Jersey City, NJ … The College of New Jersey men's basketball team continued its march through the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, posting a resounding 92-82 victory at top-seeded New Jersey City University on Wednesday night.
 
The victory sends the Lions (16-11) to the championship match where they face second-seeded Stockton University (20-6) on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Galloway, NJ. The Ospreys blew out Rutgers-Newark 95-75 to advance to the championship game.
 
TCNJ will have an opportunity to win its first NJAC title since 1998.
 
Named to the All-NJAC First Team earlier in the day, sophomore Eric Murdock, Jr. (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater) produced a monumental performance in the biggest game of his blossoming collegiate career. He connected on 13-of-22 shots, including four, three-point field goals to finish with a career-high 36 points.
 
Taking the script from their triumph at Ramapo College last Saturday, the Lions started out hot and never cooled off. They led the entire contest, and now have played 80 minutes of playoff basketball without trailing. TCNJ got off to a torrid start offensively, sparked by a Murdock, Jr. three-pointer to open the scoring. The Lions hit 10 of their first 12 shots and were a perfect 7-for-7 from behind the arc to build a 27-8 lead just seven minutes into the game.
 
The Gothic Knights (18-8) rallied after the break and managed to gain ground by their advantage under the boards. They out-rebounded TCNJ 44-34 overall and outscored them 40-22 in the paint. NJCU was able to shrink their deficit to 60-54 with 12:44 remaining, but that would be the closest they would get all night. The Lions augmented their scoring from the floor with steady efficiency from the free-throw line. In a chippy game that saw 56 fouls whistled, they knocked down 25-of-33 foul shots.
 
After Murdock, Jr. hit a pair of free throws to make it 62-54, freshman Jordan Glover (Lawrence, NJ/Lawrence) connected from downtown to stretch the lead back to double digits. Glover is nearly unconscious from long distance in his last three games. After going 4-of-5 from three against NJCU for 16 points, he is now 15 of his last 19 (79 percent) from behind the arc.
 
Junior Eric Klacik (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) also had a hot hand and finished with 20 points. Sophomore Ryan McDowell (Pittstown, NJ/North Hunterdon) played a significant role off the bench, grabbing six rebounds, scoring four points, and dishing out an assist in 21 minutes.
 
TCNJ split its season series with Stockton. They defeated the Ospreys on their home court 76-70 in early December. The Lions then dropped a 77-68 decision in Packer Hall in late January.