The Red Hawks (8-8) will face Brooklyn College in the consolation game on Sunday, January 22 at 12:00 pm. The Bridges lost to host Manhattanville, 88-41. Lincoln will take on Manhattanville in the title game at 5:00 pm.
Gonzalez added another chapter to his outstanding season as he won the battle between two of Division III's top scoring threats. Gonzalez, who entered the week at No. 4 in the country, bested the Lions' (17-4) Kyle Myrick, who had 34 points to go along with 12 assists. Myrick was No. 2 in the nation in scoring when the week began.
Sami Wyle had 16 points while Bryant Leach had 15 and seven rebounds as the Lions defeated MSU for the first time in three meetings.
Gonzalez broke Clem Tennaro's mark of 47 points set on November 27, 1956 against Rutgers-Newark. The senior was 19-of-26 from the field and after going an uncharacteristic 4-of-9 at the free throw line in the first half, made all nine attempts in the second to finish 13-of-18 at the charity stripe. He also set a new single-game tournament record.
Gonzalez also handed out five assists as he posted his eighth double-double of the season. It was also the second time this season he has scored 40 or more points in a game and the eight game in which he has collected 30-plus points. With the effort, Gonzalez also jumped up to ninth place on the all-time MSU scoring list with 1,236 points in his 54-game Red Hawk career.
Montclair State led by as many as eight early in the game, however, Lincoln came back to take a 38-31 halftime lead. In the second half, a jumper by Gonzalez tied the game at 45-45 with 15:48 to play. The up- tempo Lions then went on a 29-4 run over the next five minutes to pull away. Leach and Myrick combined for 23 of those points with Leach scoring all of his 15, including four three-pointers.
Jonathan Arthur had 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists while Eric Sylvester, making his first start of the season, had seven points and four rebounds. Montclair State shot 50 percent from the field in the game, but the Red Hawks did not connect from the three-point line, going 0-for-9.
Tyreek Byard had 13 points, six rebounds and four steals for Lincoln, which shot 54 percent in the second half (23-of-42), including nine three-pointers. Thomas Hickson had eight points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.