BRONX, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | It was a battle between two of the top public men's basketball programs in the Eastern United States and it was an epic thriller that had almost everything. An incredible comeback for New Jersey City University to force overtime. A late rally by Buffalo State College in the first overtime to extend the game another five minutes. And the most combined foul shots (112) by two teams in the history of NCAA Division III men's basketball. But in the end NJCU's seven-game winning streak came to an end in the final seconds of double overtime as Buffalo State survived NJCU, 119-116, in a neutral court opening round game at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Lehman College on December 29.

NJCU (7-3), which lost for the first time since November 20, trailed by 16 in the first half and as many as 14 points in the second half and faced a five-point deficit with 42 seconds to go in regulation. Junior shooting guard Jalen Harris (Brandywine, MD/Gwynn Park (Md.)) took care of that, burying a pair of threes with 36 seconds and another with just two seconds to play to force overtime, tied at 94-94.
 
Up one (98-97) early in overtime, NJCU outscored the Bengals 9-1 to claim a 107-98 lead with 1:50 to play, as senior power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter) scored five points. But Buffalo State (6-2, won 3) answered, scoring 12 of the final 15 points of the first extra session and Mike Henry connected on a three with five seconds to go to force a second overtime tied at 110-110.
 
NJCU led 114-111 3:48 into the second overtime on a Harris tip-in before Henry scored the next six points for the Bengals, giving BSC a 117-114 edge with 1:42 left. NJCU turned it over twice in the final two minutes. Leading by one, 117-116, the Bengals' Kevin Marmolejos hit two foul shots with three seconds left and Harris' bid for another three at the buzzer wouldn't go.
 

Each team had five players score in double figures. Wosu, perhaps the hottest player in the country, produced his fourth consecutive double-double and sixth of the season and scored at least 22 points in his fourth straight game, finishing with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting (6-8 FT) with 12 rebounds in 42 minutes before fouling out just 39 seconds into the second overtime. The nation's No. 2 offensive rebounder had six of that variety.
 
Harris scored 21 points (5-13 FG, 2-5 3FG), including 9-of-10 from the line with three assists and freshman power forward Yuri Brutus (Roselle Park, NJ/Roselle Park) had his fourth career double-digit scoring effort—all in the last five games—scoring a career best 18 points (7-10 FG) in 19 minutes before fouling out. He had 11 in the first half.
 
Meanwhile, 1000-point scorer and senior small forward Khalid Muhammad (Orange, NJ/Orange) finally returned from injury and contributed 16 points (7-10 FT), four assists and four steals. Freshman James Frazier (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) made his highly-anticipated mid-year debut for the Gothic Knights and scored 14 points (7-9 FT) with five rebounds in 24 minutes before fouling out.
 
Freshman small forward James Julius (Linden, NJ/Linden) and junior point guard Ata Robinson (Newark, NJ/East Side) contributed nine points each. Julius was one of four Gothic Knights to foul out, joining Wosu, Frazier and Brutus. Robinson had six rebounds and three steals, shooting 3-of-6.
 
Nico McLean had a game-high 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting for Buffalo State and shot 9-of-13 from the line in 44 minutes before fouling out. He had eight turnovers and five steals. Henry finished with 28 points on 7-of-11 shooting (2-2 3FG) with 12-of-19 foul shooting, six rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes before fouling out with 1:34 left. The Bengals also had five players foul out.
 
Lovell Smith chalked up 20 points (6-13 FG, 8-12 FT), eight rebounds and four steals in 31 minutes and Jordan Glover added 15 points (6-12 FG) and five steals in 38 minutes before fouling out. Marmolejos scored 12 points (3-6 3FG).


Key Moments:

• In the first half, Buffalo State shot a sizzling 54.5 percent (18-33) and 72.7 percent from the line on 16-of-22. NJCU stayed in the game shooting 16-of-34 (.471) and 12-of-16 at the line.
• BSC jumped out to an early 10-2 lead in the first four minutes and pushed the margin to 25-10 at the 11:59 mark.
• A fast break by McLean made it a 16-point, 43-27 lead with 6:58 to play in the first half.
• Buffalo State led 55-45 at halftime, becoming the first team to score 50 in a half against NJCU since NYU led 51-40 on March 3, 2010. The 55 first half points were the most in the first half since Stockton led 60-26 at halftime of a 101-60 outcome on January 26, 2008.
• In the second half, a three by Marmolejos kept the lead at 13, 81-68, at the 10:02 mark.
• A three by Glover with 7:34 to go gave the Bengals their final 10-point lead (84-74).
• Trailing by six with 2:23 to play, Julius hit a jumper and Frazier turned a steal into a fast-break to cut the deficit to two, 90-88. Smith hit two foul shots with 1:22 to go and Glover hit the first of two foul shots with 42 seconds left.
• A second after hitting the game-tying three, Harris blocked a McLean three at the end of regulation.
• Frazier made NJCU the first team to 100 with two foul shots (3:50, 100-97).
• Wosu who scored off an offensive rebound with 3:15 to play, converted a three-point play with 1:50 left for a 107-98 margin.
• Back-to-back baskets by McLean with 1:45 and 40 seconds left made it a five-point game and after NJCU turned the ball over on consecutive possessions, Glover scored to cut the deficit to three, 107-104, with 34 seconds left.
• Robinson hit the back end of two foul shots with 28 seconds left. After McLean hit one with 18 seconds left, Henry was fouled with 11 seconds to play, cutting it to one (108-107) before Harris answered with two foul shots to push the margin to three (110-107), leading up to Henry's tying three. Henry blocked a shot by Brutus with a chance to win it at the buzzer.
• Wosu, Frazier and Brutus all fouled out in the second overtime with the game still within reach.

#KnightNotes:

• Buffalo State leads all-time series, 2-1. First meeting since January 6, 1999.
• The 112 combined foul shots—58 by Buffalo State and 54 by NJCU—shattered the previous Division III mark for foul shots by both teams of 105 (71, Earlham and 34, Oberlin) on December 5, 1992.
• NJCU falls to 79-3 all-time when scoring 100 points. All three losses have come in overtime—a 120-113 double overtime loss at Hampden-Sydney on December 30, 2006 and a 118-116 triple overtime loss to Rutgers-Newark on December 1, 2010 were the others.
• The 116 points for NJCU match the eighth most ever scored by NJCU and the highest total since scoring 116 in a 118-116 triple overtime loss to Rutgers-Newark on December 1, 2010.
• NJCU scored 100 points for the first time since a 100-70 win at Kean on January 24, 2015.
• The 119 points by Buffalo State matched the second most ever scored against NJCU. Hampden-Sydney edged NJCU, 120-113 in double overtime on December 30, 2006. Then-Jersey City State lost to Bentley College (neutral court), 119-79, on February 12, 1972.
• The 235 combined points are the second most ever for a game NJCU has played. The record is 242 combined points in a 136-108 neutral win against Mercy College on February 11, 1979.
• NJCU had five players score in double figures in a game for the first time since an 88-82 loss at Albertus Magnus in New Haven, CT on December 23, 2014 (Neville Joseph, 19; Eddie Brown, 16; David Cole, 12; Khalid Muhammad, 11; Jamall McDaniel, 10).
• With 18 points, Yuri Brutus exceeded his previous career high of 16 at Rowan on December 5, 2015.
• Jalen Harris scored in double figures for the ninth time in 10 games as a Gothic Knight and the sixth straight game. It was his fourth 20-point performance.
• Chinwe Wosu had his fifth 20-point performance of the season and his ninth double-digit scoring effort. He has six efforts of double figure rebounds and six double-doubles.
• NJCU, which ranks sixth nationally in forced turnovers, coerced an opponent into 20 or more giveaways for the ninth time. All 10 opponents have committed at least 19.
• Khalid Muhammad, who returned the lineup after sitting out four of the previous five games with an injury, had just 15 points all season. With 16 in the win, he increased his career scoring total to 1,079 points. He surpassed NJCU Hall of Famers George Thomas (1,069 points; 1999-03) and Dwayne West (1,075 points; 1982-86), brother of NBA All-Star David West, for 22nd place in school history. Danel Allen is next in 21st place with 1,091 points in three season (1995-98).

 
What's Next?:
NJCU will play in the consolation game of the tournament on December 30 at 4 p.m. against Western Connecticut State University (6-4). Lehman defeated Western Connecticut, 80-74, in the other opening round game. NJCU leads the all-time series, 9-1. It will be the first meeting since WCSU won for the only time in the series, 69-68, on December 29, 1996. NJCU won the previous nine meetings between 1970 and 1978, with four wins by at least 28 points, including the two most lopsided wins in program history—a 59-point, 115-56 outcome on January 8, 1970 and a 113-54, 59-point winning result on January 8, 1972. The teams have never met on a neutral court. Follow live stats (http://www.sidearmstats.com/lehman/mbball/) or video (http://lehmanathletics.com/showcase)