BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
HIGHLIGHT VIDEO (coming soon)
JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...Montclair State University scored nine straight points early in the second half before uncorking an 18-0 run to break open a three-point game and the Gothic Knights could not keep up with the Red Hawks offensive onslaught, as MSU defeated NJCU, 71-54 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's basketball game on Wednesday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on “Coach Charlie Brown Court.”
MSU improves to 10-5 overall and 4-1 in the NJAC, while winning its third straight game and for the sixth time in seven outings. MSU also defeated NJCU (2-11, 0-4 NJAC) for the 13th straight meeting and leads the all-time series, 44-3.
Montclair led by as many as 28 points with 3:25 left in the game and owned a 27-point, 71-44 advantage with 1:46 to go before NJCU scored the final 10 points of the event. In all, 11 different players scored for MSU.
For MSU, senior forward Catherine Cristino (Farmingdale, NJ/Colts Neck) dropped in 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting while freshman guard Rhonda Sharif (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) had 14 points, four rebounds and two steals, shooting 4-of-7 from three-point distance (5-14 FG) in only her third career start.
NJCU rookie point guard ASHLEY FREEMAN (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech) matched a game-high 15 points (4-13 FG, 2-5 3FG), adding five steals and three assists in 28 minutes.
Also for the Gothic Knights, freshman point guard LATIFAH JOHNSON (Newark, NJ/University) had 12 points (3-12, 2-7 3FG) with two assists and two steals. Sophomore guard EBONY CUNNINGHAM (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus) netted ten points (5-22 FG) and eight rebounds (seven defensive).
For the Red Hawks, senior guard Jackie Berry (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) controlled the tempo, posting game-highs of 11 rebounds (nine defensive) and seven assists with seven points. Junior guard Jamilee Pflug (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) scored eight points, including 4-of-4 from the free throw line. She also grabbed four rebounds and delivered four assists. Senior forward Kara Burnham (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) provided eight points (3-5 FG) and seven rebounds off the bench as MSU's reserves owned a 24-7 scoring margin over NJCU's counterparts.
NJCU led only for 17 seconds early in the opening half. The first 12 minutes of the contest were cleanly played as each team had only one turnover. MSU opened a 17-8 lead before NJCU scored the next seven points. A short pull-up jumper by Cunningham allowed NJCU to close within two points with 7:42 left in the half. Sharif answered right back with a three-pointer and the Red Hawks extended their lead to eight with 4:46 left in the half (26-18). NJCU trailed by five, 31-26, with 45 seconds remaining in the half, before the Red Hawks scored the final five points of the stanza, including a triple in the final moments for a 36-26 lead. MSU, the top free throw shooting team in the NJAC, shot 12-13 from the line in the first half.
NJCU scored the first seven points of the second half as Johnson buried a three and Cunningham cut the deficit to three, 36-33 with 18:52, converting two baskets off turnovers.
But Sharif hit a pair of threes in a span of 36 seconds to answer. MSU, which shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc in the second half, grabbed a 45-32 lead. Johnson hit a three with 14:46 remaining but NJCU was unable to score against the Red Hawks for the next 10:12 midway through the period, until Freeman sank a three with 4:34 remaining. By then, MSU had taken control of the game, scoring 18 consecutive points, for a commanding advantage, before prevailing by 17.
Both teams return to NJAC action on Saturday, January 16 at 3 p.m. NJCU visits Rutgers University-Camden in a game that can be watched live at NJCUGothicKnights.com. Montclair hosts Rowan University in Montclair, NJ.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Team Stat Comparison
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NJCU
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Montclair
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Score
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54
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71
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Half-Time Score
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26
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36
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Field Goal Percentage
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.269 (18-67)
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.386 (22-57)
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Three-Point Percentage
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.278 (5-18)
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.600 (6-10)
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Free Throw Percentage
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.591 (13-22)
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.700 (21-30)
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Rebounds (O-D-T)
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13-27-40
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13-37-50
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Assists
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8
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15
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Turnovers
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14
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20
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Blocks
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1
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6
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Steals
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13
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6
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Fouls
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21
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15
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Largest Lead
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2
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28
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Points in the Paint
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24
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30
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Points off Turnovers
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17
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8
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Second Chance Points
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7
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8
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Fast Break Points
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10
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8
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Bench Points
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7
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24
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