Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey men's basketball team erupted for 18, three-point field goals as they defeated Rutgers University-Camden 106-66 in its New Jersey Athletic Conference opener on Tuesday evening in Packer Hall.
 
The Lions (3-1, 1-0 NJAC) advanced to the conference championship game a season ago and took their first step towards returning. TCNJ was in complete control from start to finish and showcased its depth as 12 players marked the scoring column. The Lions drilled 18-of-39 three-point field goals on the night with eight different players knocking down shots from behind the arc.
 
Four players reached double figures in the game. Sophomore Jordan Glover (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) spearheaded the TCNJ attack with a season-high 17 points. Senior Bobby Brackett (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, while senior Corey Stanford (Pittsburg, PA/Penn Tafford) posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Eric Murdock, Jr. (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater) looked sharp running the show with 13 points, nine assists, and five boards.
 
The Lions dominated the opening period.  They scored the first seven points of the game and never looked back. Following a tight loss on Sunday where they made good on just four, three-point field goals, they drained five (by four different players) in the first 8:14 of the contest.
 
Riding the offense of Brackett (11 points) and Murdock, Jr. (10 points), TCNJ took a 44-26 lead into the locker room.
 
Following the break, the Lions returned to the floor and applied their foot to the gas pedal. They mounted a 13-2 run that was highlighted by a pair of three-pointers off the fingertips of junior Kevin Johnson (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery). That extended their lead to 57-28 just three minutes into the half and ultimately put the game out of reach.
 
The Lions' bench continued to pour in points (40 overall) in the latter portion of the second half. Freshman Tommy Egan (Seneca, NJ/Seneca) drilled a pair of three-pointers and racked up eight points in eight minutes. Sophomore Joe Montano (Eatontown, NJ/Red Bank Catholic), teammate Liam Byrne (Middletown, NJ/Red Bank Catholic), sophomore Elias Bermudez (Westwood, NJ/Westwood), and sophomore Kevin Bloodgood (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) all chipped in with six points.
 
The Scarlet Raptors (0-2, 0-1 NJAC) were led by sophomore Isaac Destin with 16 points. Sophomore Elijah Robles put up 14 points, while Julian Martin added 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
In a game that was loaded with favorable stats for the Lions, the 26 team assists may have been the most impressive for Head Coach Matt Goldsmith and his squad. TCNJ also outrebounded RUC 53-30 and converted 16-of-21 free throw attempts.
 
The Lions return to the floor on Monday, November 28^th when they visit Skidmore College at 6 p.m.

/>