Purchase, NY -  Freshman guard MAURICE TORRES  scored 26 points while JONATHAN ARTHUR  added 16 and nine rebounds as Montclair State posted a third-place finish in the Castle Classic with a 67-54 win over Brooklyn College at Manhattanville College on Sunday afternoon.

 The Red Hawks improved to 9-8 overall as they played the game without senior forward GIAN PAUL GONZALEZ, who sat out after sustaining a bruised thigh in Saturday's loss to Lincoln. Gonzalez suffered the injury in the first half of his school-record 51-point performance. The 6-6 forward was available for action, but did not play in MSU's final non-conference game. Montclair closes out its season with eight NJAC contests.

 Minus the nation's No. 4 scorer, the Red Hawks did not seem to miss a beat as they shot 57 percent in the first half and jumped out to a 17-point lead at the break. Torres had 16 points while Arthur, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, added 11 as Montclair State converted several fast-break opportunities.

 After leading 16-8 in the first six minutes, Brooklyn College closed within 20-15 as Dmeek Mair hit a soft jumper with 9:03 to play. The Red Hawks then closed out the half with a 20-8 run. Torres scored the first eight points, including back-to-back three's to make the score 28-15 and after a Brooklyn basket, GARAN DICKSON  had jumper to give MSU a 13-point bulge. Arthur would hit four times from the free throw line around a Torres jumper before JAMAL FORD capped the run with a three pointer as MSU took a 40-23 lead into intermission.

 In the second half, MSU would get up by 50-27 on a free throw by ERIC SYLVESTER  with 11:25 left, however, the Bridges would get back into the game thanks in part to an 18-6 run over the next six minutes. Mair had nine points and Ilya Levin added five before Miguel Lopez' jumper from the right wing made the score, 56-45. That would be as close as Brooklyn would get as Torres buried a three-pointer from the left corner and the Red Hawks added five free throws to restore the lead to 63-47 with 2:37 to play.

 Dickson finished with 12 points and five rebounds for Montclair State while Ford added seven points, five assists and three steals. MSU committed just eight turnovers in the game and shot 73 percent (19-of-26) from the line, including 13-of-19 in the second half.

The Red Hawks return to action on Wednesday, January 25 as they host backyard rival William Paterson at 6:00 pm.