JERSEY CITY, NJ…Montclair State University uncorked a 9-2 spurt to close the second half and had five players score nine or more, as the Red Hawks ran past New Jersey City University, 63-45, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference North Division women’s basketball game on Wednesday at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
MSU improved to 10-6 overall and 3-2 in the league, while the short-handed Gothic Knights, playing their third straight game without their leading scorer, freshman guard
ANGELA FITZGERALD (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) (15.5 points per game), dropped their third straight decision, falling to 4-12 and 1-5 NJAC. MSU leads the all-time series, 40-3, with nine straight decisions.
NJCU was also without starting senior power forward #NATASHIA CLACKLEY# (Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch), who missed her second straight game due to injuries.
The Red Hawks were led by sophomore forward Catherine Cristino (Farmingdale, NJ/Colts Neck) who scored 13 points (5-12) to go along with three blocks and senior guard Jessica Garrabrant (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) who grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds (13 defensive), including 10 in the first half. She added six points and three assists.
Sophomore guard Jackie Berry (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands) (4-10 FG) and sophomore guard Kisandra Ayanbeku (Burlington, NJ/Randolph) (5-6 FG) each had 10 points. Junior guard Marianne McGovern (Fair Lawn, NJ/Paramus Catholic) had nine points (4-8 FG) and six rebounds, while sophomore guard Jamilee Pflug (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) also had nine points (3-7 FG). Senior guard Jessica Horan (West Haverstraw, NY/North Rockland) dished six assists.
NJCU was led by senior forward
VANESSA VARGAS ESPINOZA (Union City, NJ/Emerson-Union City), who matched
Cristino with a game-high 13 points (5-14), adding seven rebounds (five defensive) and three assists. Sophomore guard
TANIA GREENLEAF (Bordentown, NJ/Columbia) mustered 12 points and six rebounds.
Junior forward
ALAIA ROBINSON (Irvington, NJ/Irvington), currently ranked No. 10 in Division III in rebounding, corralled 11 boards, grabbing 10 or more caroms for the 11
th time this season. Sophomore center
SHAYLA DANIELS (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) had a career-high eight rebounds.
Trailing early 13-6, NJCU came within one of the lead (15-14) with 8:01 left in the opening half, after a Daniels fast-break basket. But the Red Hawks went on a 15-5 run during the final 7:19 of the half that included nine unanswered points, anchored by Pflug who scored seven of her nine points during the streak. Montclair went into the half leading 30-19.
NJCU scored the first six points of the second half to shrink the margin to five, 30-25, but would never get closer as Montclair’s balanced offensive attack proved to be too much for the Knights to overcome. Leading 33-27, Cristino capped another 9-2 spurt with a three for a 13-point, 42-29 advantage. MSU would score 10 of the final 11 points of the game and the 18-point final was its largest lead.
MSU shot nearly equal in each half, finishing at 26-of-63 (.413), while NJCU made 17-of-63 (.266). Each squad shot below 22 percent from three point range.
NJCU returns to action on Saturday, January 26 at 2 p.m. when it visits Richard Stockton College in an NJAC inter-divisional game in Pomona, NJ. Montclair hosts Kean University that day at 4 p.m.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
|
Team Stat Comparison |
|
|
NJCU |
Montclair |
|
Score |
45 |
63 |
|
Half-Time Score |
19 |
30 |
|
Field Goal Percentage |
17-64 (.266) |
26-63 (.413) |
|
Three-Point Percentage |
2-13 (.154) |
3-14 (.214) |
|
Free Throw Percentage |
9-18 (.500) |
8-12 (.667) |
|
Rebounds (O-D-T) |
19-24-43 |
15-31-46 |
|
Assists |
6 |
15 |
|
Turnovers |
16 |
17 |
|
Blocks |
4 |
6 |
|
Steals |
10 |
7 |
|
Fouls |
11 |
13 |
|
Largest Lead |
None |
18 |
|
Points in the Paint |
24 |
36 |
|
Points off Turnovers |
12 |
16 |
|
Second Change Points |
8 |
16 |
|
Fast Break Points |
8 |
10 |
|
Bench Points |
14 |
23 |
