MONTCLAIR, N.J. — Two seconds left. Two-point game. One shot. Three attempted by Jacob Morales. Blocked by Matthew Solomon.
On Feb. 28, the Montclair State men’s basketball team suffered a devastating loss at home to The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship, losing by just two points, as the final score read 83-81 in favor of the Lions.
The final made basket of the finals was a dunk by Solomon with just seven seconds remaining, earning the win for the Lions and further cementing himself as one of TCNJ’s greatest.
“You get that close, and you pour that much into it during the course of the regular season, in the conference tournament,” said Montclair State head coach Justin Potts. “We obviously came up a possession short, so that’s tough.”
Montclair State had an undefeated record of 24-0 heading into the final game of their regular season, when they took on TCNJ. Unfortunately for the Red Hawks, their perfect season came to an end with a 94-85 loss. Heading into their third matchup against TCNJ, the Red Hawks came in with a 25-1 record.
Now, TCNJ has put an asterisk on Montclair State’s historic year once again, this time on a much bigger stage.
The Red Hawks and Lions went back and forth in a thriller championship game that came all the way down to the last moment, with nine ties and 12 lead changes seen in the contest.
Fans were expecting TCNJ to be led by star player Nick Koch, though Solomon and David Alexandre were the biggest factors in getting the Lions the NJAC title.
Koch struggled to shoot from three, but made seven of his 10 shots from within the perimeter, finishing with 14 points in the championship game.
Solomon led the way with 22 points and an absurd 17 rebounds, and was someone whom the Red Hawks were unable to guard the entire night. Alexandre pitched in 24 points himself and made crucial baskets for TCNJ late in the game.
The Red Hawks were up 79-72 with just over three minutes left in the matchup, nearly cementing the NJAC finals win. However, Alexandre shocked Panzer Athletic Center as he rallied his team to a comeback down the stretch, scoring nine points late in the game to tie it up 81-81.
“We’re in the fight, and we never quit, and our guys didn’t quit tonight,” said TCNJ head coach Evan Elberg on the comeback. “I thought they executed really well down the stretch, and David Alexandre stepped up and made some really big buckets for us late.”
Montclair State looked to star players Morales and Kabrien Goss in the NJAC finals, allowing them to attempt a combined 29 shots, though it was not enough to claim the title.
Goss led the team with 18 points on the night, which included four threes, and also racked up five assists in just 20 minutes of play. Morales hit just five of his 15 attempted shots, struggling to get open from beyond the perimeter with seven missed threes.
Following Solomon’s clutch dunk, Goss was unable to hit the game-tying layup on the other end. However, Cristian Nicholson was able to grab the rebound for a second-shot opportunity. Unfortunately for Montclair State, Solomon was in the right spot at the right time, blocking Morales’s last-second three-point attempt to allow the Lions to cut down the nets at Panzer.
Nicholson, Myles Primas, Andrew Martin and Ryan Cassels all had 10 points or more in the game for the Red Hawks, but TCNJ was still able to come away with the win.
Now, both Montclair State and TCNJ will advance to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. The Lions earned their spot by winning their conference, while the Red Hawks received an at-large bid, rewarding their otherwise dominant season.
Montclair State will host the University of Maine-Farmington at home on March 6 in the first round of the tournament, looking to bounce back after a tough, but hard-fought NJAC finals loss.
“They get the wins, I get the losses, that’s the way it goes,” said Montclair State head coach Justin Potts. “So just watch some film, get them refocused, and try to get them ready to see what we can do when the tournament starts.” Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
“They get the wins, I get the losses, that’s the way it goes,” said Potts. “So just watch some film, get them refocused, and try to get them ready to see what we can do when the tournament starts.”
As for TCNJ, they will play Johns Hopkins in the first round, looking to continue their momentum.
“We have a ton of respect for them from their staff all the way down to their players,” Elberg said. “I think when we can win close games like this, we’re battle tested.”
The Red Hawks had a record-breaking conference season that will go down in the history books, though they were unable to top it off with an NJAC Championship.
TCNJ finished the game on an 11-2 run, stealing the NJAC crown in a nailbiter. It is the Lions' second conference title in three seasons. Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
