JERSEY CITY, NJ – Rowan charged back late in the game, but couldn't overcome NJCU, falling to the Gothic Knights, 73-59, in NJAC women's basketball action at the Moore Athletics & Fitness Center. The loss snaps the Profs' winning streak at three games, as they are now 14-8 (11-4 NJAC).
Dakota Adams had 21 points and 11 rebounds for her third consecutive double-double, and the sixth in the last seven games.
Nicole Mallard added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Profs.
NJCU (8-8; 6-5) outscored Rowan, 26-13, in the third quarter to build up a double-digit lead, and went on to hold a 58-42 lead at the end of the period.
With NJCU leading by as much as 18 points in the fourth quarter, Rowan started its comeback. Trailing 62-44, the Profs scored using an 11-2 run to pull within eight points, 64-56, with 2:51 remaining.
Nicole Mallard had five points in the run, including the last three straight that got the Profs to single digits. The teams traded baskets but then NJCU's Damaris Rodriguez scored three straight points to increase the lead to 69-58, while the Gothic Knights iced the win by going 4-for-4 in the final 53 seconds, and held Rowan to just one point in the final two minutes.
The game was tight in the first quarter, before NJCU hit five points in the final 44 seconds to take a 19-10 lead.
Rowan came out firing in the second quarter and back-to-back threes from
Sam Rinaldi and
Grace Marshall, along with a basket by Adams, cut the Profs' deficit to 21-18. NJCU went back up by 28-20 with over five minutes to play but Adams and Mallard brought the Profs back to 28-25. And despite neither team scoring for a two-minute span near the end of the quarter, Rowan went into halftime trailing by only, 32-29.
The Profs shot below 30 percent both from the field and from three-point range, and made only 12-for-22 free throws. NJCU benefited from 44 percent shooting and a 10-for-11 effort at the foul line.
Rowan will play the final two games of the regular season at home, hosting Ramapo on Saturday at 3 p.m. and Montclair State on Wednesday, February 16 at 5:30 p.m.
