MONTCLAIR — Senior Day at the Panzer Athletic Center carried all the emotion you would expect. Families lined the baseline with cameras ready. Teammates embraced during pregame introductions. The crowd of 600 rose in appreciation as each senior was honored one by one.
But once the ball was tipped, the moment shifted from ceremony to business.
The top-ranked Red Hawks extended their perfect season Saturday afternoon with a commanding 79-55 victory over Kean, improving to 24-0 overall and 17-0 in NJAC play. What began as a competitive first half turned into another statement performance, fueled by defensive intensity, unselfish ball movement and a senior star who saved his strongest stretch for the final minutes on his home floor.
Kean, entering at 11-12 and 8-8 in conference action, came in aggressive. The Cougars scored the first basket, making it clear they were not intimidated by the atmosphere or the opponent. Early on, they attacked off the dribble and forced Montclair to defend deep into possessions.
Jacob Morales responded immediately. He found Kabrien Goss for a jumper to even the score, then drilled a three-pointer of his own to settle the Red Hawks. Christian Cevis followed with a triple, and Andrew Martin added a layup that pushed Montclair State ahead 10-3 five minutes into the contest.
Still, Kean would not fold.
A quick 6-0 spurt cut the deficit, and midway through the half, the Cougars strung together their best stretch of the afternoon. After capitalizing on a turnover with a three-pointer, Kean went on a 7-0 run that gave them a 22-21 lead. For one of the few times this season, Montclair State trailed on its home court with momentum swinging toward the visitors.
The Red Hawks answered like an experienced team chasing history.
Ryan Cassels buried a three to reclaim the lead. Goss connected on a step-back jumper that brought the crowd to its feet. Myles Primas delivered his second dunk of the half, finishing above the rim to reassert Montclair State’s physical presence inside.
Over the final 90 seconds before halftime, Montclair State locked in defensively and turned stops into points. Cristian Nicholson drained a three from the wing, and Morales finished a transition layup in the closing seconds. The Red Hawks closed the half on a 7-0 run to build a 35-25 advantage, shifting the energy firmly back in their favor.
That surge carried into the second half.
On Montclair State’s opening possession, Goss found Morales for a pull-up three. Seconds later, Goss knocked down a three-pointer of his own. Just like that, the lead stretched to 14, and the tone of the game changed. The Red Hawks were no longer reacting. They were dictating.
Montclair State shot over 52 percent from the field for the afternoon and finished 14 of 37 from beyond the arc. More impressive than the percentages was the way those shots were created. The Red Hawks totaled 24 assists on 31 made baskets, marking their 18th game this season with at least 20 assists. They continue to lead the nation in that category, reflecting a system built on trust and spacing rather than isolation.
Goss was once again at the center of it. The sophomore guard finished with 13 points and seven assists while shooting 5-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-5 from three. He now has 146 assists on the season and continues to rank among the national leaders, orchestrating an offense that rarely stagnates.
Nicholson delivered a complete performance with 11 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Primas provided energy and toughness inside, finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds and three highlight dunks that ignited the crowd each time.
Then there was Morales.
The senior guard produced a game-high 25 points, eight rebounds, and four steals, but the timing of his scoring was what mattered most. With just under six minutes remaining and Montclair State leading 63-47, Morales took over. He attacked passing lanes, finished through contact and knocked down perimeter shots to extinguish any lingering hopes of a Kean comeback.
When the Cougars trimmed the margin to 16 with two minutes left, Morales calmly scored the final eight points of the game. It was a fitting close to Senior Day and a personal milestone. During the contest, he surpassed 1,000 points in his two-year Montclair State career, cementing his impact on one of the most successful stretches in program history.
Defensively, Montclair State imposed its will. The Red Hawks forced 21 turnovers and held Kean to 36 percent shooting overall. The Cougars were just 2-of-18 from three-point range and did not make a single three-pointer in the second half. The 55 points allowed marked a new season low for Montclair State, underscoring the discipline and communication that have defined this group.
Kean found some success at the free-throw line and competed on the boards, but consistent offensive flow was difficult to sustain against Montclair State’s pressure. The Red Hawks rotated sharply, contested shots without fouling and turned defense into transition opportunities throughout the second half.
Beyond the numbers, Saturday was about legacy.
Morales, Cassels, Cevis, Kunga Tsering and Tyson Allen were honored before tipoff for their contributions over the past two seasons. In that span, the program has won 46 games, captured two NJAC regular-season titles, secured an NJAC tournament championship, and earned an NCAA Tournament victory for the first time since 2003.
With this win, Montclair State tied Rowan’s 1993-94 squad for the second-longest winning streak in NJAC history, sitting just one game shy of the all-time conference record set by The College of New Jersey in 1988-89. They also remain the last undefeated team in Division III and one of only three across all NCAA levels.
As the seniors gathered at midcourt after the final horn, soaking in applause from family, classmates, and alumni, there was pride in what they had built. But there was no sense of satisfaction.
The regular season finale awaits on the road. The conference tournament looms. The national spotlight grows brighter with each victory.
Montclair State is not simply winning games. It is building something historic, possession by possession.
Twenty-four straight victories. A perfect record still intact. And a team that continues to raise its level when the moment demands it.
Senior Day provided the celebration. The Red Hawks provided the reminder.
They are still chasing more.
