Jersey City, N.J.— Behind a 28 point, 10 rebound performance from Dominique Grice (North Babylon, NY / North Babylon) the John Jay women’s basketball team defeated New Jersey City University (NJCU) on the road 50-48, ending a seven game losing streak. The Bloodhounds are now 2-8 on the season.
The Bloodhounds went neck and neck with the host Gothic Knights early in the contest. But despite six ties and NJCU never leading by more than four points through the first 19:05 of the game, the Bloodhounds did not grab their first lead of the contest until the final minute when they grabbed a 24-23 lead on a free throw by Ganimete Ukperaj (Bellmore, NY / John F. Kennedy).
It proved to be the only moment in the first half that John Jay would lead as NJCU reclaimed the lead on the next possession and went into halftime with a 25-24 lead.
John Jay opened the second half on a 10-2 run and took a 34-27 lead at the 16:57 mark on a fastbreak lay-up by Grice.
NJCU would cut the Bloodhound lead to one on several occasions, but John Jay maintained the lead for much of the second half.
The Gothic Knights took its first lead of the second half at the 6:23 mark on a three point field goal, then led by as much as three. But John Jay did not go away and used a mini 4-0 run to go back in front. A pair of free throws by Grice, who scored 18 straight points for the Bloodhounds in the second half, with 3:12 to play gave the Bloodhounds a 46-45 lead.
But NJCU used a 3-0 run to go back in front (48-46) with 2:18 to play. But that would be all the scoring the Gothic Knights would get. Grice connected on a pair of free throws with 1:06 to play to even the score. Then on the next possession Grice recorded her third of three steals of the night and connected on a lay-up with forty seconds remaining to give John Jay a 50-48 lead, the margin of victory.
NJCU failed on its final two possessions, capped on a missed three point field goal in the final seconds as John Jay prevailed on the road.
Zadoora Carson (New York, NY / Urban Peace Academy) grabbed a team co-high 10 rebounds, while Parker Griffin (New York, NY / Bishop Kearney) had nine rebounds and six points.
John Jay returns to action on Thu. Dec. 27 for a home contest with Pitt-Greenburg at 4 p.m.
