Throggs Neck, NY – Matching its third-best start to a season in program history, the #10 Montclair State University men's basketball team claimed a 97-84 road victory over Maritime on Wednesday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Hawks (10-0) fell behind by five in the opening two and a half minutes, but countered with a 11-2 scoring run over the next two minutes to race out to a 14-10 advantage. RYAN CASSELS and KABRIEN GOSS each connected on long distance shots to cap off the run on back-to-back possessions. Maritime battled back with six of the next nine points to climb within one, as Montclair answered with a free throw from CHRISTIAN CEVIS and a layup from KUNGA TSERING to make the margin 20-16 at the 11:37 mark of the period.
• As the half approached its midway point, CRISTIAN NICHOLSON connected on a three-point attempt to push the lead to five for the visitors. With 7:41 remaining, Nicholson drove to the basket and converted an and-one opportunity to increase the Montclair lead to 34-27. The Privateers answered with the game's next six points, cutting the deficit to one with five minutes on the clock. Maritime would later equalize at 41 with 3:09 remaining, as KEVIN BECK vaulted Montclair back ahead with a shot from beyond the arc. He hit another long distance shot in the final minute to make the gap six, but Maritime closed it to three on the ensuing possession.
• The Privateers opened the second stanza with a 7-4 run to tie the game at 53, and after Goss hit a pull-up jumper to regain the lead for Montclair, Maritime took their first lead since the opening minutes on a three-pointer at the 16:36 mark. Goss immediately pushed Montclair back in front on the next possession with a three of his own, but the home side would battle back once again to regain the lead at 62-60 with 12:34 remaining. Over the next two minutes, the Red Hawks rattled off eight consecutive points, as Tsering and MASON THEAR teamed up for four each.
• As the clock passed the halfway point of the second frame, MYLES PRIMAS totaled five points on consecutive possessions to help amass a nine-point advantage for the visitors. The Red Hawks would go up by double-digits for the first time with a pair of free throws from AHMAD ROBERTSON with 8:24 remaining. Montclair continued to click offensively with a 10-2 run over a two and a half minute span to build a 16-point lead with four minutes remaining. The Privateers could get as close as 10 the rest of the way, as the Red Hawks sealed the nonconference road victory by double-digits.

INSIDE THE RESULTS

• Nicholson matched his career-high of 18 points to lead the way offensively for the Red Hawks, converting all seven of his attempts from the free throw line. He has recorded double-digit point totals in five consecutive contests.
• Primas notched 13 points along with eight rebounds to command the boards, tallying his third-straight game in double figures. 
• Goss and Cassels each recorded 12 points, combining for seven makes from three-point range. Tsering rounded out the group in double figures with 10 points, recording 35 over a three-game stretch of 29 minutes off the bench.
• As a team, the Red Hawks shot 45 percent from the field for the afternoon, hitting 11 three-pointers in the first half at a blistering 47 percent rate. Defensively, Montclair forced 22 turnovers from the Privateers while outscoring the Maritime bench 40-17.
• Montclair is the fourth team in the nation to reach 10 wins on the season, one of two to be unbeaten through its opening 10 contests. 
• The start to the season for the Red Hawks is tied for the third-best in program history and the second time in four years they have achieved the mark. They are two away from the second-best start in the history of the program, a run that was set during the 2002-03 season.

FROM THE COURT

"Hard-fought road win. Credit to Maritime, I thought they played tough for 40 minutes. Our bench was once again instrumental today. Overall, proud of the way our guys responded and competed." - Head Coach Justin Potts

UP NEXT

The Red Hawks will host the University of Saint Joseph Connecticut on Wednesday, December 31 for a New Year's Eve clash. Tip-off from the Panzer Athletic Center is scheduled for 1:00 PM.