JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham trailed by 13 at halftime, but opened the second half on a 16-2 run and behind 72.2 percent second half shooting overcame 39 turnovers, defeating New Jersey City University, 69-64 in a back-and-forth non-conference game on Tuesday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on Coach Charlie Brown Court.
FDU (3-3) shot 30-of-35 from the free throw line for 85.7 percent, including 20-of-24 in the second half. The Gothic Knights could only convert 12-of-28 from the stripe (.429), dropping to 0-4 overall. FDU leads the all-time series, 8-3. The game, slated for a 6 p.m. start, was delayed until 6:45 p.m.
There were 13 lead changes and eight ties in the game. NJCU held the advantage in many categories, including offensive rebounding (25-7), points off turnovers (35-19) and second chance points (16-4).
Senior forward Danielle Michlovsky (Wind Gap, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) scored 22 points (7-12 FG, 8-10 FT) with nine rebounds (eight defensive) to overcome seven giveaways, before fouling out. Sophomore center Meghan Lentine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) had 12 points and 10 defensive rebounds for the Devils while junior forward Shealyn Taggart (Atlantic Highlands, NJ/Middletown South) collected 13 points (5-10 FG), despite 10 turnovers.
Also for the Devils, senior guard Courtney Young (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) had nine assists and seven rebounds despite eight giveaways. Sophomore forward Matil Mangual (Westbury, NY/Clark) had nine points and seven rebounds.
Sophomore forward EBONY CUNNINGHAM (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus) led NJCU with 18 points (7-15 FG), six boards and five steals. Freshman guard ASHLEY FREEMAN (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech) added 14 points (6-21 FG, 2-11 3FG) and six steals.
Junior guard MIESHA COOKE (Paterson, NJ/Sports Business Academy) tallied 13 points (5-12 FG) while freshman point guard LATIFAH JOHNSON (Newark, NJ/University) had six assists before fouling out. Freshman center KIARA DENSON (Garfield, NJ/Garfield) finished with 10 rebounds.
NJCU forced FDU into 22 first half turnovers and it paid dividends, particularly in the final four minutes. The Devils shot 6-of-22 (.273) in the opening stanza, but led 20-16 with 4:39 left before NJCU scored 20 of the final 23 points of the period.
A Freeman triple and two Cunningham foul shots fouling her steal gave NJCU a 21-20 lead. Freeman picked off a pass and fed Cunningham for two fast-break points. A steal by freshman forward LINDIA FISCHER (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) led to two free throws. Another FDU turnover gave NJCU possession and Cooke would grab an offensive rebound and score for a 27-20 cushion with 2:32 left.
After FDU missed a shot with 2:10 left, Freeman grabbed a rebound and sprinted down the floor for a 29-20 margin. A steal by Cunningham set up a Freeman fast-break bucket with 1:39 on the board and NJCU extended its run to 17-0 over a span of 3:49 when Cooke sank a jumper for a 33-20 margin. Cooke would add a basket with 20 seconds left in the period and the Knights went to the locker room owning a 36-23 lead.
FDU scored the first three field goals of the second half before Johnson netted a shot for a 38-29 edge, But Lentine, Mangual, Taggart and finally Michlovsky followed with layups and the NJCU margin fell to one, 38-37, with 13:46 left. Taggart scored off a Michlovsky feed with 13:11 remaining and the Devils completed their 16-2 run to claim a 39-38 lead.
The teams would trade the lead five times over the next 2:13 before Freeman drilled a three at 10:58. Freshman forward MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) had a tip in to make it a four-point, 47-43 edge. Mangual made three free throws and Taggart had a fast-break lay-up off a Young steal as FDU reclaimed a 48-47 margin with 8:57 left.
After NJCU regained the lead, Michlovsky hit two foul shots for a 52-50 score before a Cunningham steal set up a game-tying lay-up by Freeman with 6:32 left, but the Knights wouldnt lead again. Taggart and Lentine produced field goals before Michlovsky extended the lead to 58-52 with 3:17 on a jumper. Cunningham would make 2-of-4 free throws on an FDU foul and subsequent technical, and cut it to 58-56 with 2:38 left with a lay-up. Cunningham added her sixth straight point with 2:03 left off a Johnson swipe to tie it at 58-58.
But after an NJCU turnover and foul, Mangual put the Devils ahead to stay with two foul shots. Senior guard Alex Katz (Wharton, NJ/Morris Hills) made six foul shots down the stretch to negate a three by Cooke and led 67-62 with 12 seconds left before winning by five.
NJCU is off until Thursday, December 3 when it meets Farmingdale State College in a home non-conference game at 6 p.m. FDU will hosts William Paterson University on Sunday, November 29 at 2 p.m.
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1 дек 2009
