Newark, NJ – Junior Kaan Yilmaz posted a double-double scoring a season-high 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds as Montclair State finished off a season sweep of Rutgers-Newark with an 82-57 victory at the Golden Dome on Saturday evening.
Daniel Ramis and Eddie Emedoh each added 11 points as the Red Hawks (13-5, 7-4 NJAC) won their second straight game overall and their second consecutive game against the Scarlet Raiders (6-11, 2-9 NJAC) after losing 12 straight. MSU also swept the season series between the teams for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign.
Yilmaz scored 13 in the first half as Montclair shot 52 percent (15-of-29) from the field including 5-of-9 from three-point range. Meanwhile the Red Hawk defense held Rutgers-Newark to just 36 percent (9-of-25) shooting.
MSU blew the game open from the start scoring the first 19 points and holding the Scarlet Raiders without a point for the first 8:34 and with a field goal until past the midway point of the opening half. Myles Mitchell-White scored the first three and back-to-back three's by Jarrett Bogus and Ramis made the score 9-0 two minutes in. Emedoh added a field goal as did Mitchell-White with a Jovanni Chatham jumper boosting the lead to 15-0 with 14:32 left. Yilmaz and Justin Porter closed out the game-opening run
Rutgers-Newark would chip away at the lead and got within 31-26 with three minutes to go however Yilmaz drained a three at the other end and four consecutive points by DeAirus Brown to close out the half gave Montclair a 38-28 lead at the break.
Just like it did to start the game, Montclair exploded to open the second outscoring the Raiders 26-2 in the first nine-plus minutes. Another Yilmaz three boosted the lead to 52-30 with 14:54 remaining with Joseph Radi giving the Red Hawks their largest lead at 64-30 with just over 10 minutes to play.
Mitchell-White finished with 10 points for MSU which got nine points and eight rebounds along with five assists from Chatham.
Montclair State returns to action on Wednesday, January 24 when it hosts Ramapo College at the Panzer Athletic Center beginning at 8:00 pm.