The Montclair State Red Hawks (11-7) took on the William Paterson Pioneers (10-9) Wednesday night at the William Paterson Rec Center.
The Red Hawks were coming off a loss to the top rated NJAC team, Stockton (16-4), just two days prior but didn’t reveal any sign of fatigue. After a slow exchange in the first ten minutes of the game, the Red Hawks bursted free with a 13-2 run over the following five minutes. This included three consecutive three-pointers for freshman guard Mike Jackson, who set his new career high on the night with 28 points.
The Red Hawks added some additional points down low to close the first half with an 18 point lead. Entering the second half, the Pioneers struck back and rattled off an 8-0 run to cut the lead to ten and force a Montclair State timeout. Junior guard Keyon Price stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer of his own, followed by more outside shots from Jackson.
The lead was still trading between 10 and 15 points for the Red Hawks until Pioneers forward Yvens Monfleury fouled Fransico Paulino down low and then proceeded to slam the ball in frustration of the foul call. This awarded the Red Hawks with four consecutive free throws, upping the lead to 20 points and ultimately deflating William Paterson as they went on to win, 83-60.
Monfleury set his career high against the Red Hawks just one year prior with 25 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Tonight, he was in foul trouble from the get-go, as that last personal and technical foul found him ejected from the game.
What's Next for Montclair State Red Hawks?
The Red Hawks (8-6) pass William Paterson (7-7) on the conference standings as they sit at fourth place while William Paterson is at sixth.
The Red Hawks travel to Camden on Saturday to take on Rutgers-Camden (1-13) while the Pioneers will have to regroup as they get ready to head into Galloway to take on the mighty Stockton (11-3).
- Montclair State falls to Hamilton in Division III NCAA Tournament - March 5, 2023
- Montclair State knocks out NJCU to advance to NJAC semi-finals - February 19, 2023
- Montclair Hangs On for Victory Over Kean Cougars - February 11, 2023
