Montclair, NJ – Junior guard GREG ECK finished with 16 points leading five Red Hawks in double figures as Montclair State held off Kean University for an 80-74 victory at the Panzer Athletic Center on Wednesday evening.

Junior FRANCISCO PAULINO and freshman MIKE JACKSON added 13 and 12 points for the Red Hawks (8-6), who pulled into a tie with Kean (10-4) in the NJAC standings as both teams are now 5-5 in conference play. Montclair split the season series with the Cougars, avenging a 105-94 loss in Union on November 23.

Jailen Jamison scored 24 points for Kean, with Letrell West adding 21 and six rebounds.

MSU led 40-37 at halftime and 47-39 after Jackson nailed a three-pointer with 16:39 remaining. After Cougars trimmed that deficit back to five points, Montclair State used a quick 10-6 spurt, including six by Eck, to build a 60-49 advantage with over 11 minutes to play.

A three-point play by Paulino with 8:37 left gave the Red Hawks their largest lead at 67-54. Kean countered with a 15-4 run over the next six minutes, drawing within a point after West completed a three-point ply making the score 71-70 with 1:52 to go. KIERAN FLANAGAN came up with a huge basket-and-one twenty seconds later, with KEYON PRYCE drilling a three-pointer with 64 ticks left as Montclair State extended its lead to 77-70.

Jamison followed with a layup for the Cougars, and a foul shot by Jackson made the score 78-72 with 36 seconds left. Jackson added two free throws in 21 seconds remaining for an eight-point MSU advantage. Abdullah Nieskens layup with 13 seconds brought Kean within 80-74. That would be as close as the visitors would get.

DEVIN COOPER (six assists) and IRVING CALLENDER IV had 10 points apiece for MSU. Jackson led the Red Hawks with eight rebounds while Callender grabbed seven. Paulino and Flanagan each posted six.

Montclair State is back at the Panzer Athletic Center for its next contest. The Red Hawks host The College of New Jersey on Saturday, January 22, at 1:00 pm.