The TCNJ men’s basketball team ended the 2025 calendar year with a 95-69 loss to No. 7 Emory at the Jay Bilas Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday.
TCNJ, now holding an 8-4 record, stayed competitive with Emory for much of the first half but could not keep pace after halftime. Matthew Solomon led the Lions with 17 points and eight rebounds, shooting 7-for-13 from the field. Nick Koch contributed 16 points and five assists.
Emory, which reached the Elite Eight last season and is ranked among the top offenses nationally with over 93 points per game, maintained control throughout. The Eagles never trailed in the contest. Solomon helped TCNJ stay close early by scoring six points in just over six minutes, including a dunk.
The Lions kept within single digits during the first half and narrowed Emory’s lead to five after a three-pointer by Mason Mangione made it 26-21 with just over five minutes left before halftime. Three-point plays from Jonathan Okocha and Koch brought TCNJ as close as four points at 33-29 late in the period. However, Emory scored the final four points of the half to take a 37-29 advantage into intermission.
After halftime, Emory opened with a decisive 17-4 run that pushed its lead to 54-34 with just under fifteen minutes remaining. TCNJ was unable to reduce that margin below sixteen for the rest of the game.
In terms of shooting statistics, TCNJ finished at 34.7 percent from the field (26-for-75), made eight out of twenty-eight attempts from three-point range (28.6 percent), and converted nine out of eleven free throws (81.8 percent). Emory shot nearly fifty percent from the field (48.7 percent), made eight out of twenty-nine three-pointers (27.6 percent), and hit eleven out of eighteen free throws (61.1 percent).
Emory held a significant rebounding edge at 57-36 overall and collected eighteen offensive rebounds that led to twenty-four second-chance points. The Eagles also recorded nineteen assists against ten turnovers; TCNJ committed only seven turnovers.
For Emory, Ben Pearce led all scorers with twenty-six points along with eight assists; Jair Knight had twenty points, eleven rebounds, and six assists; Mario Awasum posted thirteen points and thirteen rebounds for a double-double.
Among other notable performances for TCNJ: Mangione scored nine points on three-of-six shooting from beyond the arc; Jordan Robinson added six points on three-of-four shooting while collecting three steals; Khalid Bakare matched Solomon’s team-high eight rebounds.
This matchup marked the first meeting between TCNJ and Emory in men’s basketball history. During this game, Solomon surpassed Jimmy Glover ’90 for fourth place on TCNJ’s all-time rebounding list with his career total reaching eight hundred nineteen boards; Bakare also went over two hundred career rebounds.
TCNJ will next play an NJAC conference game at Rowan on January seventh.
