PITMAN, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...After averaging 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 steals per game in a 1-1 week for the New Jersey City University women's basketball team, freshman point guard LATIFAH JOHNSON (Newark, NJ/University) has been selected as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for week seven of the 2009-10 campaign.
Johnson, the current NJAC leader in steals per game at 3.44 per contest (31 in nine games), also chipped in 1.5 assists and 0.5 blocks per game, while shooting .324 from the field (11-34) and 72.7 percent from the line (8-11).
Fifth-year head coach ASHANTE TIMOLL has been happy with Johnson's development. “She has become more comfortable as each games goes by. I'm proud that she has been aggressive but has also been able to find the open player. She is a complete point guard with a bright future.”
In a 75-68 come-from-behind win over St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) in a non-conference game on December 28 at the IZOD Center, she delivered 11 of her 15 points in the second half and had eight rebounds with three assists and one block.
With SJC-Brooklyn leading, she continually kept the Knights within striking distance. Her layup with 17:10 left made it a two-point deficit (36-34) and she nailed a three-pointer with 13:00 left to cut a six-point margin in half (47-44 SJC). With 10:03 remaining, her basket made the Bears' lead just two (51-49) before she added a field goal with 7:34 left to put her team up by three (57-54).
In a one-point, 63-62 loss to Simmons College on December 29, Johnson notched 17 points (5-13 FG, 6-7 FT), a career-high seven steals, five rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes. In a game with 11 lead changes and nine ties, Johnson put NJCU back on top as she hit 3-of-4 from the line with 6:32 and 5:44 left. Johnson buried two free throws with 3:56 remaining for a 60-58 lead before Simmons won at the end.
In nine games, Johnson is averaging 11.7 points, 3.4 steals, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game with a 0.7 assist/turnover ratio. The rookie is shooting .380 from the field (38-100), .211 from three-point range (8-38) and .512 from the line (21-41). She has reached double figures in scoring in seven of her nine games and scored 15 or more in three of her last four outings. Johnson has accumulated 105 points on the year.
In the NJAC, she currently ranks sixth in minutes (32.22 per game, 290 total), 11th in assists, 16th in scoring and three-pointers made (0.89 per game), 22nd in free throw percentage, and 23rd in field goal percentage.
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