Union, NJ … The College of New Jersey men's basketball team clinched post-season berth with a thrilling 66-65 victory over Kean University in Union, NJ on Wednesday night.
 
Sophomore Eric Murdock, Jr. (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater) hit a jumper with two seconds remaining to propel the Lions into the post-season. With William Paterson University winning earlier in the night Montclair State University holding an 11-point lead over Stockton University, TCNJ needed to win to advance. Murdock, Jr. scored his team's final six points to eliminate circumstance and put the Lions in the New Jersey Athletic Conference championship tournament for the second straight season.
 
With the game tied 60-60, Murdock, Jr. banked in a layup with 1:14 remaining. Kean's Keenan Williams, Jr. answered with a three-point bucket to give the Cougars a 63-62 advantage. The Lions sophomore then knocked down a pair of free throws to retake the lead, but Kean's Jerry Crismond converted both of his free throws with 18 ticks on the clock.
 
The sophomore guard iced the game with a jumper to serve first-year Head Coach Matthew Goldsmith his first taste of an NJAC post-season. TCNJ will be the fifth seed in the tourney.
 
It was a wild night in the NJAC. Stockton rallied to defeat Montclair in the final two minutes to secure second place. That sends the Lions to fourth-seeded Ramapo College on Saturday in the opening round. The Roadrunners fell in double-overtime to Rutgers-Newark, 95-94. The third-seeded Scarlet Raiders will host the sixth-seeded Pioneers, while top seed New Jersey City University and the Ospreys receive an opening round bye.
 
Junior Eric Klacik (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) and freshman Jordan Glover (Lawrence, NJ/Lawrence) led the Lions with 14 points each. They both drained four, three-point field goals in the contest, while rookie Kevin Bloodgood (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) hit a pair of big threes to finish with six points.
 
TCNJ used nine, three-point field goals in the opening half to spearhead a 37-31 advantage. They maintained throughout the second period, but the Cougars slowly chipped away at the lead. A free throw by Nick Alaimo (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) put the Lions ahead by six with under three minutes to play. But a late 7-1 spurt by Kean evened the score at 60 with 1:26 to play.
 
Murdock, Jr. finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Sophomore Steven Kelly (Newtown, NJ/Newtown) added eight points, three boards, and a blocked shot.
 
The scheduled game time for the opening round playoff game at Ramapo will be announced by the commissioner's office.