JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Jan. 10, 2024) – The New Jersey City University women's basketball team broke open a close game with a 19-5 third-quarter run and forced Rutgers University-Camden into a season-high 42 turnovers as the Gothic Knights defeated the Scarlet Raptors, 89-53, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night.
 
With their third straight win, the Gothic Knights improved to 8-5 overall and 6-2 in the conference. It was their eighth straight win against Rutgers-Camden, although the Scarlet Raptors lead the all-time series, 39-32.
 
Rutgers-Camden fell to 0-15 overall and 0-8 in the NJAC.
 
The first half featured six lead changes and one tie, in addition to red-hot shooting by senior guard Jania Pitts, who went 5-for-8 from three-point range on her way to breaking her career scoring high in only one half. She tallied 19 points in the opening half, passing her previous high of 16, accomplished three times. The last time came on Dec. 30 at Swarthmore College.
 
Despite Pitts' hot half, NJCU held a 39-35 lead at the break. With the score tied at 24-24, the Gothic Knights went on a 15-5 run to take a 39-29 advantage. NJCU took the lead for good, 26-24, on a layup by sophomore guard Tahirah Kelley.
 
The Gothic Knights placed four players in double figures, led by senior guard Damaris Rodriguez, who had a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists. Junior guard Alaisha Mumford netted 15 points, sophomore guard Elyssa Russo canned 12 points and freshman guard Na'tori Postell added 10. Kelley finished with a game-high eight steals.
 
Pitts, who hurt her hand near the end of the opening half, scored all of her 19 points in the opening half. Pitts also led the Raptors with three steals.
 
Senior guard Rahzirah Blocker notched her fifth double-double of the season with 17 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. She passed her old rebounding high of 12, set against William Paterson University on Feb. 11, 2023. The 17 points lifted her career total to 948, moving her into 17th place on the program's career list. She passed Monica Cummings, who scored 945 points from 1981-83.
 
Freshman forward A'yanna Morton had career highs of six assists and three blocked shots for Rutgers-Camden, while freshman guard Maniya Smith added five assists, seven points and seven rebounds and sophomore forward Taja Brown notched 11 rebounds.
 
Rutgers-Camden held a 58-39 advantage in rebounds, but shot only 16-for-53 (30.2 percent) from the floor and made 42 turnovers to the Gothic Knights' 11. NJCU shot 35-for-89 (39.3).
 
The Scarlet Raptors resume NJAC action Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest at William Paterson University.