JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University drew No. 5/6 and two-time defending New Jersey Athletic Conference Montclair State University, 29-29, in the first half before MSU shot 52.8 percent in the second half and outscored the Gothic Knights in the period, 40-20, to overcome NJCU, 69-49 in NJAC women's basketball action on January 17 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
 
Montclair (15-1, 8-1 NJAC), which lost for the first time by one point on January 14, bounced back from that setback to post its 12th double-digit win of the season. NJCU (7-9, 1-8 NJAC) falls two games under .500 for the first time this season.
 
MSU entered ranked No. 5 in the country by D3hoops.com and No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports Division III Top 25 women's basketball poll.
 
NJCU shot just 18.5 percent in the second half after outshooting the Red Hawks in the opening 20 minutes (38.5 to 28.1). The Knights could have gone to the intermission in the lead but struggled at the foul line, converting just 6-of-17 first half opportunities and finished 14-of-30 for the game.
 
Sophomore power forward Bria Smith (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) posted her 11th double-double of the season and 21st of her career, surpassing last year's total with nine games to play. She finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds with three assists and two steals but struggled shooting, making 3-of-11 from the line. Smith did notch her third double-double of the week.
 
Four players scored in double figures for Montclair with sophomore forward Sage Bennett (Sickerville, NJ/Winslow) pacing the 2013 and 2014 NJAC champs. She had 15 points (6-12 FG), six rebounds, three blocks and two assists in 23 minutes.
 
NJCU stayed in the game because of its first half defensive effort on two-time All-American and two-time reigning NJAC Player of the Year Melissa Tobie (Elizabeth, NJ/Roselle Catholic) who was limited to two points (1-3 FG) and three rebounds in eight minutes in the first half. She had scored just five points in an entire game in Jersey City last year.
 
 But Tobie, a 2014 First-Team All-America selection and a three-time First-Team All-NJAC choice, went over the 1,750-point mark for her career, recovering in the second half to finish with her seventh double-double of the season with 12 points (6-10 FG) and 12 boards.
 
Also for MSU, freshman guard/forward Katie Sire (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) tallied 14 points (7-11 FG) and eight rebounds and junior guard Kayla Ceballos (Brooklyn, NY/Christ the King) delivered 12 points on solid shooting (4-6 FG, 2-4 3FG). Senior guard Janitza Aquino (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) added eight points and four assists.
 
In defeat, senior guard Jade Medley (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) produced 14 points on 3-of-8 three-point accuracy, adding seven rebounds and two blocks. Meanwhile, junior guard Kiana Briggs (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) tallied 12 points and three assists in 28 minutes while playing most of the second half with four fouls.
 
Montclair jumped out to an early 11-4 lead before the Knights bounced back to make it a competitive period. A pair of triples by Medley highlighted a 9-2 run that saw the hosts tie it at 13-13—the first deadlock of a period that saw seven ties. MSU regained a six-point lead (21-15) after Sire hit a fast break jumper and led 23-17 with 5:56 to play before the Knights ran off the next seven points, pulling within two when Smith picked off a pass and went coast-to-coast and Medley knocked down a trey off another turnover, to put the Knights in front, 24-23, with 4:14 to go.
 
It was NJCU's only lead of the game but the clubs remained tight in the final four minutes. When MSU moved ahead 29-25, Smith forced a 29-29 draw at the half with two more baskets, as she scored 11 in the opening 20 minutes.
 

But the reigning NJAC Rookie of the Year was 0-for-6 from the floor in the second half and did not score and without her production, points were hard to come by for the Knights.
 
Montclair scored the first seven points of the second half, gaining a 36-29 margin on a fast break by Aquino, and that swayed the momentum back towards the experienced Hawks. NJCU could not get closer than three from there and Montclair cemented control of the game with another run, this time a 15-3 spurt, that pushed the differential to 15 (51-36) midway through the period. Sire and Bennett accounted for 10 of the 15. Montclair led by double digits the rest of the game, with its advantage reaching 20 points in the final 80 seconds.
 
Montclair used its distinct size advantage to dominate the glass, 55-34, which led to a 17-4 cushion on second chance points. MSU also outscored NJCU in the paint, 40-12, 18-4 on the fast break and had an 18-4 edge in bench contributions.

OF NOTE:

• Series: 57th meeting. Montclair leads series, 54-3, and has won the last 23 meetings since February 13, 2002.
• Bria Smith reached double figures in scoring for the 29th time in 41 career games and the 14th time in 16 games this year.
• Bria Smith hauled in double digits in rebounding for the 26th time as a collegian and 11th time this season.
• Jade Medley collected her 29th career double-digit scoring effort and ninth of the season.
• Kiana Briggs totaled double figures in scoring for the eighth time this season and 26th time in her career.

 
QUOTES:
NJCU head coach Amy Mulligan (fourth season)

On the first half: "We really moved the ball well in the first half offensively. Defensively, we communicated and held their scorers to a low [output]. I think we got great contributions from all the players who were in and also having three freshman on the floor showed great promise."

WHAT'S NEXT?
On Wednesday, January 21 heads to The Golden Dome to face Rutgers University-Newark at 6 p.m. The Scarlet Raiders won the first meeting on November 25 in Jersey City, 63-51. In that meeting, NJCU missed its first 10 shots of the game and with Bria Smith in early foul trouble, could never catch up. She scored 15 of her team-high 17 points in the second half and had nine rebounds.
 
Series: It will be the 67th meeting. RUN leads, 45-21, and has won the last nine meetings.