CAMDEN, N.J. (Jan. 15, 2025) – Wednesday's New Jersey Athletic Conference men's basketball game came down to the final 4.5 seconds with both New Jersey City University and Rutgers University-Camden looking to pull out a tight victory.
 
In the end, it was NJCU senior guard Jaheim Lewis making the biggest play of the game, moments after missing a pair of foul shots, as he blocked the Raptors' potential game-winning shot at the buzzer, helping the Gothic Knights escape with a 57-56 victory.
 
NJCU improved to 11-4 overall and 6-2 in the conference with its fourth straight victory. Rutgers-Camden fell to 5-9 overall and 0-8 in the NJAC with its ninth straight loss.
 
NJCU has won its last six games against Rutgers-Camden and leads the all-time series, 75-6.
 
Trailing by nine points (41-32) midway through the second half, Rutgers-Camden kept chipping away at NJCU's lead, finally taking its first lead since early in the game on a big four-point play by sophomore guard Lamar Davis. Davis hit a trey, was fouled and buried a free throw to give Rutgers-Camden a 48-47 lead down the stretch.
 
After the teams traded leads three times, with the Gothic Knights taking a 53-51 advantage on a jumper by graduate forward Avante Gilbert, NJCU built a 57-53 lead with less than 20 seconds remaining. Raptor junior guard Jordan Trusty-Smith sliced that gap with a trey, making it a 57-56 game before Rutgers-Camden fouled Lewis with 4.5 seconds left. Lewis missed both of his foul shots, with Raptor junior forward Cherif Kanoute grabbing the second rebound. Lewis, however, hustled back to block and attempted layup by junior forward Cameron Downs as time expired.
 
Gilbert led the Gothic Knights with a game-high 17 points, while senior guard Hakeem Wilson and junior guard Bakhi Rogers-Robinson both scored 13. Lewis had five rebounds and two blocks, including the big block at the end.
 
Downs led Rutgers-Camden with 14 points and a game-high five steals, while Kanoute and graduate guard Javon Gordon both finished with nine points. Trusty-Smith added eight points and a game-high four assists.
 
NJCU shot 20-for-41 from the floor (48.8 percent) and 16-for-21 (76.2) from the foul line, while Rutgers-Camden went 19-for-47 (40.4) and 12-for-17 (70.6), respectively.
 
The Gothic Knights held a 28-25 edge off the boards.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday with a 3 p.m. NJAC game at William Paterson University.