Montclair, NJ – Senior forward GIAN PAUL GONZALEZ scored 21 points with JONATHAN ARTHUR added 19 along with seven rebounds as Montclair State kept its NJAC Tournament hopes alive with a 77-68 victory over The College of New Jersey at the Panzer Gymnasium on Wednesday.

Guard JAMAL FORD tallied 17 points and nine rebounds as the Red Hawks (13-11) improved to 9-8 in the NJAC and remain in the hunt for the final conference tournament spot. Montclair closes out its regular season on Saturday, February 18 at Kean University.

Scott Findlay posted 22 point and four rebounds for the Lions (17-7, 11-6 NJAC).

Solid shooting by both teams in the first half made for an interesting 20 minutes with Montclair taking a 36-34 lead heading into the locker room. TCNJ led by as many as six points after Dan Deserio converted a three-point play making the score 23-17 with 8:03 to play. The Red Hawks went on a 12-3 run over the next five minutes and pulled ahead 29-27 as Ford hit from behind the arc. Jason Stallworth's three-pointer with 35 seconds swung the score back in favor of TCNJ but Arthur answered with a three giving Montclair the two-point halftime edge.

In the second half, MSU would get that lead up to seven on a Gonzalez three-point play early in the period, however TCNJ would tie the game at 52-52 on a Bobby Davison jumper with 10:33 left.
Montclair retook the lead on a GARAN DICKSON three-pointer with MAURICE TORRES adding a layup making the score 57-52.

TCNJ would get as close as three-points the rest of the way and trailed by four, 67-63 with three minutes left Montclair closed the game out with an 10-4 run, Gonzalez netting six of those.

Torres added eight points and three assists for MSU, which finished the game 28-of-52 from the field (54 percent), including nine three-pointers. ERIC SYLVESTER and GARAN DICKSON contributed five points and three rebounds apiece.