Jersey City, NJ (12/11/02) - Senior center JASMINE BATTS (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) scored 16 points to go with seven rebounds and three steals to lead the Montclair State University women's basketball team to a 70-64 victory tonight at conference rival New Jersey City University. The Red Hawks are now 5-1 overall and 3-1 in New Jersey Athletic Conference play, while the host Gothic Knights fall to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the NJAC.

The Red Hawks used an 11-2 run in the first five minutes of play to establish a lead they would never relinquish in building a 36-21 halftime advantage. Batts tallied 12 of her 16 points in the second half as NJCU closed to within 49-46 with 7:32 remaining in regulation, but it was as close as the home team would get.

MSU freshman center EBONY ALLEN (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) scored while being fouled with 6:46 left and then added a free throw to make it 54-48, before junior guard DYETTE DILLARD (Willingboro, NJ/Willingboro) connected from three-point range with exactly six minutes left for a 57-48 Red Hawk lead. Dillard tallied 13 points and five rebounds for MSU, while senior guard ERIN SCHULTZ (West Milford, NJ/West Milford) posted 10 points.

Senior forward STEPHANIE CROLEY (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocks for Montclair while junior guard VANESSA DeFREITAS (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) led MSU with seven assists. ZAKIYAH WOODS paced the Gothic Knights with 20 points while SHONDELLE BROWNE contributed 13 rebounds and BERNICE AMADEO recorded 10 assists.

The Red Hawks close out the first semester on Saturday afternoon at Rutgers-Camden.