NEWARK, NJ -- Junior forward Deshawn Singleton (Passaic, NJ/Passaic) paced the Rutgers-Newark with 20 points and 11 rebounds, but sophomore guard Tom Bonard poured in 19 of his career-high 22 points in the second half to help Montclair State down Rutgers-Newark, 69-64, and clinch the New Jersey Athletic Conference's North Division top seed in the upcoming league championship tournament.
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Junior forward Phil Barnes (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) also pulled down 11 boards.
R-N senior forward David Cherry (Linden, NJ/Roselle Catholic), who finished with 13 points, and junior guard James Johnson (Summit, NJ/Summit), who tallied a dozen, netted nine points apiece as the Raiders constructed a 30-21 halftime edge.
Bonard hit three of four shots from beyond the arc and drained all 10 of his free throws in the second half as the Red Hawks (19-5, NJAC 10-2) ruined Senior Night in The Golden Dome and forced the Scarlet Raiders (13-11, NJAC 6-6) into a must-win situation in their final regular season game at New Jersey City on Wednesday.
It was the Red Hawks' first divisional title in the three-year-old format, giving the team a first-round bye in the six-team format. Rutgers-Newark would gain the division's third and final seed with a win at NJCU. A loss would boost Ramapo (13-11, NJAC 6-7) into the tournament on the basis of tie breakers.
Montclair State sophomore center Jon Georges muscled inside for 16 points and a game-high 15 rebounds while rejecting three shots. Freshman guard Ali Mix netted all 12 of his points in the second half, hitting two of three shots from 3-point range.
The crucial play of the game came with 20 seconds left when senior center Ryan Washington grabbed a missed free throw by Mix and put it back in for a crucial 63-61 lead. After a Raider turnover, Bonard pushed the lead to five with a pair of free throws with 16 ticks remaining. Bonard then made four of four free throw tries to offset a pair of layups by Singleton in the final 11 seconds to keep Rutgers-Newark at bay.
Game times for Wednesday's NJAC twinbill at New Jersey City are 6 p.m. for the women and 8 o'clock for the men.
The Raider men, who are guaranteed their sixth straight winning regular season, will be trying to reach the NJAC Championship Tournament field for the fourth time in the last five seasons under head coach Joe Loughran. Rutgers-Newark already is eligible for consideration for its fifth straight ECAC Metro Championship playoff.
