13 (Shaun Morris 7), New Jersey City U. 14
(Mark Washington 4). Total fouls-Lycoming College (PA) 19, New Jersey City
U. 24. A-472
2004 NCAA DIVISION III MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT, Second Round
NJCU advances to the Sweet 16 to face Amherst College on Friday, March 12.
NJCU now 17-16 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Amherst advanced by defeating
 Plymouth State, 113-85. Site of sectionals will be announced on Sunday.