MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The New Jersey City University men's basketball dropped a hyper-competitive road New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) match-up on Wednesday evening, Jan. 18, to Montclair State University by the score of 79-74. NJCU held a slim one-point lead with 7:40 to go in regulation but could not hold on against the Red Hawks despite strong performances from senior co-captain guard Jason Battle (Jersey City, N.J./Roselle Catholic) and junior big men Avante Gilbert (Paterson, N.J./International) and Michael Clement (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township).
 
Jersey City (8-9, 3-7 NJAC) started off very strong against Montclair State (14-3, 8-2 NJAC) and the first three quarters of the first half saw NJCU jump out to an eight-point, 24-16 lead with just 5:33 to go until the half. Unfortunately, the Red Hawks doubled up the Gothic Knights over those final five and change by a margin of 16-8 to tie it up at 32-32 after 20 minutes of play.
 
A 14-9 start to the second half saw NJCU regain momentum and jump ahead by five points following a couple buckets from Clement and Battle. Montclair tied it up several times over the next portion of the half, however the Green and Gold maintained control and led by four at 58-54 with 9:07 to go. A three-point play from the Red Hawks at 7:40 cut it to just a one-point, 58-57 lead. That sequence started what was a game-changing 10-0 run, putting MSU squarely ahead by six at 64-58 with 5:44 remaining.
 
The Gothic Knights did manage to trim the deficit back down to four following a couple of Clement free throws at 5:20, however the Red Hawks answered with a 13-2 run, putting them up by a game-high 15 at 77-62 with just 2:00 on the clock. Jersey City ended the game on a dominant 12-2 run, but the damage was already done and MSU took the win by five, 79-54.
 
Highlights:
- Battle added a team-high-tying three assists to his team-best and game-high-tying 19 points.
- Gilbert finished with a season-best 16 points to go with five boards and pair of assists.
- Known for his defensive prowess – Clement was the 2020-21 NJAC Defensive Player of the Year – the junior center scored a career-high 11 points against the Red Hawks. He added a game-best seven rebounds and a pair of assists.
- Senior guard Keshon Smith (Queens, N.Y./Martin Van Buren) returned to the court after a three-game layoff and chipped in 10 points – six of which came on a pair of threes during that final 12-2 stretch in the final two minutes.
 
Up Next:
NJCU returns to action for another road NJAC title on Saturday, Jan. 21, in Ewing, N.J., against The College of New Jersey. Action is scheduled to get underway at 1:00 p.m. as the Gothic Knights look for the regular-season sweep of the Lions after topping them, 67-65, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) back on Dec. 3 behind double-digit scoring performances from Gilbert, Battle and junior forwards Ryan Savoy (Lakewood, N.J./Lakewood) and Jacob Valeus (Pleasantville, N.J./Pleasantville).