Galloway, NJ – Junior guard AKBAR HOFFMAN scored 21 points while JORDAN ROBERSON put up a double-double of 10 points and 17 rebounds as Montclair State held off Stockton University 84-81 at the Sports Center on Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore guard MYLES MITCHELL-WHITE added 16 points and six rebounds as the Red Hawks (15-9) snapped a three-game losing streak. More importantly MSU improved to 10-7 in the NJAC and is currently tied for third place with Ramapo College and William Paterson heading into the final regular-season game on Wednesday.

Montclair hosts Rutgers-Camden and could grab the No. 3 seed in the upcoming conference tournament with a win and loss by Ramapo or if all three teams are victorious. The Roadrunners host New Jersey City, which wrapped up the regular-season title on Saturday. William Paterson takes on The College of New Jersey. If the three teams finish at 11-7 the tiebreaker would be decided by record against each other. MSU is 3-1 against Ramapo and William Paterson this season.

The Red Hawks fell to the Ospreys (9-15, 7-10 NJAC) 66-63 at home on January 12 as Stockton hit a buzzer-beating three thwarting a furious comeback by Montclair State which had fallen behind by double-digits in the first half of the first meeting.

This time around it MSU taking the double-digit lead in the first half as Hoffman scored 16 in the first 20 minutes of the contest. A 10-3 Red Hawk advantage early on turned into a 15-15 deadlock with 13:59 to play. EDDIE EMEDOH put Montclair back on top with a three-pointer with two free throws by IRVING CALLENDER IV making it a five-point lead with 12:28 remaining.

Stockton cut the lead to 24-22 with eight minutes left however DEVIN COOPER converted a three-point play igniting an 11-2 run as Montclair State extended its lead to 35-24 with 5:27 to play. A Travis Holland basket with 4:15 pulled the Ospreys within 38-30 however Roberson answered with two from the foul line and a Callender free throw with 1:07 remaining giving the Red Hawks a 46-32 advantage. Kaidan Dawkins three with 50 ticks to go put MSU's lead at 11 points (46-35) at the break.

The Red Hawks' lead would grow to 16 points twice in the second half and they held a 65-50 advantage with 11:44 left before the Ospreys made their comeback attempt. A 13-2 run over the next three-plus minutes quickly cut the lead to 67-63 after Keenan Williams Jr.'s three-pointer. Callender scored four straight for MSU but Williams added the next five as Stockton got within 69-68 with 6:42 on the clock.

JOSEPH RADI and JUSTIN PORTER each had a free throw as Montclair went up 71-68 however another Williams three with 3:18 left gave Stockton a 72-71 advantage. After an Osprey free throw, Callender tied the game up at 7-3 with Porter making one at the line for a 74-73 lead with 2:14 to play. Mitchell-White and Williams traded baskets with another Mitchell-White field goal giving the Red Hawks a 78-75 lead with 1:16 left.

Callender would come down with two huge rebounds in the final minute. The first on the defensive end giving the Red Hawks the ball with 54 seconds. Then with the shot clock winding down,
Montclair put up a three that was off the mark. Callender was there to grab the carom with 23 seconds and was fouled. He made both foul shots for an 80-75 lead. Stockton though did not go away as Steve Ferebee nailed a three with 15 seconds making it a one possession game. Hoffman added two at the line extending the lead to 82-78.

After a miss by the Osprey's Kyle Philo with five seconds, Porter all but sealed the game making the score 84-78 following two attempts at the line. Williams would hit another game-ending three for the Ospreys however this time it wouldn't be enough as MSU earned a split of the season series.

Callender finished with 15 points for MSU while Radi added eight. Montclair connected on 22-of-30 attempts at the line compared to just 10-of-18 by Stockton. The Red Hawks also held a 47-35 advantage on the board including 17 offensive rebounds that turned into 18 second-chance points.