The Red Hawks came out on top and got a great win last Saturday, Dec. 16th. The final score of the contest was 79-54 as Centenary University struggled to compete for the majority of the contest.
In the opening moments of the game, Centenary University got off to a hot start, taking a commanding lead over Montclair State University. A little over five minutes into the game, the Red Hawks found themselves down 14-5.
It was a low-scoring affair for the men’s basketball team but they would pick up the pace as the game went on. The Red Hawks responded with a 12-3 run to take the lead with six minutes to go until halftime.
Freshman guard Ahmad Robertson would leave his mark on the first half of play by putting three points on the board from downtown. Despite only being up 28-22 heading into the back half of this one, Montclair State’s shooting had been superb so far.
Freshman guard Ahmad Robertson scored a career high of 10 points in the win. Markell Robinson | The Montclarion
The Red Hawks went a decent 10-30 from the field which was about 33% to Centenary’s 7-24 from the field which was about 29%. They also got the lead by scoring nine of the last 12 points going into the break.
It was quite a battle between the two teams and Montclair State would need to sharpen up their shooting if they wanted to extend their lead. The team looked poised in the second half and wanted to take full control of the game.
Centenary opened up the frame by scoring four straight points but that offensive prowl would only last for a short period. Montclair State responded with a resounding 15-2 run which was sparked by Junior Mike Jackson.
Junior guard Mike Jackson leads Montclair State in scoring with 18.6 points per game. Markell Robinson | The Montclarion
He would score eight of the 15 points during that run and the Red Hawks were now ahead by a score of 43-26. This offense would only get better as they used this momentum to propel them forward.
Montclair State outscored Centenary 51-32 in the second half and never looked back. They eventually closed out the game to get the well-deserved victory after bouncing back from the loss a few days prior at Ramapo College.
When it comes to this win it is only right to mention the big impact that Jackson had on the game. He made it his fifth straight contest surpassing 20 points as he totaled with 28 which was now his season-high in points and had 13 rebounds to go along with that.
Other players that should be highlighted for the game are Senior guard Kieran Flanagan and Robertson. Robertson was the second-highest scorer for the game and was certainly key to the victory. On the other hand, Flanagan has done more than enough to put the team in a winning position in this game and throughout the whole season.
He is not particularly a high scorer on the court but he makes his opponents feel his presence by inserting himself into every play. Flanagan nearly had a triple-double on the night totaling 5 points, 6 assists, and 10 rebounds. He plays with a certain motor that very few players have.
Rebounds seemed to have been a dramatic stat for the team as it was a constant theme throughout the whole game. Montclair State had a 43-34 advantage and they even played so well that 17 Red Hawks were able to check into the game. 10 out of the 18 players on the roster added their two cents to the game, each contributing to the scoring in their own way.
Montclair State improves to 7-3 on the year and bounced back in a big way.
