Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers University-Newark held off a late bid by sixth-seeded Montclair State to advance to the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship semifinals with an 81-73 win in The Golden Dome Arena.

The third-seeded Scarlet Raiders (19-7) got 20 points from sophomore forward Jordan McDaniel to lead a balanced attack and end the Red Hawks' season at 11-14. Rutgers-Newark advances to Wednesday's semifinal round at second-seeded William Paterson (20-5) with a 7 p.m. tip off in the WPU Rec Center.

McDaniel hit five of seven shots from the field – including two of three from beyond the arc – and sank all eight of his free throws to help the Raiders make 50.9% (27-53) of their field goal tries and 21 of 28 free throws as Rutgers-Newark topped the 80-point plateau for the fourth time in its last five games.

Junior forward Christian Garcia netted all 14 of his points in the first half to help the Raiders forge a 48-42 lead at the break. He finished with a team-high six rebounds and three assists.

Junior guards John Snow and Doze Ikwuegbu chipped in 10 points and five rebounds apiece as the Raiders upended Montclair State for the third time this season. Sophomore forward David Azoroh and junior guard Chris Foreman added eight points each while sophomore guard Rahim Bunch totaled four points, a team-high four assists and four rebounds. Junior forward Allen Kuiper added five points.

Senior forward Orel Goldson became the 25th Montclair State player to reach the 1,000-point plateau when he dropped in a free throw three minutes into the fray. He registered a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Senior guard Daniel Singleton led the Red Hawks with a game-high 23 points, three assists and a pair of steals. He made seven of 11 shots from the floor and eight of nine free throws. Junior guard James D'Angelo tallied a dozen points, a team-high four assists and two steals for Montclair State.

The lead changed six times and there were three ties in the first half before the Raiders spurted ahead 32-21 on a pair of free throws by McDaniel with 4:18 left in the period. McDaniel jammed in a rebound basket at the halftime horn to stake the Rutgers-Newark to a 48-42 lead.

In the second half, Rutgers-Newark pushed the lead to 11 twice more with a layup by Snow putting the score at 69-58 with 8:31 left. But Montclair State would not go away.

Consecutive layups by D'Angelo, Goldson and Singleton brought the Red Hawks to within 69-64 and set the stage for a tense finish. Montclair State twice sliced their deficit to four points in the final minutes – the last time on a layup by Goldson with 1:05 left. But the Red Hawks would not score again as Foreman sandwiched single free throws around a pair by McDaniel in the final 44 seconds to take the Raiders out of danger.

Fourth-seeded Kean (14-12) snuck past No. 6 New Jersey City (14-12), 79-78 in overtime, to advance to the other semifinal showdown against top-seeded Richard Stockton (21-4) on Wednesday night in Galloway.

Rutgers-Newark split its games against William Paterson during the regular season, winning 64-62 at home in December before taking a 74-50 loss in Wayne in February.