MONTCLAIR, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | No. 8/9 ranked Montclair State University scored the first 19 points of the game and the two-time defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champion Red Hawks easily defeated New Jersey City University, 80-44, in NJAC women's basketball game on February 14 at the Panzer Athletic Center.
 
MSU improved to 23-1 and 16-1 in the NJAC with its ninth straight win, coming into the game listed No. 8 by D3hoops.com and No. 9 in the USA Today Sports Division III Top 25 women's poll. NJCU fell to 9-15 (3-14 NJAC).
 
Montclair led 19-0 with 10:03 to play in the first half and NJCU did not score until sophomore power forward Bria Smith (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) hit a pair of foul shots with 9:51 remaining in the opening half. NJCU's first field goal was scored by Smith with 9:02 left in the first period after NJCU missed its first 10 shots of the afternoon while committing 10 turnovers before getting on the scoreboard.
 
Montclair led 40-11 at halftime, limiting NJCU to 4-of-28 shooting in the opening 20 minutes (.143). The Knights were 1-of-17 (.059) from three-point range in the loss while the Red Hawks were nearly perfect at the line, shooting 90.5 percent (19-21).
 
The 29-point margin at halftime was MSU's largest of the opening period. The Red Hawks held as much as a 40-point differential (66-26) with 11:29 left in the game.
 
Smith was the lone double-figure scorer for NJCU, netting 13 points (4-15 FG), including 5-of-5 foul shooting with eight rebounds and two assists. 
 Junior forward Deseree Johnson (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth Regional) had 10 rebounds (eight defensive) and seven points while senior guard Jade Medley (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) finished with nine points, five rebounds and two blocks.
 
Four players scored in double digits for the hosts led by a huge effort by two-time All-American and two-time reigning NJAC Player of the Year Melissa Tobie. A 2014 First-Team All-America selection and a three-time First-Team All-NJAC choice, Tobie scored six points during the initial 19-0 run and finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds (13 defensive), six assists, four steals and two blocks in 26 minutes while shooting 6-of-9 from the floor.
 
Senior guard Janitza Aquino added 14 points (6-10 FG) in 19 minutes, scoring five during the early spurt. Kate Tobie had 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting and six assists. Zoe Curtis netted 10 off the bench (4-6 FG) in 14 minutes. Freshman guard/forward Katie Sire collected nine rebounds and eight points.
 
OF NOTE:

• 58th meeting. Montclair leads the series, 55-3 and has won the last 24 meetings since February 13, 2002. NJCU has never won at Montclair.
• Montclair won the first meeting this season on January 17 in Jersey City, when MSU, then ranked No. 5/6, defeated NJCU, 69-49.
• Bria Smith reached double figures in scoring for the 35th time in 49 career games and the 20th time in 24 games this year.
• Deseree Johnson had double figures in rebounds for the fifth time this season and seventh time in her career.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will conclude its 45th season of women's basketball on Wednesday, February 18 at 6 p.m. when it hosts Rutgers University-Camden (9-15, 5-12 NJAC). Camden has lost four of the last five games. Camden defeated NJCU in Camden, NJ on January 14, 65-63, as the Scarlet Raptors snapped a 30-game NJAC losing streak. They've won four more conference games since then. It will be the 55th meeting in a series the Scarlet Raptors lead, 31-23. After winning nine games last year, NJCU will be seeking a 10-win season for the first time since going 10-15 in 2006-07.
 
Prior to the game, NJCU will honor its 2014-15 senior class of Medley and point guard and captain Ashley Vazquez (Jersey City, NJ/Marist), who missed the entire season after suffering an injury in a preseason scrimmage.