#13 Stockton 65, New Jersey City 57

Santini Lancioni

Boxscore
13th-ranked Richard Stockton (17-2, 6-1) overcame poor shooting and defeated New Jersey City (6-10, 2-5) 65-57 for its fifth consecutive win. Santini Lancioni (Runnemede/Paul VI) led the Ospreys with 20 points and four steals. Omar Smith (Newark/Central) tallied 15 points and nine rebounds while Michael Farrow (Whiteside/Middle Twp.) tossed in 10 points. Stockton shot just 35.1 percent from the floor, including 1-13 from three-point range, but the Ospreys scored 24 points at the free throw line.

A basket by Smith gave Stockton the lead for good at 16-15 and ignited an 8-0 run. Farrow capped the spurt with a dunk that put the Ospreys ahead 22-15. The margin grew to nine points on a free throw by Smith in the final minute of the first half, but New Jersey City scored a tip-in in the final seconds and Stockton led 31-24 at the break. The Ospreys went 12-14 (85.7%) from the line in the period.

In the second half, NJCU pulled within 33-30 before Stockton reeled off seven consecutive points, ending with a three-point play by Kai Massaquoi (Lawnside/Haddon Hts.) for a 40-30 advantage. The Ospreys’ lead later ballooned to 15 points at 58-43 after Smith finished off a 7-0 spurt with a jumper at the 5:43 mark. NJCU closed the gap to six points twice in the final minute, but Stockton went 7-8 at the line, including 4-4 by Jerome Hubbard (Neptune/Neptune), to clinch the 65-57 victory.