MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The short-handed TCNJ men's basketball game put a big scare into No. 8 Montclair State on the road on Wednesday night, ultimately seeing a potential game-tying shot go begging in the final minute as the Red Hawks escaped with a 76-72 NJAC nail-biter.
 
Nick Koch led all scorers with 24 points and got plenty of help on the interior from Matthew Solomon (14 points, 13 rebounds) and Khalid Bakare (14 points), but the Lions – playing without starting guard David Alexandre – were unable to overcome 25 turnovers and the Red Hawks (15-0, 8-0) emerged from the tussle still alive as one of four unbeaten teams in Division III.
 
Montclair State started red-hot, making nine of its first 10 shots and opening up a double-digit lead at 21-11 inside of six minutes gone by. But Koch and the first-year tandem of Lucas Dipasupil and Mason Mangione would not led the Red Hawks fly away.
 
That trio combined for every point during an 18-7 spurt that gave the blue and gold a 29-28 lead on Dipasupil's 3-pointer at the 7:35 mark; Koch ran off 10 points himself during the run. Both teams had one big move left before the break.
 
First, the Red Hawks embarked on an 11-2 spurt to grab a 41-32 lead just shy of the 4-minute mark. Once again, the Lions rebuked their efforts to run away, closing the frame on a 12-0 run ignited by consecutive Bakare baskets. When Koch crossed up his defender and banked in an off-balanced runner just before the buzzer, the Lions had stunned the home crowd and roared into the locker room with a 44-41 advantage.
 
The breakneck scoring pace slowed considerably in the second half, but TCNJ expanded its unanswered scoring stretch to 15 – and Montclair's scoreless drought to better than eight minutes of game time – on a 3-pointer by Koch.
 
That 47-41 lead was TCNJ's largest of the night, but the visitors kept the Red Hawks in a deficit until Ryan Cassells drilled a 3 to tie it at 52 with 11:20 to go. Still knotted at 54 after a pair of Solomon free throws, MSU went ahead for good with four straight points, and the hosts doubled that margin on a Kunga Tsering dunk to make it 68-60 with 4:13 left.
 
The Lions never wavered, getting a 3 from Dipasupil and a three-point play from Koch to get within 68-67 at the 2:14 mark. TCNJ had a chance to take the lead after a Red Hawk turnover, but turned it over themselves and watched Jacob Morales score on the other end for a 70-67 lead. TCNJ misfired on each of its next two trips, including a potential tying triple from Koch, but the senior still managed to cut the margin to 72-70 on another three-point play with 16.4 ticks showing. MSU, however, made two free throws on each of its next two possessions to ice it.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• TCNJ shot 47.5 percent overall (28-of-59), 26.1 percent from 3 (6-of-23), and 62.5 percent at the line (10-of-16)
• Montclair State finished 46.2 percent from the floor (30-for-65), 26.3 percent from long range (5-of-19), and 78.6 percent at the line (11-of-14)
• TCNJ held a slim edge in rebounds (38-34) and turned 18 MSU turnovers into 20 points, but the Lions committed 25 miscues of their own, leading to 25 points for the Red Hawks
• TCNJ kept one of the most high-powered offenses in the nation in check, holding the Red Hawks well below their season averages in points (93.0, 10th in Division 3), 3-pointers (12.7, 3rd), and 3-point attempts (33.1, 6th)
• Montclair State's point total was its second-lowest of the season

FOR THE FOES

• Christian Nicholson paced MSU with 17 points and added seven rebounds
• Kabrien Goss scored 15 points to go with a game-high five assists
• Ahmad Robertson (13), Morales (11), and Tsering (10) gave the Red Hawks five players in double figures

STANDOUT LIONS

• Koch was 9-of-20 from the field and 5-of-7 at the line for his 24 points; he added three steals and three assists
• Solomon posted his third straight double-double
• Bakare finished 7-of-8 from the field on the way to his new career high in scoring; he also grabbed five boards
• Dipasupil turned in a strong all-around game with 11 points, four rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals
• Mangione was 3-for-4 from long range for nine points

NOTES

• Koch is now one point shy of 1,500 for his career, and his three steals gave him an even 100
• Solomon's double-double was the 33^rd of his career; he also moved into 24^th on the all-time scoring list (1,026 points)
• Jordan Robinson made his first career start in place of Alexandre, finishing with three rebounds, a block, and a steal in 17 minutes
• MSU has won nine straight in the series
• The Red Hawks currently own the second-best record in the nation; the other three undefeated teams in Division III are No. 1 Trinity (14-0), No. 4 Mount Union (16-0), and No. 9 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (15-0)

UP NEXT

• The Lions welcome NJCU to Packer Hall on Saturday for an NJAC showdown on Senior Day