Springfield, MA – Sophomore guard MIKE HERN (Hamburg, NJ / Walkill Valley) scored a game-high 15 points to lead the Montclair State University men's basketball team to a first-round 63-61 victory over Roger Williams University this evening at James Naismith Court at Springfield's Blake Arena in game #3 of the Holiday Inn/Naismith Classic.

With the win, Montclair State raised its record to 5-4, while Roger Williams fell to 3-6. This is the 13 th annual Holiday Inn/Naismith Classic on the women's side, while it is the 21 st annual on the men's side. Earlier today in game #1, Wesleyan University defeated host Springfield College, 70-55, in women's basketball. Bates then defeated William Paterson, 77-52, in women's hoops. In the final game of the day the men's side, Springfield downed Drew, 70-52.

Tomorrow, in the women's half of the Classic, Springfield will take on William Paterson in the consolation game at 1 pm, while Bates will meet Wesleyan in the championship game at 5:30 pm. The men's consolation game, with Roger Williams facing Drew, will be played at 3 pm, while the men's championship game, with Montclair State taking on Springfield. That game will be played at 7:30 pm.

Hern was one of four double-figure scorers for the Hawks from Montclair State. Hern tallied 15 points, mostly from the free throw line where he was 10-of-11. Junior center RYAN WASHINGTON ( Edison, N.J. / JP Stevens) was next with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. He was 6-of-9 from the floor. Sophomore guard KEN DUDLEY ( Willingboro, N.J. / Burlington Tech) and freshman guard JAMES WILLIAMS ( Englewood, N.J. / Dwight Morrow) each added 10 points to the mix. Dudley also had 3 steals.

For Roger Williams, also nicknamed the Hawks, three players scored in double figures. Freshman forward Kyle Bogucki ( Clinton, Conn.) led RWU with 13 points. He was 5-of-6 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Senior center Geoff Baranger ( Fairfield, Conn.), had 12 points (and 7 rebounds). Senior forward Dan Gumb ( Patterson, N.Y.) also had 12 points.

This was a game where Montclair State never trailed, although it became very interesting towards the very end. MSU ran away at the start, leading 19-3 when Williams made a lay-up with 11:46 left in the first half. RWU briefly cut it to 12 (20-8) with 10:11 left when senior guard Ben Camobreco ( Duxbury, Mass.) made a jumper. A free throw by MSU sophomore guard JOHN BYRNE ( East Brunswick, N.J. / East Brunswick) with 55 seconds left in the half gave MSU a 33-16 advantage by the intermission.

RWU cut it to 10 with 12:17 left on a three-pointer by junior guard Tucker Bashaw ( Williston, Vt.), 42-32. A three-pointer by Bashaw and a lay-up by Camobreco with 6:45 left cut it to five points, 46-41.

The last five minutes of the game was played in about 30 minutes real time as RWU kept fouling and inching closer. It was still a 9-point game with 51 seconds left after Hern made two free throws. That was followed by a lay by Baranger (40 seconds left) and a 3-pointer by Bogucki with 25 seconds left, making it 58-54. When Bogucki made a lay-up with four seconds left, RWU had finally made it a one possession game, 61-58. Hern made two free throws with three seconds left, making it 63-58, and essentially clinching it. Bashaw hit a three-pointer just prior to the buzzer to make it a two-point final score, 63-61.