Coming into this game on paper, it seemed attendees of this matchup would be in for an incredible contest. This game featured the number one team not only in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), but the top-ranked team in all of Division 3. As the Montclair State Redhawks entered this matchup 24-0.
On the other side, the TCNJ Lions came in as the second-best team in the NJAC with an 18-6 overall record and a 13-4 record in conference play. This game did not disappoint, and gave those in attendance a preview of the potential NJAC championship.
The first score of this contest came from Lions center Matthew Solomon with a midrange jumper. From that point on, both teams would trade blows until Christian Nicholson would steal back-to-back inbound passes as the Redhawks ran their full-court press against TCNJ.
The first time, Nicholson was fouled, where he would go on to make both of his free throws. The next time ended with Nicholson scoring a layup immediately after getting the steal to give Montclair State a 16-14 lead, forcing TCNJ head coach Evan Elberg to call a timeout.
After that timeout, the game would resume with both teams going blow for blow. This stretch would end with Elberg having to call another timeout. This time, after Christian Cevis made a driving right-hand layup, giving MSU a 29-26 lead.
The teams would continue to trade punches before TCNJ would take the lead and never look back. David Alexandre would convert a three-pointer from multiple feet behind the line to give the Lions their first lead of the game at 40-39.
Jacob Morales would give Montclair State the lead right back, though. While in their full-court press defense, Morales would steal the ball from Alexandre and take it the other way for a layup to reclaim the lead, 41-40.
After being on the bench for the majority of the first half due to picking up two early fouls. Lions star guard Nick Koch would come in and give TCNJ the jolt of momentum going into halftime. On his first offensive possession since coming off the bench, Koch rejected a ball screen to then make a pull-up three-pointer to give the Lions a 43-41 lead going into the half.
The second half started seemingly primed for the rest of this contest to be a barn burner, with neither team being able create any real separation. That all changed, though, when Okocha made a pull-up three-pointer and a layup, and Anthony Milligan knocked down a catch and shoot three pointer. Redhawks head coach Justin Potts then called a timeout after Ahmad Robertson threw a pass out of bounds, capping off a 9-0 run for the Lions.
The TNCJ lead would go on to grow to 61-51 after Koch made a layup through heavy traffic despite getting fouled and made the free throw to cap off the three-point play. Montclair State would come surging back, with an 8-0 run. Spearheaded by Jacob Morales, the star forward scored 7 of the 8 points during this run. The MSU run cut the TNCJ lead to 61-59.
Then there was a barrage of three pointers, first with Solomon passing it to Koch who made a catch and shoot three. Then Morales immediately responded with a catch and shoot three of his own. Okocha would respond right after with a catch and shoot three, putting TCNJ up 67-62 and forcing Potts to call a timeout feeling momentum swinging back to the Lions.
It would only get worse for the Redhawks as right after the timeout, Kabrien Goss passed the ball out of bounds. TCNJ would go on a 15-7 run with Koch, Solomon, and Alexandre leading this push. Montclair State would force the Lions into a ten-second violation while in their full-court press defense before Potts called another timeout.
Potts was searching to find a way to coach his team to a comeback as they faced an 82-69 deficit with less than four minutes left in the game. Despite the Redhawks best efforts they were in too deep a hole to climb out of and the two squads would trade buckets the rest of the way.
TCNJ would go on to win 95-84, upsetting a seemingly unbeatable Montclair State team. The Lions would finish with four players scoring in double figures. With guard Koch having 26 points, Okocha finishing with 21 points, Alexandre with 14 points, and Solomon having a near triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Morales and Goss led the way for the Redhawks finishing with 31 and 20 points respectively. Morales also added eight rebounds for MSU.
