MONTCLAIR, NJ – The #8/9 Montclair State University women's basketball team topped Rowan University, 74-59 on Wednesday night in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action.
The Profs have an overall record of 16-7 and they are 11-5 in the NJAC. The Red Hawks are 22-1 and have a conference mark of 15-1. Montclair State is ranked first and Rowan, seventh in the NCAA Atlantic Region Rankings that were released on Wednesday.
Guard Janitza Aquino (sr. Kearny, NJ/Kearny) recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Montclair State. Forward/guard Melissa Tobie (sr. Elizabeth, NJ/Roselle Catholic) scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had seven steals. Guard Kate Tobie (fr. Elizabeth, NJ/Roselle Catholic) and guard/forward Katie Sire (fr. Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) chipped in with 10 and nine points respectively.
For Rowan, guard
Kaitlin Schullstrom (jr. Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck) produced 13 points. Center
Kate Matthews (jr. Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) tallied 12 points and 15 rebounds. Guard
Valerie Garofalo (so. Ventnor, NJ/Holy Spirit) added nine points and forward
Melissa Lake (fr. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) had six points and seven rebounds.
Montclair State jumped out to a 12-3 lead with 17:47 to play in the first half. Melissa Tobie recorded seven of the Red Hawks' first 12 points. Rowan trailed 15-7 (17:04) then Montclair State scored seven straight points for a 22-7 advantage (14:33). The Profs trimmed the deficit to six (31-25) after Lake's layup (5:44). The Red Hawks ended the half on a 19-4 run, taking a 50-29 lead into the break. Six different players produced points, including five by Aquino.
Guard
Jade Bonder's (sr. Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) made a basket (19:35) to start the second half then Montclair State registered the next seven points for its largest lead (57-31) with 18:35 remaining. The Red Hawks maintained at least a 20-point advantage until Matthews scored a layup (2:37) and Schullstrom nailed a triple (1:49), making the final score 74-59.
Rowan plays its final home game of the regular season on Saturday, February 14 against Rutgers-Newark at 1 p.m. The Profs will honor their seniors prior to the contest.
