This group of basketball players at The College of New Jersey has experienced considerable success throughout their careers and all of it is well deserved and earned. The Lions are headed to the New Jersey Athletic Conference final for the second time in three years and should they win they’ll be making their third straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. TCNJ (20-6) travels to No. 6 Montclair State (25-1) for the conference championship game on Saturday with the tip-off set for 1 p.m. The contest has some extra meaning since it was the Lions who  handed the Red Hawks their only loss (94-85) in the regular-season finale.. Montclair State was ranked No. 1 at the time. But this group has been tested before and has always risen to the occasion. “The guys are hyper focused and locked in,’’ said first-year coach Evan Elberg. “They know pressure is a privilege and are embracing the moment. We are grateful for the opportunity and excited to compete on Saturday afternoon at Montclair State.’’ Both teams are coming into the game with some gaudy statistics and records. TCNJ’s Matt Solomon set a new school record for rebounds with 1,000 career caroms. He surpassed Don Nolan’s old mark of 998 set in 1983. Solomon was also named the NJAC’s Defensive Player of the Year. Also, TCNJ’s Nick Koch is the NJAC’s  leading scorer with 22.8 points a game. Montclair State set a school record for wins with 25 and guard Jacob Morales was named the NJAC Player of the Year. Morales, a transfer from Rutgers, averages 19.3 points a game. He, along with Solomon, who is averaging a double-double, and Koch were All-NJAC First Team selections. Elberg knows it’s not going to be an easy task taking down the Red Hawks twice in just over a week. Montclair won the first meeting, 76-72, in Montclair. “Montclair has a lot of talent and are extremely well coached,’’ said Elberg. “They play a unique style that can be hard to handle. We need to be strong and poised with the basketball to handle their pressure and limit their three point shooting.’’ The Lions have gotten big contributions from  Jonathan Okocha, who had 21 points in the win over the Red Hawks, and is getting hot at the right time, averaging 15 points per game in the last three games. David Alexandre averages 9.9 points and Khalid Bakare has been a standout on the boards with 5.2 rebounds a game. “We have to continue to do the same things that got us here,’’ said Elberg. “We need to stay together, stay connected, and be tough, both mentally and physically.’’ This group hasn’t backed down from a challenge and it won’t happen at Montclair. ...read more read less