Montclair, NJ- The #1 Montclair State University men's basketball team looks to achieve an undefeated regular season for the first time in franchise history when they travel to The College of New Jersey this Wednesday for the regular season finale.
 
GAME INFO
Tip-off from Packer Hall is set for 7:00 p.m. Live coverage of the game can be found at monclairathletics.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Montclair earned a collective win on Senior Night against Kean this past Saturday, when they defeated the Cougars 79-55 in a defensive showdown. The Red Hawks (24-0, 17-0 NJAC) battled the Cougars in what would be a defensive first half. After Kean notched the opening bucket of the day, JACOB MORALES found KABRIEN GOSS for a jumper to equalize, with a long distance shot from Morales pushing Montclair in front. CHRISTIAN CEVIS rattled in a three to extend the lead to two possessions, with a layup from ANDREW MARTIN making the score 10-3 after five minutes. The visitors countered with the game's next six points over the resulting two minutes before MYLES PRIMAS threw down a dunk to halt the run on the next possession. The combination of Morales and Goss helped nudge the lead back to seven with 11 minutes on the clock, but Kean would creep back within four as the half crossed its midway point. Two minutes later, Goss fed Primas for his second dunk of the afternoon, but a three-pointer off a turnover for Kean cut the difference to one possession 30 seconds later. That shot jumpstarted what would be a 7-0 run for the Cougars over a three-minute span to push them in front, 22-21. After the two sides traded  baskets, a three-pointer from RYAN CASSELS vaulted Montclair back in front, with Goss nailing a stepback jumper to add to the advantage with 2:04 on the clock. Kean tallied a free throw shortly after, but the Red Hawks closed the half strong with seven points over the final 90 seconds, kicked off by a layup from Primas. CRISTIAN NICHOLSON drained a shot from beyond the arc, leading to a layup off a Kean turnover from Morales in the waning seconds to make the score 35-25 in favor of the Red Hawks. Montclair continued to work offensively in the beginning moments of the second stanza, as Goss found Morales for a pull-up three-pointer on the opening trip up the floor. Goss hit a three-pointer of his own on the next possession to increase the difference to 14 points. Both teams would exchange points over the next few minutes, as Cassels would connect on another key three-pointer off a pass from Nicholson to steady the lead. With the lead at 11 as the game approached its final 10 minutes of play, AHMAD ROBERTSON slotted a pass to Goss, who converted another long distance attempt to continue the strong shooting from beyond the arc in the second half. Kean notched a pair of baskets to cut the margin to 10 two minutes later, but they were met once again with a three-pointer from the Red Hawks, this time from Nicholson. Morales and Cevis combined for four points over the next few minutes to make the score 63-47 with 5:57 remaining, as the teams would each convert two free throws on consecutive possessions. Nicholson found Cevis for a layup cutting to the basket, and Primas notched his third dunk of the day to increase the lead to 20. With the difference 16 with two minutes on the clock, Morales scored the final eight points of the afternoon to help Montclair seal the victory and close out its regular season home slate.
 
TEAM LEADERS
MONTCLAIR STATE (24-0, 17-0 NJAC)
Points Per Game: JACOB MORALES, 19.0
Rebounds Per Game: JACOB MORALES, 6.1
Field goal percentage: KUNGA TSERING, .671
Three Point Percentage: AHMAD ROBERTSON, .489
Free throw Percentage: KABRIEN GOSS, .868
Assists: KABRIEN GOSS, 146
Steals: CRISTIAN NICHOLSON, 44
Blocks: MYLES PRIMAS, 21
 
TCNJ (18-6, 13-4 NJAC)
Points Per Game: Nick Koch, 22.7
Rebounds Per Game: Matthew Solomon, 11.3
Field goal percentage: Khalid Bakare, .540
Three Point Percentage: Mason Mangione, .392
Free throw Percentage: Jonathan Okocha, .803
Assists: Nick Koch, 120
Steals: Two tied with 34
Blocks: Matthew Solomon, 10
 
SCOUTING TCNJ
The Lions enter this matchup with an 18-6 record on the year and are locked into the second seed in the NJAC conference with a 13-4 NJAC record, but suffered a buzzer-beating defeat at the hands of New Jersey City University, 70-69, on Saturday. Last season, TCNJ compiled a 20-8 record and a 12-6 mark in the NJAC. They entered the conference tournament as the fifth seed, where they edged Kean, 90-87, before falling to Montclair, 80-62, in the semifinals. TCNJ earned itself an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but suffered a 98-96 defeat at the hands of Pitt-Bradford in the first round. According to the 2025-26 NJAC Preseason poll, the Lions were slated to be the runners-up to Montclair in the conference this season. 
 
SERIES HISTORY
Montclair and The College of New Jersey square off for the 181^st time in their storied rivalry. The Red Hawks are in control of the series at 105-75. They have won the last nine contests against the Lions, dating back to the 2021-2022 season. 
 
LAST MEETING
The Red Hawks and the Lions faced off last on January 14, 2026, where Montclair earned a 76-72 victory at home. 
 
UP NEXT
Montclair State University will rest up and have a first-round bye in the NJAC Tournament as they will await their opponent in the Semifinal Round, starting on February 25, 2026.