NEWARK, NJ – Junior forward Phil Barnes (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) finished with 24 points and a game-high nine rebounds for Rutgers-Newark, but junior point guard Josh Lopez poured in a career-high 36 points to help lift New Jersey City to a heart-stopping 92-88 double-overtime win over Rutgers-Newark in The Golden Dome.
NCAA Box Score & Play-by-Play
Barnes hammered down a rebound dunk with nine seconds left gave the Scarlet Raiders (12-8, NJAC 5-3) an opportunity for overtime as he knotted the score at 70-70.
After Lopez gave NJCU a two-point lead with a baseline jumper with 55 ticks left in the first overtime, sophomore forward Kenny Widgeon (Plainfield, NJ/Hotchkiss School) knocked down a pair of free throws to tie it at 78-78 with 47 seconds remaining and send the contest into another five-minute session.
The Gothic Knights (8-10, NJAC 3-5) had chances to win at the end of regulation and at the close of the first extra period. Sophomore forward Tom McDermott put up a jumper in the lane that left his right hand just after the buzzer at the end of regulation. At the end of the first overtime, freshman forward Farrakhan Wells was wide left on a 3-point jumper just before the buzzer.
Freshman forward Rashawn Smalls had 17 points and four rebounds in just 18 minutes before drawing a second technical foul in the second period. Wells had 13 points, three rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals.
Junior guard James Johnson (Summit, NJ/Summit) exploded for 22 of his career-high 25 points to help Rutgers-Newark stay within striking distance at 46-39 at the half. Junior point guard Tim Smith (Mullica Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic) also got 17 points, five rebounds and four assists from.
In a streaky first half, Smalls hit a jumper to cap an opening 14-5 run by the Gothic Knights.
Johnson had a dozen points, which included a steal and dunk as well as a pair of treys, to fuel a 16-0 run by Rutgers-Newark. His second 3-pointer of the rally gave the Raiders a 28-24 lead with 9:40 left in the period. The 6-foot junior had a career high by the half, hitting all eight of his field goal attempts – including all four of his shots from beyond the arc – and two free throws in just 13 minutes.
NJCU used a closing 12-0 run over the final 3:10 to seize the halftime edge.
Three inside buckets by Smalls pushed the Gothic Knight lead to 52-39 during the opening minute and half of the second period.
Barnes poured in nine points during a 20-5 spurt that was capped by a 3-point jumper by freshman guard Greg Moore (Jersey City, NJ/Bayonne) with 7:56 left, putting the Raiders back in the lead, 61-69. There were three lead changes and two ties during the final 6:38 of regulation to set the stage for Barnes' rebound dunk.
NJCU never trailed in the first overtime, but the Raiders answered every Gothic Knight point for force the final period.
A Lopez trey helped NJCU score the first six points of the second overtime, forcing Rutgers-Newark to foul during the frantic final minute. A driving layup by Smith trimmed the NJCU lead to 89-87 with seconds left, but Lopez hit three of four free throws in the closing 10 seconds to settle the matter.
Rutgers-Newark visits Richard Stockton for an NJAC doubleheader on Saturday. The women's tip off at 2 'clock with the men to follow at 4 p.m.
