FULL FINAL STANDINGS
BAKER MATCHES
PLAYOFF MATCHES
READING, PA (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...The #9 ranked New Jersey City University women's bowling team finished second overall among 28 schools—just 37 pins out of first place—before falling in the semifinals and rebounding to take third place on the final day of the second annual Kutztown University Invitational at Heister Lanes.
NJCU, ranked No. 9 nationally among Division I, II and III institutions, improved its record to 46-23, winning 10 consecutive matches for the second time this season. The Gothic Knights won nine of the final 10 matches on the last two days of what is the largest NCAA bowling event in the country this year.
Junior NICOLE DREJERWSKI (Levittown, PA/Conwell-Egan Catholic) and senior JENN MARMO (North Babylon, NY/North Babylon (NY)), who tied for fourth place in the individual standings, earned All-Tournament Team accolades.
On the final day of the tournament on January 31, NJCU bowled two final quad-Baker matches leading up to the playoff round. NJCU opened the day in second place, just 34 pins behind first place and eventual tournament champion and #2 ranked University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
In the opening match, NJCU easily defeated host and #12 ranked Kutztown University, 802-707, bowling a 265 in the opening game. In the final match of the regulation portion of the tournament, the Knights again bowled a 265 Baker score, downing Hampton University, 791-713.
In the semifinals, NJCU drew third-place and #4 ranked Fairleigh Dickinson University and bowled well, but dropped the best 4-of-7 series to their North Jersey rival, 4-0 (217-197, 201-191, 217-208, 192-183).
In the third-place match, NJCU again met Kutztown, and cruised past the Golden Bears in five games, 4-1 (225-160, 201-223, 203-194, 194-172, 212-183). In the championship match, UMES defeated FDU, 4-1.
For NJCU, which enjoyed arguably its best tournament result of the season, there was clear motivation. When the latest National Tenpins Coaches Association poll was released on January 28, the day before the tournament, the Knights were ranked ninth—the lowest ranking in program history.
“We had incentive when the ranking came out to show it's not an accurate ranking,” said 10th year head coach FRANK PARISI. “It motivated them throughout the weekend. We felt pretty good entering the tournament. We had good practices preparing for it and felt good about ourselves. We performed well the entire weekend. Even going 3-2 on the first day, they were five quality matches. Then, to go 9-1 the rest of the weekend, definitely helped our situation.”
In the opening match against Kutztown, NJCU, which ran its winning streak against the Golden Bears to three since losing the first two meetings this season against the Division II opponent, used a lineup of sophomore JENNIFER DAUNNO (Carteret, NJ/Carteret), her sister, freshman KELLY DAUNNO (Carteret, NJ/Carteret), senior CANDICE D'ANGELO (Coram, NY/Longwood (NY), Drejerwski and Marmo anchoring. The Knights posted a 265-183 win in the opening game to open a huge 82-pin lead, before winning game two, 161-143. KU won game three, 182-162, before NJCU closed out the 95-pin win with a 214-199 decision.
In the win over Hampton, NJCU used an identical lineup and again opened with a lopsided win, 211-138, for a 73-pin advantage. NJCU took the second game, 181-159, as the lead increased to 95. The third game was sensational for both schools, but NJCU prevailed again, 265-235, as the lead swelled to 125. Hampton won the fourth game, 181-134 (+47), but the Knights prevailed by 78, 791-713. NJCU is 2-1 against the Pirates this year.
The win over Hampton extended NJCU's winning streak to 10—the second longest win streak this year. NJCU won 12 in a row from November 22 through December 6.
In the semifinals and finals, NJCU maintained the same Baker lineup of the Daunno sisters, followed by its three veterans—D'Angelo, Drejerwski and Marmo. FDU won the series, 4-0, but the match was closer than then final score would indicate, as the teams were separated by only 48 pins. FDU took a 3-2 lead in the season series.
NJCU, which has now won 4-of-6 meetings against Kutztown this year, had no problems with the hosts in the third-place match. NJCU crushed the Bears by 65 pins in game one, 225-160. KU rebounded to tie the series at 1-1, winning 223-201 in game two. But from there, NJCU, which averaged a 207 in the five games, outbowled the Bears by 60 pins, winning 203-194, 194-172 and 212-183.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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KUTZTOWN INVITATIONAL (Day 3 of 3)
FINAL STANDINGS (before playoff round)
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PLACE
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SCHOOL
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NATIONAL RANK
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TOTAL PINFALL
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W-L
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1
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University of Maryland Eastern Shore
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#2
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7866
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14-1
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2
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NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY
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#9
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7829
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12-3
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3
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Fairleigh Dickinson University
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#4
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7652
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11-4
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4
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Kutztown University
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#12
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7435
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8-7
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5
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Sacred Heart University
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#17
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7371
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11-4
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6
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Delaware State University
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#3
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7237
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9-6
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7
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Valparaiso University
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#11
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7227
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10-4
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8
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University of Central Missouri
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#5
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7194
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11-3
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|
9
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Vanderbilt University
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#1
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7188
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7-8
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10
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Adelphi University
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#7
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7175
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5-10
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11
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Morgan State University
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#20
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7085
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7-3
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12
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St. Francis College (NY)
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#10
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7064
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5-10
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13
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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
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#14t
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7008
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9-6
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14
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Stephen F. Austin University
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|
7000
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5-5
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15
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Saint Peter's College
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6926
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7-8
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16
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Southern University
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|
6827
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7-7
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17
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Norfolk State University
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#19
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6797
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8-7
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18
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Medaille College
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|
6709
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4-6
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19
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SUNYIT
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|
6613
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6-9
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20
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Florida A&M University
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#18
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6575
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6-9
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21
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Hampton University
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|
6501
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5-10
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22
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Bethune-Cookman College
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|
6262
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7-7
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23
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Howard University
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6071
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7-6
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24
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North Carolina Central University
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|
5868
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1-9
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25
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Coppin State University
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5635
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4-10
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26
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Long Island University
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|
5594
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6-8
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27
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Penn State University-Altoona
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5119
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0-10
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28
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Cheyney University
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4505
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1-13
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