Middletown, PA – The #23 Montclair State University men's basketball team used a 46-point second half performance to take down Penn State Harrisburg 75-73 on Sunday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Hawks (2-0) fell behind 13-4 after the opening four and a half minutes, but battled back eight consecutive points over a minute-span, capped off by a three-point make from JACOB MORALES to cut the margin to one at the 13:15 mark. After the Lions countered with a layup two possessions later, MYLES PRIMAS connected on a long-range shot off a feed from MASON THEAR to level the contest at 15 as the half approached its midway point.
• The two sides traded buckets over the next five minutes, with KABRIEN GOSS finding Morales for a jumper to tie the game at 19 with 5:54 on the clock. Penn State Harrisburg responded with nine of the next 12 points over the ensuing two minutes to build a six-point advantage. Shortly after, KUNGA TSERING hit a shot from beyond the arc and later hit a free throw to bring Montclair within two, as Morales sank another three to give the Red Hawks their first lead of the contest with 2:23 on the clock. The home side tallied the final six points of the stanza to go into the break up by two possessions. 
• Over the opening two-plus minutes of the second half, Montclair rattled off a 10-4 scoring run to surge out in front, headlined by a pair of buckets from MYLES PRIMAS. The Lions countered with nine of the next 11 over the next three minutes to reclaim a multi-possession advantage, as the two sides continued to trade the lead. A three-point make pushed Penn State Harrisburg into a slim 55-54 lead with 8:24 remaining, as Morales answered on the next trip up the court with a layup to push Montclair ahead.
• With the lead, the Red Hawks built a nine-point advantage with 4:53 on the clock as part of an extended 12-4 scoring run, led by 10 points from Morales. Trailing 70-62 a minute later, Penn State Harrisburg climbed back into the contest with a 9-2 run to make it a one-point game with 1:38 left. After the two sides traded a pair of free throw makes, a turnover by the Lions with six seconds left put the Red Hawks in a position to seal the road victory. CRISTIAN NICHOLSON sunk a free throw, and Montclair held strong defensively on the final possession.

INSIDE THE RESULTS

• Morales finished with a game-high 26 points, connecting on five three-point shots in the process. He has surpassed 20 points 12 times in his two-year Montclair career.
• Goss posted his second consecutive day with 16 points, adding seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals to fill the statsheet. The rebound total marked a new career-high for the sophomore guard.
• Cevis was the final Red Hawk in double-figures, notching 13 points, matching his career-high set against Ramapo on December 11, 2024.
• As part of their 46-point second half surge, Montclair shot 50 percent from the field, hitting 15 shots from the field including five from three, hitting 11 of their 12 free throw attempts.
• The Red Hawks have won back-to-back games to open a season in each of the last four years.
• Morales was named the MVP of the Penn State Harrisburg Tip-Off Classic after compiling 40 points over two games. Goss was named to the All-Tournament Team as well.

FROM THE COURT

"I'm proud of our guys today. They responded in every situation, stayed together, and were able to find a way to get a great road win to end the weekend." - Head Coach Justin Potts

UP NEXT

The Red Hawks will travel to take on Alvernia on Saturday, November 15, to conclude their three-game swing away from the Panzer Athletic Center to open the season. Tip-off from Reading, PA is scheduled for 4:00 PM.