New Jersey City University Athletics

 

NJCU (14-11, 6-7 NJAC) finishes the regular season with three straight losses and five in six games, and must wait until Monday, March 3 to see if it will be selected for the ECAC Metro Tournament. Otherwise, NJCU’s 25-year run of consecutive seasons reaching the post-season will end. With the loss, NJCU misses the conference tournament for the first time since 2003 and only the third time since 1993—one season after winning the NJAC regular season championship.

 

Montclair (15-9, 8-4) won its third straight game and locked up its first spot in the NJAC Tournament in three years. It was the 147^th meeting between the schools. MSU snapped NJCU’s five-game winning streak in the series.

 

The win by MSU also gave head coach Ted Fiore his 300^th career victory. Fiore, now in his 10^th season with the Red Hawks, is 149-95 in his tenure at Montclair State after posting a 151-110 mark in nine seasons at St. Peter’s College.

 

For Montclair, freshman guard James Williams (Englewood, NJ/Dwight Morrow) scored 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting (5-8 FT) and pulled down six rebounds with three steals. Freshman guard Chris McCann (Sparta, NJ/Sparta) added 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting—all from three-point range. Freshman Jon Georges (West Orange, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) registered eight points and eight rebounds.

 

NJCU sophomore guard JOSH LOPEZ (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary’s) scored all of his team-high 15 points in 15 reserve minutes off the bench, to match his season high. He shot 4-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range and was 5-of-5 from the line. Junior guard KEVIN TUCKER (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) had seven of his 11 points in the second half, adding eight rebounds (seven defensive).

 

Senior center MARQUES HILL (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) had nine points (3-7 FG) and nine rebounds. Junior All-America guard DANA JOHN (Hillside, NJ/Pocono Mountain East (PA)) played 39 minutes on a severely sprained ankle, but still managed to score nine points (2-4 3FG) with five rebounds. He moved into 14^th place in school history in scoring with 1,258 points, passing Hall of Famer

Steve Schindler (1970-73; 1254 points) on the career list.

 

In the first half, the game was knotted at 13-13 before the Hawks gained a 13-point, 28-15 lead off a 15-2 run. MSU, which shot 50 percent from three-point range in the first half (7-14) had triples by McCann, Williams and junior forward Carlos Pena (Clifton, NJ/Clifton), and two Georges jumpers. MSU led 35-23 at the half.

                   

But NJCU opened the second half on a 15-3 run to tie the game. Hill scored seven points and Tucker added five during the spurt which was capped by Lopez’ first three with 14:03 left. After a John free throw gave NJCU its first lead, the clubs traded two more ties, including 42-42. Lopez scored seven consecutive points for NJCU and 10 of 12 during one stretch, including five straight free throws. After he was fouled from three-point range with 8:29 left he converted all three foul shots and NJCU built its largest lead of the game, 51-46.

                   

MSU scored the next eight points to regain a 54-51 lead as it began to uncork the decisive 19-2 spurt. Two baskets by Williams sandwiched around a three by sophomore guard Ken Dudley (Willingboro, NJ/Burlington Tech) started off the run. After a lay-up by Tucker, Montclair scored the next 11 points—a three by McCann, a field goal and two foul shots by Georges, two Williams’ foul shots, and a layup by sophomore guard John Byrne (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick)—and seized control of the game with a 12-point, 65-53 advantage. NJCU was limited to just two points over the 6:13 span, shooting 1-of-8 from the field during that stretch. NJCU was able to get within seven on a Tucker jumper with 1:01 left, but MSU made six consecutive free throws in the final minute, and hit a near half-court shot at the buzzer to account for the final margin.