News Release

NEWPORT NEWS, VA — GOTHIC KNIGHTS CRUSH RUTGERS-CAMDEN, 103-67, IN CNU TOURNAMENT CONSOLATION GAME

NJCU IMPROVES TO 74-0 ALL-TIME WHEN SCORING 100+ IN A GAME

New Jersey City University broke open a 21-21 game with a 31-4 scoring run behind the play of junior swingman MARK WASHINGTON (East Orange, NJ/West Side), an All-Tournament team selection, who notched a game-high 23 points, and crushed Rutgers University-Camden, 103-67, in the consolation game of the Point Plaza Suites/Captains Shootout hosted by Christopher Newport University at the Freeman Center. NJCU shot 60.6 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three-point range.

NJCU (7-5) improves to 74-0 all-time when scoring 100 or more points in a game—the sixth time the Gothic Knights have achieved the feat against Camden (1-10). The 36-point margin of victory marks the 75th time NJCU has won a game by 30 or more in program history. NJCU has won 33-of-34 against the Scarlet Raptors, and improves to 43-4 all-time and 42-2 under head coach Charles Brown.

The victory for NJCU ended an odd trend to begin the year, which saw NJCU post three two-game winning streaks that were each followed by a two-game losing skid.

Washington, who scored 18 in the opening round, was brilliant in the win, as the junior tri-captain hit 10-of-11 from the field for 23 points, with four assists and three steals in just 21 minutes.

Junior center JAMES KAISER (South Orange, NJ/Columbia) was just two points shy of his career high, as he hit 7-of-8 field goals to finish with 14 points in 17 minutes. Rookie swingman LUIS DaSILVA (Newark, NJ/Newark-East Side), playing in only his fourth career game after joining the team at mid-season was on fire from three-point range, where he drained 4-of-5 (4-of-7 FG), including three in a row in the second half, to finish with a career-best 12 points in 15 minutes.

All 12 NJCU players who dressed played and all scored at least four points while logging double-digits in minutes. Freshman point guard CHARLES COLES (Hillside, NJ/Hillside), also new to the lineup, scored nine in 20 minutes, while junior forward BEN BALCOM (Monroe, NJ/St. Patrick’s, Elizabeth) had eight points and five rebounds and rookie forward ANTOINNE MORGANO (Newark, NJ/University) also chipped in eight points. Sophomore center DEVIN DAVIS (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Regional) added seven rebounds and six points in 15 minutes, while sophomore LAMAR JONES (Irvington, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) grabbed a career-high seven boards.

Senior guard TYRONE RUCKER (Pennsauken, NJ) was the Camden high man with 22 points in 40 minutes. He canned 8-of-16 overall and 5-of-7 from the land of treys. Sophomore guard DANE NICHOLSON (Pleasantville, NJ) had 19 points (7-of-13), six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Freshman guard CHRIS CRENSHAW (Williamstown, NJ) hit 6-of-7 and tallied 12 points.

A competitive game early quickly got out of hand, as NJCU turned a 21-21 tie with 10:33 left in the first half into a 52-25, 27-point edge with 1:25 left in the opening period, as the Knights went on a 31-4 tear over 9:08. Washington had nine of his 14 first half points during the spurt. The Knights led 52-27 at the half and extended the margin to as many as 44 in the second period.

NJCU finished shooting 60.6 percent overall (43-of-71), including 61.8 in the second half (21-of-34), and on the 28 shots it did miss, the Knights grabbed offensive rebounds 16 times. NJCU shot 10-of-16 from three-point range (.625). Camden, NJCU’s long-time foe in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, didn’t shoot poorly, and were near 50 percent most of the game before finishing at 47.3 percent (26-of-55) overall and 63.6 percent from deep (7-of-11). However, the Raptors made just 8-of-23 from the line (.348) and committed 27 turnovers, which led to a 39-15 scoring edge for NJCU. The Knights outscored RC in the paint, 58-32, and from the bench, 56-16.

NJCU returns to action on Saturday, January 8 at 6pm when it faces FDU-Florham in the Lebanon Valley College Tournament in Annville, PA.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—

Newspaper Box Score
Rutgers-Camden vs New Jersey City University
01/04/05 6 pm at Newport News, VA (The Freehman Center)
At Newport News, VA (The Freehman Center)
NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY 103, RUTGERS-CAMDEN 67
RUTGERS-CAMDEN (1-10)
Tyrone Rucker 8-16 1-2 22; Dane Nicholson 7-13 4-10 19; Chris Crenshaw 6-7
0-1 12; Wm. Jarett Mutts 3-8 0-1 6; Timothy Harris 1-1 2-6 4; Kenny Yu 1-5
0-1 3; Amir Fantroyal 0-5 1-2 1. Totals 26-55 8-23 67.
NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY (7-5)
Mark Washington 10-11 2-4 23; James Kaiser 7-8 0-1 14; Luis DaSilva 4-7 0-0
12; Charles Coles 3-4 2-2 9; Ben Balcom 3-7 0-2 8; Antoinne Morgano 3-6 2-2
8; Namreh White 3-5 0-0 7; Rob Freeney 2-4 1-2 6; Devin Davis 3-7 0-0 6;
Javier Rodriguez 2-4 0-0 4; Lamar Jones 2-5 0-0 4; Rajahn Jones 1-3 0-0 2.
Totals 43-71 7-13 103.
Rutgers-Camden................   27   40  -   67
New Jersey City University....   52   51  -  103
3-point goals-Rutgers-Camden 7-11 (Tyrone Rucker 5-7; Dane Nicholson 1-1;
Kenny Yu 1-2; Amir Fantroyal 0-1), New Jersey City University 10-16 (Luis
DaSilva 4-5; Ben Balcom 2-3; Charles Coles 1-1; Rob Freeney 1-3; Mark
Washington 1-1; Namreh White 1-2; Rajahn Jones 0-1). Fouled
out--Rutgers-Camden-None, New Jersey City University-None.
Rebounds-Rutgers-Camden 31 (Dane Nicholson 6; Wm. Jarett Mutts 6; Amir
Fantroyal 6), New Jersey City University 40 (Lamar Jones 7; Devin Davis 7).
Assists-Rutgers-Camden 10 (Dane Nicholson 4), New Jersey City University 17
(Mark Washington 4). Total fouls-Rutgers-Camden 16, New Jersey City
University 18. A-234
Consolarion game of the Christopher Newport Captains Shootout.
NJCU improves to 74-0 all-time when scoring 100+ points in a game.
NJCU wins by 30 or more for the 75th time in school history. NJCU has won
 33-of-34 against RC, and own a 43-4 mark all-time (42-2 with Charles Brown).