Upper Montclair, NJ - Junior guard JOSEPH THOMAS (Linden, NJ/Linden) scored a game-high 24 points as Montclair State captured the New Jersey Athletic Conference regular-season championship with a 76-69 victory over The College of New Jersey at Panzer Gymnasium this afternoon.

The Red Hawks (18-7) finished the conference slate with a 12-6 mark and won the regular-season crown by virtue of a first place tie between MSU, Richard Stockton and Ramapo. Montclair won the tiebreaker based on its 3-1 record against Richard Stockton and Ramapo. The Red Hawks, who will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NJAC Playoffs, will face either New Jersey City or William Paterson on Thursday, February 21 at 7:00 pm. NJCU and WPU square off in a play-in game on Tuesday, February 19 in Jersey City.

It is the first time Montclair has finished first in the New Jersey Athletic Conference since 1984 and it will also be its first home game in the NJAC Tournament since that season when Montclair lost to William Paterson, 79-67 in the NJAC Championship Game.

Montclair led 26-25 late in the first half when BEN MARTINEZ (Scotch Plains, NJ/SP-Fanwood) buried a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer for a four-point MSU lead at the break. The Red Hawks then opened the second half with six straight points for a 35-25 advantage with 17:41. TCNJ would get as close as 47-42 with 11:15 to play as GYL VAUGHT (Ewing, NJ/Solebury Prep (PA)) hit a three-pointer. But MSU pushed the lead back to 58-46 as HAROLD WILLIAMS (Jersey City, NJ/St. Aloysius) capped an 11-4 run with a layup.

OMAR BOOTHE (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) added 17 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots as he set the single-season mark with 58 rejections. Boothe bested the mark of 57 set by Aljumar Earl (1996) and Keith Hines (1993 & 1994). Vaught finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Lions (11-14, 6-12 NJAC) while SCOTT FINDLAY (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris) added 12 points.

MICHAEL GLUCK (Union, NJ/Union) added 15 points off the bench for MSU, which shot 59 percent (19-of-32) from the field in the second half. The Red Hawks shots 48 percent overall (30-of-62) in the game.