HE’S WORTHY
Former Trenton star Shaquan guides NJCU past TNCJ
EWING >> There definitely is no place like home for the holidays. Just ask New Jersey City’s Shaquan Worthy.
The former Trenton High star, and now a senior at NJCU, made his final regular-season appearance back in the area a memorable one.
With his high school coach and the greatest scorer in The College of New Jersey history, Greg Grant, in the stands, Worthy had a career high in points, a career high in assists and he controlled the Gothic Knights’ offense from the point.
“This is special for me,” said Worthy, after NJCU took a convincing 82-57 win over TCNJ on Saturday in a critical New Jersey Athletic Conference clash on the Packer Hall floor.
Grant, the TCNJ Hall of Fame player and all-time leading scorer who took the Lions to their only Final Four appearance, provided support and inspiration for Worthy.
“It means a lot when he is in stands,” Worthy said. “He played here and every time he comes here I always give him that look. It’s great to have a rivalry with the school my high school coach played at.”
It has become a great rivalry has NJCU (8-3, 4-2) now holds a 5-4 advantage in regular season games over the last four years. TCNJ (5-4, 4-2), which saw its four-game winning streak snapped, will meet the Gothic Knights again in early February.
When NJCU, which is receiving votes in the D3hoops. com poll, finished the first half with a 17-6 run, it took a 37-30 lead to the locker room.
During the NJCU run, the Lions went 4:26 without scoring and could manage only two field goals the last 11:55 of the first half.
“Mentally, we just were not there,” TCNJ coach Matt Goldsmith said. “The effort stuff is on all of us, me included. We got out-toughed and out-efforted and that is something we have been doing really well in our winning streak.”
The Lions didn’t shoot the ball really well as they were just 21-for-59 and connected on only seven from 3-point range.
When the Gothic Knights opened things up in the second half, it was a couple big 3’s by Worthy and then Sam Toney catching fire.
Worthy had a career-high 11 along with a career-best eight assists, four rebounds and just two turnovers.
Point guard P. J. Ringel was the only Lion in double figures with 15 points.
Worthy’s 3s early in the second half allowed the Gothic Knights to stretch the lead to 51-32 with 15:23 left.
“This is a huge win coming here and get a win,” Worthy said. “It’s always been tough to beat them in their gym. This year I’m starting to shoot the ball more and my teammates were finding me, and I appreciate them for doing that.”
As the lead grew, NJCU coach Marc Brown wanted the ball in Worthy’s hands down the stretch.
“He’s a leader and a throwback point guard,” Brown said. “We are trying to get him to be more aggressive and shot more, and he did tonight. He’s a senior and I’m going to miss him.”