Rochester, NY – Junior guard AKBAR HOFFMAN scored 31 points as Montclair State remained unbeaten with a 76-73 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the Holiday Inn Rochester Downtown Tournament at the University of Rochester on Saturday evening.

Junior forward EDDIE EMEDOH added 13 points and five rebounds for the Red Hawks (5-0), who will face host Rochester in the championship game on Sunday, November 25 at 3:00 pm.

Montclair State led a good portion of the first half however the Red Hawks trailed 24-18 with 4:09 left before outscoring the Engineers (2-2) 14-7 to take a one-point advantage. Hoffman brought MSU within 25-24 and a three-point play by JALEN PARHAM put the Red Hawks in front 28-25 with 1:14 left. Tim Horvat drilled a three-pointer 20 seconds later tying the score but MYLES MITCHELL-WHITE hit two from the line with 43 ticks for a 30-28 lead.

Horvat again hit from behind the arc with 36 second remaining giving RPI a 31-30 lead but Mitchell-White again sank two at the charity stripe sending Montclair into the break in front 32-31.

The Red Hawks quickly boosted the lead to 39-31 in the early second as Emedoh completed a three-point play. A 12-5 run over the next four minutes widened the lead to 12 as Hoffman's fastbreak layup with 14:07 to go put MSU up 51-36. But RPI slowly chipped away at the lead and pulled within 56-55 with 8:33 left on a three by Mitchell Wayand. JORDAN ROBERSON answered with a layup and a three by Hoffman restored the lead to 61-55.

Emedoh's second three-point play with four minutes left made the score 72-65 in favor of the Red Hawks. Patrick Mahoney's layup with 1:54 trimmed the lead to 72-71 MSU with under two minutes to go but Mitchell-White counter with one of his own pushing the lead back to three with 1:24 to play.

Andreas Kontopidis made the score 74-73 Montclair on a jumper with 25 seconds. Hoffman was fouled with 18 seconds left and made both attempts for the three-point margin. RPI would get two chances to tie. Horvat misfired on his three-point with seven seconds. Kontopidis got the rebound however his shot from behind the arc was off the mark.

Mitchell-White finished with 11 points and five rebounds while Roberson collected six points and a team-best eight caroms. Parham and JOSEPH RADI recorded five points apiece.