Montclair, NJ – The #10 Montclair State University Men's Basketball team fell in the First Round of the 2025-26 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament on Friday evening at the Panzer Athletic Center.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Hawks (25-3) built an early 7-5 lead on a three-pointer from RYAN CASSELS at the 17:39 mark of the opening stanza, but Maine-Farmington answered with the game's next nine points over the ensuing two minutes. KUNGA TSERING halted the run with a long distance make of his own on the next possession as the Beavers would extend the gap to six shortly after. Montclair would vault back in front with a 12-0 spurt over the next 2:08, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from three including a pair from JACOB MORALES, to jump out in front 22-16 at the 11:33 mark. The visitors would counter once again in a game of runs with the game's next 10 points as the half crossed its midway marker, taking a 26-22 lead. 
• Morales cut the deficit to one with eight minutes remaining in the half, and a three-pointer from MASON THEAR two possessions later would equalize the contest at 28. The Red Hawks would regain the lead again at the 6:09 mark, as ANDREW MARTIN converted an and-one opportunity to push the home side in front by three. KABRIEN GOSS connected on back-to-back three-pointers to increase the Montclair lead to nine points a minute later, but a quick seven points from Maine-Farmington would trim the gap to one possession. With the margin the same with under two minutes on the clock, CRISTIAN NICHOLSON sliced to the bucket for a layup, leading to a three-pointer from Morales to push the game to seven. The Beavers notched the final basket of the half to make the score 44-39 going into the break.
• MYLES PRIMAS drove to the basket for a layup after a Morales steal on the first possession of the second half to extend the lead to seven once again. Maine-Farmington used a 12-2 scoring run over the next three and a half minutes to surge back in front by three, 51-48, with just under four minutes gone in the second half. A few minutes later, a dunk from Tsering pushed the Red Hawks back in front by one, as Goss extended the lead to two possessions on a long range shot with 13 and a half minutes on the clock. An extended run for the Beavers saw them tally 10 of the next 16 points to climb back into a tie with Montclair at 63 apiece at the halfway point of the second half. 
• Maine-Farmington collected a 9-2 run over the next two minutes to build a seven-point lead before AHMAD ROBERTSON answered with a three-pointer on the next trip up the floor to bring Montclair within two possessions. The Beavers would tally seven of the game's next 10 points to maintain a three-possession lead with five and a half minutes on the clock, and would later expand the gap to nine with 1:23 on the clock as part of another 7-3 scoring run. Free throws would bring the Red Hawks within seven with 55 seconds on the clock, but Maine-Farmington closed out the night with another run, outscoring Montclair 8-3 to seal the opening round victory.

INSIDE THE RESULTS

• Morales finished the night with a game-high 26 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the floor, collecting seven boards on the glass.
• Goss tallied five three-pointers en route to 15 points, with Robertson the final Red Hawk in double figures with 10 points.
• Nicholson notched eight assists, the sixth time this season he has reached or surpassed the mark.
• Montclair finished the season with a program record 25 victories, reaching the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four seasons.