Montclair State 69, Stockton 61

Kai Massaquoi

Boxscore
Richard Stockton (11-7, 5-3 NJAC) put on a furious second-half rally but could not overcome the big lead of Montclair State (16-4, 6-2) as the Ospreys dropped an NJAC road tilt 69-61. Montclair started the game on a 21-7 spurt and held on for the win. Kai Massaquoi (Lawnside/Haddon Heights) led Stockton with a game-high 19 points plus seven rebounds.

Stockton struggled offensively in the first half, shooting just 30.4 percent from the field (7-23) and hitting only two of 10 three-point attempts (20%). The Ospreys fared only slightly better in the second stanza at 32.3 percent overall and 21.4 percent from the arc.

The Ospreys did not reach double digits until a free throw by Nnamdi Usuwa (Colonia/ Colonia) made the score 21-10 over 11 minutes into the game. They managed to halve a 14-point deficit down to seven before Montclair State boosted the margin back up to 11 for a 35-24 count at halftime.

After falling behind 53-32, Stockton put on a 12-0 run to close the margin to 53-44 midway through the second half. The Ospreys later pulled to within three as Massaquoi capped an 11-1 spurt with a free throw at the 2:16 mark, but Stockton could not get closer. Montclair then sealed the victory at the line, sinking seven of their last eight for the final 69-61 score.

In addition to Massaquoi’s total, Usuwa tallied 11 points and team highs in rebounds with nine and steals with three. DiAndre Brown (Sicklerville/Camden County Tech) added 10 points and seven boards in the loss, which halted Stockton’s three-game winning streak.