Stockton men’s basketball approaches the end of regular season, ranked 16 in NCAA division III

By Danna Urias on February 17, 2025

The Ospreys have been back on campus and so has the action in Stockton University’s athletics program.

Just a few weeks after returning to campus, the men’s basketball team has already made a strong impression with its incredible performances and accomplishments. They began the new semester with three dominating wins against William Paterson (78-66), The College of New Jersey (85-57), and Rutgers-Newark (82-74).

Christian Armstrong-Thomas has possession of the ball. Photo courtesy of Danna Urias.

Before and following those dominating wins, two first-year Ospreys were named NJAC Rookie of the Week in men’s basketball. Jahmir Payoute earned the honor for two consecutive weeks, from January 13-19 and January 20-26, while Logan McKee was named NJAC Rookie of the Week for the week of January 27-February 2.

After three dominating team and individual performances, the official 2025 NCAA DIII Men’s NPI Basketball Rankings were released on February 3.

The NCAA Power Index (NPI) rating is the primary metric used by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to determine the postseason basketball tournament bracket. It combines wins, losses, quality wins, and strength of schedule to metrically rank each team.

The Ospreys were ranked No. 14 in the 2025 NCAA DIII Men’s NPI Basketball Rankings.

Building on this momentum, the Ospreys secured a thrilling last-second win over New Jersey City University with a score of 73-72.

Jamar Johnson prepares for a free throw. Photo courtesy of Danna Urias.

As the Ospreys visited New Jersey City University, junior EJ Matthews-Spratley scored 15 points and reached the 1,000-point mark. Matthews-Spratley entered the game with 993 career points and hit the 1,000 mark while at the free-throw line. He transferred from the University of Scranton last year, where he scored 256 points, and upon moving to Stockton he hit his milestone of 1,000 career points.

While hitting the road again, the Ospreys visited Montclair State University. Despite a strong effort, they came up short, falling 86-91 in a hard-fought battle. After falling short to Montclair State, the Ospreys dropped to No. 16 in the latest NPI rankings.

Despite the loss, Payoute was recognized again for another NJAC weekly honor: he was named NJAC Rookie of the Week for the third time in his rookie career, for the week of February 3-9.

The Ospreys bounced back in their next game against Rutgers-Camden, securing a victory with the final score of 67-57.

Eriq Campbell drives forward during a game. Photo courtesy of Danna Urias.

Over the weekend, the Ospreys faced another important conference game against Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Stockton made a remarkable comeback from a 15-point deficit to force a 97-95 double overtime loss to Ramapo. The game was tied 80-80 after a three-pointer by Matthews-Spratley in the final seconds. The Ospreys briefly led in the first overtime, but the Roadrunners managed to tie it up, sending the game into another overtime. In double overtime, Stockton could not hold on as Ramapo again tied the game and ultimately won. The Ospreys had three players in the double digits: Matthews-Spratley led the team with 27 points, while McKee added 22 points, matching his career high, and sophomore Eriq Campbell scored 20 points.

Stockton’s final regular-season game will be at home against Rowan University on Wednesday, February 19th, at 7:30 pm. This game will also serve as the Basketball Senior Night, as well as the Bob Hutchings Memorial Game, in remembrance of the longtime Stockton assistant coach.