The TCNJ men’s basketball team narrowly missed an upset against No. 8 Montclair State on Wednesday night, falling 76-72 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game held in Montclair, New Jersey.
Nick Koch led the Lions with 24 points, supported by Matthew Solomon who posted 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Khalid Bakare who added 14 points. The team played without starting guard David Alexandre but kept the contest close until the final minute. Despite their efforts, TCNJ was unable to overcome 25 turnovers, which contributed to Montclair State maintaining its unbeaten record at 15-0.
Montclair State started the game strong, converting nine of its first ten shots and establishing an early double-digit lead. However, TCNJ responded with an 18-7 run led by Koch and first-year players Lucas Dipasupil and Mason Mangione. The Lions briefly took a lead before both teams traded scoring runs to close out the first half. A late surge from TCNJ allowed them to enter halftime ahead 44-41 after a last-second basket by Koch.
The second half saw slower scoring as TCNJ extended its lead to six before Montclair State tied the game midway through the period. The Red Hawks regained control with just over four minutes remaining, but TCNJ continued to challenge, coming within one point in the closing minutes. Key plays from Dipasupil and Koch kept the Lions within reach; however, missed opportunities and late free throws by Montclair State sealed their win.
TCNJ shot 47.5 percent from the field compared to Montclair’s 46.2 percent and held a narrow rebounding advantage (38-34). While they converted turnovers into points efficiently, their own mistakes proved costly as both teams capitalized on each other’s errors.
Christian Nicholson led Montclair State with 17 points and seven rebounds while Kabrien Goss contributed 15 points and five assists. Ahmad Robertson (13), Jacob Morales (11), and Kunga Tsering (10) also scored in double figures for the Red Hawks.
Among standout performances for TCNJ: Koch made nine of his twenty shots from the field along with three steals and three assists; Solomon achieved his third consecutive double-double; Bakare set a new career high in scoring; Dipasupil recorded eleven points alongside four rebounds, four assists, and two steals; Mangione hit three of four attempts from long range for nine points.
Additional notes include that Koch is now one point away from reaching 1,500 career points and registered his hundredth career steal during this game. Solomon’s double-double was his thirty-third career achievement of this kind as he moved into twenty-fourth place on TCNJ’s all-time scoring list with 1,026 points. Jordan Robinson made his first start in place of Alexandre.
Montclair State has now won nine straight games against TCNJ and holds one of only four undefeated records remaining among Division III programs nationwide this season—the others being Trinity (No.1), Mount Union (No.4), and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (No.9).
The Lions will next host NJCU at Packer Hall on Saturday for Senior Day.
