CAMDEN, N.J. (Feb. 5, 2022) – Trailing by as many as 17 points early in the second half, the Rutgers University-Camden men's basketball team made a spirited comeback, slicing Montclair State University's lead to five points on a pair of occasions here Saturday.
 
The Red Hawks recovered from that scare, however, and went on to defeat the Scarlet Raptors, 69-55, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game.
 
Montclair State improves to 12-7 overall and 9-6 in the NJAC, while Rutgers-Camden falls to 1-17 and 1-14.
 
Montclair State leads the all-time series, 58-11.
 
With 14:58 remaining in the game, the Red Hawks opened up a 53-36 lead on a three-point field goal by junior guard Greg Eck. Rutgers-Camden followed with a 13-1 run, slicing the margin to 54-49 with 8:56 remaining. Sophomore forward Tristan Cornish scored four of the points in that run and freshman forward Brandyn Stafford capped the run with a foul shot.
 
After a field goal by the Red Hawks, the Scarlet Raptors again sliced the margin to five points, 56-51, on a layup by junior guard Tyree Mann-Barnes. Those were the last points the Raptors scored over the next 4:36 as the Red Hawks ran off 10 points to hike their lead back to double-digits at 66-51.
 
Sophomore guard Kieran Flanagan paced four Red Hawks in double figures with 15 points, while senior forward Steve Breeman added 13. Freshman guard Mike Jackson scored 11 and senior guard/forward Irving Callender IV added 10. Callender and Flanagan both grabbed seven rebounds to help Montclair State hold a 38-25 advantage off the boards. Senior guard Devin Cooper dished off seven assists and added four steals, game highs in both categories.
 
Cornish led the Scarlet Raptors with 14Those were the last points the Raptors scored over the next 4:36 as the Red Hawks ran off 10 points to hike their lead back to double-digits at 66-51.
 
Sophomore guard Kieran Flanagan paced four Red Hawks in double figures with 15 points, while senior forward Steve Breeman added 13. Freshman guard Mike Jackson scored 11 and senior guard/forward Irving Callender IV added 10. Callender and Flanagan both grabbed seven rebounds to help Montclair State hold a 38-25 advantage off the boards. Senior guard Devin Cooper dished off seven assists and added four steals, game highs in both categories.
 
Cornish led the Scarlet Raptors with 14 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Jaymes Savage added 11 points and four assists.
 
MSU shot 25-for-59 (42.4 percent) from the floor and Rutgers-Camden shot 22-for-42 (52.4).
 
Rutgers-Camden plays an 8 p.m. NJAC game at William Paterson University Wednesday.