Ewing, NJ …The College of New Jersey men's basketball team engaged in a physical battle with Richard Stockton College, but dropped a 78-56 decision in Packer Hall on Wednesday night.
 
Both teams played tough, yet clean basketball from start to finish. But the eighth-ranked Ospreys (7-0) never blinked as they rolled to their seventh straight victory to open the season.
 
The Lions fell to 3-4 overall this season and 1-2 in New Jersey Athletic Conference play.
 
Richard Stockton played relentless defense and showcased their ability to force mistakes. Entering the game ranked fifth in the nation in steals and seventh in turnover margin (9.3), the Ospreys held a 20-5 advantage in the turnover column. They compiled 11 thefts in the contest, and with that, shot 49 percent overall from the floor.
 
TCNJ had four players reach double figures in the game. Freshman Elias Bermudez (Westwood, NJ/Westwood) had a strong performance, netting a career-high 17 points. He dropped in 4-of-6 shots from floor and capitalized on 9-of-10 free throw attempts. Senior Jayson Johnson (Bordentown, NJ/Life Center Academy) tallied 16 points and junior Bobby Brackett (Lawrence, NJ/Lawrence) notched his fifth double double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Nick Alaimo (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) provided quality minutes off the bench and added 10 points.
 
Four players also reached double figures for Richard Stockton. Junior guard Armin Cane (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) and senior forward Josh Blamon (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) paced the Ospreys with 15 points. Junior guard Nate Pacius (Neptune, NJ/Academy Charter) finished with 11 points and senior forward Myles Reuben (Edison, NJ/J.P. Stevens) added 10 points. Blamon also contributed three assists, three steals and six boards.
 
The Ospreys built a 15-8 lead in the opening five minutes, but the Lions battled back to narrow the gap to 17-15 after a Bermudez layup and jumper. The Richard Stockton offense was tough to hold back as they broke out on an 8-1 run capped by an Anthony Woodard (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) bucket to push ahead 25-16
 
Both teams played with great energy and shot the ball well in the first half. The Osprey hit 54 percent of their attempts, while the Lions shot 48 percent from the floor.
 
Trailing 45-33 at the break, TCNJ was held to just two points in the opening six minutes of the second half. That enabled the Ospreys to stretch the lead to 19 points and take complete command of the game. The Lions never eased up and amassed a season-best 10 blocked shots. Brackett had three rejections, while Bermudez and freshman center Steven Kelly (Newtown, NJ/Newtown) had a pair.
 
The Lions continue conference play this Saturday night when they visit Rutgers-Newark for an 8 p.m. tip-off.