Box Score
Montclair, NJ … The College of New Jersey men's basketball team captured a critical New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up as they bested Montclair State University 74-72 on Wednesday night at the Panzer Athletic Center Montclair, NJ.
A layup by junior Alex Fox (Washington, NJ/Westwood) with 4.2 seconds remaining lifted the Lions (6-8) to their sixth win of the season and evened their conference mark at 4-4. TCNJ continues to make progress following a slow start to the season and have already surpassed last season's win total. The victory marks the third NJAC triumph on the road and fifth win in their last seven games.
The Red Hawks dropped to 6-8 overall and are now 3-5 in the NJAC.
The conference contest featured a pair of tremendous individual efforts by Lions' sophomore forward Bobby Brackett (Lawrence, NJ/Lawrence) and MSU sophomore guard Angel Gonzalez (Ocala, Fla/Meadowbrook Academy). Brackett put up huge numbers, scoring a season-high 30 points while collecting 17 rebounds (seven offensive). Gonzalez finished with 29 points on 12-of-21 shooting that included four, three-point field goals.
It was an exciting, back-and-forth battle that included 11 lead changes. The Red Haws clawed their way back from an 11-point deficit in the second half, but the Lions showed their mettle in the final minutes to wrestle away the win.
Trailing 69-68 with just over two minutes on the clock, Brackett collected an offensive rebound to keep possession. After a timeout, a Brackett miss and put-back put the Lions ahead by a point. MSU senior forward Ordel Goldson (Hackettstown, NJ/Warren Hills) hit the back end of his free throws to knot the game at 70.
A jumper by Gonzalez gave the host a two-point advantage with 1:12 to play. On the ensuing possession, junior Emmanuel Matlock (Trenton, NJ/Solebury) evened the score with a layup for the 11th tie overall in the match-up. MSU missed a three-point attempt and junior Jason Chalmers (Oakland, NJ/Indiand Hills) came down the rebound. Fox converted a layup with 4.2 seconds left in the game, which would turn out to be the game-winner.
With 13 points and nine boards in the opening half, Brackett nearly had his nation-leading 12th double-double of the season. The Red Hawks built and 18-13 lead midway through the period, but the Lions battled back to tie the score at 22 on a three-point field goal by junior Skeylar Ettin (Princeton, NJ/Princeton). MSU continued to command the scoreboard, but a 10-2 run by TCNJ in the final three minutes netted a 39-35 advantage at the break.
A 12-5 run by the Lions to open the second provided cushion for the visitors. But MSU erased the difference in less than three minutes. A 3-pointer by Gonzalez capped a 14-0 run to give the host a 54-51 advantage at the 11:49 mark. Neither team would lead by more than three points the remainder of the way as the Lions pulled out their second straight road win by three points or less.
Junior Jayson Johnson (Bordentown, NJ/Life Center Academy) finished with nine points and three assists. Fox and freshman Eric Klacik (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) added eight points. Klacik was 3-of-6 from the behind the arc and also dished out three assists.
TCNJ returns home on Saturday to take on New Jersey City University for a 3 p.m. NJAC match-up in Packer Hall.
Note: During halftime of Saturday's game, TCNJ will celebrate the 1988-89 men's basketball season, which saw the Lions advance to the national championship game. Led by Greg Grant, Kevin Ryan, and Jimmy Glover, then-Trenton State College advanced to the Final Four held in Springfield, Ohio. They defeated Southern Maine 84-62 before falling to University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 94-86 in the national title game.
Former players and head coach Kevin Bannon will be on hand this Saturday for the halftime ceremony. A post-game reception will follow on campus in the 1855 room at 5 p.m.
