MONTCLAIR – On a night that felt bigger than a single game, bigger than a rivalry, and maybe even bigger than a regular-season title, the top-ranked team in Division III walked into the Panzer Athletic Center with history staring it in the face. By the time the final horn sounded, Montclair State University had done what champions do. They handled the moment. They handled the pressure. And they handled New Jersey City University, 98-85, to clinch a second consecutive NJAC Regular Season Championship.
The win pushed Montclair to 23-0 overall and a program-record 16-0 in conference play. Undefeated. Alone atop the NJAC. Still one of the last unbeaten teams across all of college basketball. It was not just another tally in the win column. It was a validation of something larger that has been building for four seasons now in Montclair.
From the opening tip, the energy inside Panzer felt postseason-ready. Jacob Morales wasted little time setting the tone, drilling a three-pointer as part of five quick points for the Red Hawks. Christian Cevis followed with a driving finish, and just like that, Montclair had early control. But NJCU did not flinch. The Gothic Knights answered with a 7-2 burst, then later strung together another run to grab a 17-13 edge midway through the first half.
For a moment, it felt like this could turn into the kind of grind that defines February conference games.
Instead, Montclair responded like the No. 1 team in the country.
Ahmad Robertson sparked a surge with a tough layup. Cevis converted again off a feed from Robertson. Then came the perimeter avalanche. Kabrien Goss and Morales each connected from deep, stretching the floor and stretching NJCU’s defense with them. Cristian Nicholson joined the party. Morales did it again. The lead ballooned to double digits, and when Kunga Tsering hammered home a dunk in the closing moments of the half, the building erupted.
The sequence that followed was pure momentum basketball. Montclair forced a turnover on the inbounds, Kevin Beck finished through contact for an and-one, and just like that, it was 49-35 at the break. The Red Hawks had turned a tight battle into a statement in a matter of minutes.
Still, championship nights rarely come without tension.
NJCU opened the second half with urgency, scoring seven of the first nine points to trim the margin to single digits. The Gothic Knights were fearless offensively all night. Bakhi Rogers-Robinson poured in 28 points on an ultra-efficient 9-for-12 shooting effort, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and 7-for-7 at the line. Donovan Crawford battled inside for 15 rebounds. The visitors shot 55 percent in the second half and refused to go quietly.
Every time the margin tightened, Montclair answered.
Nicholson attacked the rim. Cassels buried a three. Morales calmly knocked down five straight points when NJCU cut it to seven at the 12-minute mark. Robertson splashed a corner triple in crunch time. Goss hit his free throws. The Red Hawks never allowed the lead to slip into real danger, even as NJCU kept fighting within striking distance.
With just over six minutes left, Tsering scored twice to maintain a 14-point cushion. When the Gothic Knights made one final push to bring it back within seven, Montclair delivered the knockout combination. Beck drilled a corner three. Goss converted at the line. Robertson added another dagger from deep. The final two minutes were less about drama and more about inevitability.
Montclair finished with 98 points, 25 assists, 40 rebounds, and 19 made three-pointers. The offense was fluid and relentless. The defense forced 14 turnovers and turned them into 20 points. The Red Hawks shot nearly 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from three, continuing a recent stretch of offensive brilliance that has separated them from the rest of the conference.
Morales was magnificent. The senior guard scored a game-high 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting and knocked down seven three-pointers, a season best. Over his last four contests, he has scored 92 points. On a night when the spotlight burned brightest, he delivered like a star who understands the weight of the moment.
Nicholson added 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists, marking his third straight double-digit outing. Robertson provided a spark off the bench with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 from long range. Cassels and Cevis chipped in nine apiece. Goss orchestrated the offense with seven assists, even on a night when his own shot was not falling consistently.
That balance has defined this team all season. Different weapons. Different heroes. Same result.
The numbers behind this run are staggering. Montclair has now won 57 NJAC regular-season games over the past four seasons, the most in any four-year stretch in program history. The 16 conference wins this year set a new single-season record, surpassing the previous mark of 15 achieved by the 1983-84 and 2022-23 teams. The 23-game winning streak is the third-longest in NJAC history and the fifth-longest in the history of Montclair athletics.
And perhaps most impressive, the Red Hawks remain the only undefeated team in Division III.
There is something different about this group. They do not just win. They impose. They average 83.6 points per game, leading the conference and ranking seventh nationally. Their 21.7 assists per game lead the nation. Through 23 games, they have totaled 477 assists, the best mark in Division III. The ball moves. The trust is evident. The chemistry is real.
Head coach Justin Potts said it best after the game, calling it a really good NJAC battle and emphasizing how proud he is of his team for clinching the regular season title in such a competitive league. But even in celebration, the message was clear. Back to work tomorrow.
Because while the banner is secured, the mission is not complete.
Montclair now turns its attention to Senior Day against Kean, another opportunity to celebrate what this class has built while keeping eyes locked on something even bigger. An undefeated regular season. A deep postseason run. A chance to cement this group as one of the greatest in program history.
Wednesday night was about more than 98 points. It was about standard. It was about resilience when NJCU threatened. It was about shooting with confidence and defending with urgency. It was about seizing the moment instead of shrinking from it.
History is no longer something Montclair is chasing. It is something they are actively writing.
At 23-0 and 16-0 in conference play, with a championship secured and more still within reach, the Red Hawks have positioned themselves on the brink of something rare. The kind of season people talk about years later. The kind that reshapes expectations. The kind that turns great teams into legends.
And if Wednesday night proved anything, it is that Montclair is not satisfied with one line in the record book. They are aiming for all of it.
