Montclair, NJ - The #1 Montclair State University men's basketball team will honor its five seniors before matchup with Kean on Saturday afternoon.  
 
GAME INFO
Tip-off from Panzer Athletic Center is set for 1:00 p.m. Coverage of the game can be found at montclairstateathletics.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Red Hawks (23-0, 16-0 NJAC) notched five of the first seven points of the night on a three-pointer from JACOB MORALES and a driving layup from CHRISTIAN CEVIS. NJCU countered with a 7-2 scoring run over the next two and half minutes to take the lead after the opening five. On the next trip up the floor, KABRIEN GOSS found RYAN CASSELS for a three-pointer from the wing to vault Montclair back in front. The visitors countered with eight of the next 11 to build a 17-13 advantage with 13:12 on the clock, with the two sides holding each other scoreless over the next three minutes. Montclair tallied a quick five points, highlighted by a layup from AHMAD ROBERTSON, to level the game as the half crossed its halfway point. Cevis added to the stretch with a layup off a feed from Robertson to help the Red Hawks regain the lead with nine minutes left. Both teams traded buckets over the next minute, with the Gothic Knights climbing back ahead by one, 26-25. The home side parachuted back into the lead with long distance shots from Goss and Morales, and would later expand the advantage to double-digits on threes from CRISTIAN NICHOLSON and Morales. In the final moments of the frame, KUNGA TSERING rattled in a dunk, with Montclair generating a turnover off the ensuing in-bound, leading to an and-one conversion from KEVIN BECK to make the score 49-35 going into the break. NJCU started the second half strong with seven of the first nine points to climb within nine before Nicholson provided an immediate answer with a layup on the other end. Nicholson added to the lead and extended it to 14 on a three-pointer before the Gothic Knights once again got within nine at the 16:18 mark. A minute after Cassels drained another shot from beyond the arc, the two sides traded the next five baskets, with a free throw from MYLES PRIMAS nudging the gap to 13, 66-53. The visitors mounted another run, putting together a 8-2 stretch over the next two minutes to get within seven at the 12-minute mark. Morales accumulated the game's next five points to once again put the Red Hawks in front by double figures with the clock ticking under 10 minutes. A pair of key baskets from Tsering helped maintain the lead, with Montclair sitting at 80-66 with 6:54 remaining. A quick response from NJCU pulled them back to single digits over the next 30 seconds, and they would later get within eight points shortly after. On the resulting possession, Cassels sank another three-pointer, but the visitors provided another quick spurt to make the score 84-77. With the margin remaining at seven with four and a half minutes left, Robertson found Beck for a corner three and Goss converted a pair of free throws to extend the difference to 12. Montclair put the final offensive stretch together in the final minutes, receiving a three-pointer from Robertson and a driving layup from Morales. Both defenses tightened up, with only two points being recorded over the final two minutes as the Red Hawks sealed the home victory.

TEAM LEADERS
MONTCLAIR STATE (23-0, 16-0 NJAC)
Points Per Game: JACOB MORALES, 18.8
Rebounds Per Game: JACOB MORALES, 4.9
Field Goal Percentage: JACOB MORALES, .479
Three Point Percentage: KABRIEN GOSS, .435
Free Throw Percentage: JACOB MORALES, .824
Assists: KABRIEN GOSS, 139
Steals: CRISTIAN NICHOLSON, 42
Blocks: MYLES PRIMAS, 19
 
OPPONENT
Points Per Game: Daniel Dextraze, 15.3
Rebounds Per Game: Daniel Dextraze 8.1
Field Goal Percentage: Malachi Jeffers-Viera, .436
Three Point Percentage: Kareem Irby, 1.5
Free Throw Percentage: Malachi Jeffers-Viera, .802
Assists: Braelen Crump, 68
Steals: Malachi Jeffers-Viera, 37
Blocks: Daniel Dextraze, 31
 
SCOUTING KEAN
The Kean Cougars come into this matchup with an 11-12 record on the season and an 8-8 record in the NJAC. After going back and forth with a 2-2 record in the last 4 games, the Cougars enter this game after winning a nail-biter against William Paterson University. Last season, the Cougars went 14-12, losing to TCNJ in the first round of the NJAC Tournament, 90-87. As one of the younger teams in the conference after losing some key scorers, hey were picked fifth in the 2025-26 NJAC Men's Basketball Preseason. 
 
SERIES HISTORY
Montclair holds a whopping 106-47 lead in the all-time basketball series versus Kean University. As it stands, they've won seven out of the last eight matches, with a series sweep in the 2024-25 season. 
 
LAST MEETING
The Cougars and the Red Hawks last faced off January 17th 2026. Montclair earned a hard fought victory on the road, 106-94. 
 
UP NEXT
 
Montclair looks to finish this season undefeated this Wednesday in Ewing where they'll face off against TCNJ right before the NJAC tournament begins.