The Stockton Ospreys defeated the Montclair State Red Hawks in the NJAC Tournament Semifinals Thursday evening at the Stockton Sports Athletics Center, 92-78.
The Red Hawks entered the game undermanned again as they played without junior guards Keyon Price (wrist) and Greg Ecks (ankle).
The Ospreys (23-4) entered the game after a marginal four-point victory at home versus TCNJ. Montclair State came away with a five-point win at home versus William Paterson to set up the semifinal matchup.
Stockton and Montclair State tried a few outside attempts early on, getting their star guards warmed up. NJAC Player of the Year DJ Campbell hit a couple of shots to give Stockton a slight 13-10 lead in the first five minutes. Stockton quickly went on a 9-2 run to provide themselves with a ten-point lead and proceeded to blow the game open over the next ten minutes. Due to the Red Hawks not scoring a bucket for over six minutes, the Ospreys went on a 20-2 run and created an insurmountable 24 point lead that Montclair State could not overcome.
The Ospreys retained that lead throughout the first half as they led 54-29 going into halftime. The Red Hawks (15-10) went on an impressive 11-1 run to start the first few minutes of the second half, but then a deep Campbell three-pointer stopped the bleeding for the Ospreys as they got the lead back up to 20 points. Campbell was phenomenal, finishing with 28 points on the night. Junior guard Kadian Dawkins also did well as he added 20 points.
Stockton clung to that 20 point lead for the remainder of the game as the Red Hawks could never cut it to single digits. Senior forward Irvin Callander IV exited the game with roughly seven minutes left due to an apparent hand injury. Callander finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in his final collegiate game. Honorably, Red Hawks guard Mike Jackson finished with 22 points ending a solid freshman year becoming a bright spot in the future for Montclair State.
The NJAC Men's Tournament Finals Matchup
Stockton advanced to the NJAC Tournament Finals Saturday as they will host Rowan University after the Profs defeated Rutgers-Newark at home. This game will feature the number one seed (Stockton) versus the number two seed (Rowan) going for the title. Stockton will be looking to win their second NJAC Championship in three seasons.
- 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
