Junior forward MICHAEL DAVIS (Atlantic City, NJ/Atlantic City) led Montclair State with 16 points and was one of three Red Hawks with seven rebounds, including classmate LAMONT NEWELL (Lodi, NJ/Dwight Morrow), who also recorded 12 points and four assists. MSU sophomore forward GIAN PAUL GONZALEZ (North Haledon, NJ/Manchester Regional) finished with nine points and collected seven caroms and two steals. WPU senior guard BRANDON CONSTANTINE (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) led all players with 18 points, connecting on 6-of-10 three-point field goal attempts. Classmate KHAYRI BATTLE (Newark, NJ/Bayley-Ellard) paced the Pioneers with nine rebounds and also posted a team-best six assists.
Montclair led, 14-10, midway through the first half and was up, 29-27, at halftime before pulling away by a 37-27 count with 12:45 remaining in regulation. Paterson, which scored just one point through the first 9:30 of the second half, used an 8-0 run to close within 37-35 with nine minutes left, but Montclair scored 15 of the game’s next 24 points to remain ahead. Freshman forward JAMES KOSIOR (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional) scored all seven of his points for the Red Hawks in just over a two-minute span to boost MSU to a 50-42 lead, though the visiting Pioneers pulled to within 53-48 before MSU closed out the scoring on a lay-up by Gonzalez and two free throws by Newell in the final 1:08.
MSU finished 21-for-29 from the free throw line (72.4 percent), while WPU was just 4-for-9 (44.4 percent). William Paterson shot just 7-for-30 (23.3 percent) from the field in the second half, while MSU was 9-for-23 (39.1 percent). MSU also out-rebounded WPU, 36-33, overall on the night.
Montclair State returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 24, when it host Richard Stockton College at 4:00 p.m. at Panzer Gymnasium in an NJAC contest. WPU will face SUNY Purchase at the Manhattanville (NY) College Castle Classic the same day at 7:00 p.m.