NASHVILLE, TN (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...New Jersey City University entered the final day of competition at the Columbia 300 Music City Classic with a chance to finish anywhere from second to eighth in the playoff standings depending upon how far the 8th ranked Gothic Knights rose or fell in the stepladder bracket. NJCU, which opened the day in fifth place, dropped three difficult matches against teams ranked higher than it nationally, and finished eighth at the event hosted by Vanderbilt University at the Smyrna Bowling Center.
NJCU, currently ranked No. 8 nationally among Division I, II and III institutions, dropped to 71-39 on the season and 43-33 record against ranked opponents this season. It was the second year in a row NJCU lost all three matches on the final day of the Music City Classic. In 2009, NJCU was #1 in the regulation standings, before finishing fourth.
The Knights fell to #6 University of Central Missouri, 4-games-to-3 in the best 4-of-7 Baker series, battling back from a 3-0 series deficit to force a seventh game, only to lose 213-201 in the final game. Central Missouri, which has won all three meetings this season, won the series, 187-160, 190-179, 179-145, 176-191, 170-216, 148-198, 213-201.
No. 3 ranked Fairleigh Dickinson University also took a 3-0 series lead over NJCU. The Knights battled back to win the next two, before falling 4-games-to-2 (208-149, 240-166, 187-154, 178-234, 157-168, 180-166). FDU tied the season series, 4-4.
In the final match, NJCU battled #5 ranked Delaware State University, in another back-and-forth contest, before DSU won, 4-games-to-2 (182-149, 190-210, 138-223, 169-167, 172-162, 193-149). The Hornets took the opening game before NJCU claimed a 2-1 series with scores of 210 and 223. Game four proved to be the difference. Had NJCU won, it would have claimed a 3-1 advantage in the series. But the Hornets held off the Knights by two, 169-167, and final the next two games for the series win. The Hornets lead the season series, 4-0.
No. 2 Vanderbilt, which would win the tournament championship, defeated #4 University of Nebraska in seven games for the title. No. 13 Sacred Heart University was third. Seventh-ranked Arkansas State University, which NJCU defeated twice on the weekend, was fourth. FDU placed fifth, followed by Central Missouri, Delaware State and NJCU in the top portion of the 20-team tournament.
Sophomore JENNIFER DAUNNO (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) led off all three matches for NJCU. Freshman KELLY DAUNNO (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) bowled in the #2 position in the second match before sophomore AMY BREHM (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) subbed for her and finished the match. Brehm also bowled second against DSU.
In all three matches, senior CANDICE D'ANGELO (Coram, NY/Longwood (NY) bowled third with junior NICOLE DREJERWSKI (Levittown, PA/Conwell-Egan Catholic) in the setup position. Senior JENN MARMO (North Babylon, NY/North Babylon (NY)) anchored for the Knights.
NJCU will close the 2010 regular season on Saturday and Sunday, March 20-21 at the Northeast Conference championship tournament. NJCU, the 2009-10 NEC regular season champions and #1 seed in its first year in the league, will host 8th seeded Long Island University in the opening match of the double-elimination championship event on March 20 at 9:35 a.m. at Parkway Lanes in Elmwood Park, NJ.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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