Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College men's basketball team posted a 75-73 victory over Montclair State behind a career high 30 points from senior center Omar Alston (Carteret, NJ) tonight at the Bradley Center. With the win the Roadrunners place 2nd I the North Division and will host Kean University Tuesday night at 7:00 PM. Montclair places 3rd and travels to Rowan University on Tuesday for a 7:00 PM tip-off.

Ramapo improves to 15-10 overall, 9-4 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference while MSU falls to 15-10 overall, 8-5 in the conference.

The lead changed four times in the opening five and a half minutes before the Roadrunners went on a mini 5-0 run to grab a 15-10 lead with 13:38 on the clock. Senior Jamall Jenkins (New Brunswick, NJ) hit a jumper to spark the lead and Montclair's James Williams (Englewood, NJ) hit a jumper 30 seconds later to halt the run. Rookie Ahmad Hassan (Edgewater, NJ) hit three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt from behind the arc to give Ramapo a six point, 18-12, edge at 12:55. MSU chipped away on Ramapo's lead to come within two with a jumper from Ken Dudley (Willingboro, NJ) before Ramapo's Omar Alston (Carteret, NJ) completed an and-one play to go ahead, 21-16 with under ten minutes to play in the half. The Roadrunners held the slight edge until 1:40 to go in the half when Carlos Pena (Clifton, NJ) hit a jumper to give the Red Hawks a 29-28 lead. Mike Hern (Hamburg, NJ) hit a free throw to go up two and Assad Shaakir (Newark, NJ) hit a jump shot to tie the game at 30 with 44 ticks on the clock. Shaakir put away his free throw attempt, which was awarded after he was fouled on the play, to head into the locker room, 31-30 over MSU.

Shaakir led the Roadrunners with 14 first half points and Alston added nine. The team combined for ten field goals on 25 attempts hitting 40% of their shots. MSU went 12-28 (43%) behind four baskets from Williams for 11 points. Dudley and Pena each recorded seven points for the Red Hawks.

The Roadrunners held a slight edge in the opening minutes of the second half until Williams drained three-pointer to take a one-point lead with 16:23 to play. Tom Bonard (Westfield, NJ) followed with a three of his own to go up four, 41-37. The teams traded baskets over the next four minutes before Hassan and Tim Wesley (Jersey City, NJ) hit back-to-back three-pointers to take a 56-54 lead at the 9:08 minute mark. Ryan Washington (Edison, NJ) tied the game at 56 and gave MSU a one-point lead with three free throws before Ramapo posted a 7-0 run sparked by a jumper from Desmond Sanders (Newark, NJ) to take a 63-57 lead with 6:31 to play. Bonard cut it in half with a three-pointer at 6:17 and Williams hit the back end of a two shot foul to come within two. The sixth tie of the game came with just under four minutes to play, when Pena hit two free throws to knot the game at 65. Shaakir netted two points, Alston added two, and Shaakir again sunk a two-point play putting together a 6-0 Roadrunner run. With the Roadrunners up six, 71-65, with 1:20 to play, MSU's Williams hit a three-pointer to close the gap to three. Sanders put in two free throws and MSU sprinted down the court again sinking another two to trail, 73-70 with only 17 seconds on the clock. Sanders again hit two free throws and a three-pointer from Pena put the Red Hawks within two with six seconds to go. The Roadrunners missed two attempts at free throws and Chris McCann (Sparta, NJ) chucked up a final shot at the buzzer that fell short giving Ramapo the 75-73 victory.

Alston and Shaakir combined for 50 of Ramapo's 75 points hitting 20-29 of their shots. Shaakir recorded the double-double with ten rebounds and Sanders dished out a team high five assists. Wesley netted seven points with six boards and four assists and Hassan contributed six points in the team's 15th win of the year. Ramapo shot 68% in the second half to finish the game hitting an overall 54%. MSU went 26-58 (45%) in the game shooting 45% in the second half of play. Williams lead all Red Hawks with 22 points and Pena and Dudley contributed 18 and 13 respectively. Williams and Dudley each dished out four assists while Bonard grabbed a team high three steals.