Pomona, NJ (3/05/03) - Senior forward KELLI BAKANOWSKY (Gibbsboro, NJ/Eastern) scored 21 points, including 16 in the second half, as fourth-seeded Richard Stockton defeated fifth-seeded Montclair State, 63-56, in the quarterfinals of the ECAC Division III Metro Women's Basketball Tournament at the Stockton Sports Center on Wednesday evening.
Junior TAKISHA PRIDE (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra) added 19 points as the Ospreys (19-8), the 2001 champion, will advance to the semifinals where they will face either top-seeded New York University on Saturday, March 8th.
Freshman forward SHIKEENA LYNARD (Carney's Point) Penns Grove) scored a career-high 19 points for the Red Hawks, (13-12), who have lost six straight to Richard Stockton, including two straight ECAC games. The Ospreys defeated MSU, 71-54, in the 2001 ECAC Semifinals. Montclair State was making its eighth ECAC Tournament apppearance. The Red Hawks have won four ECAC Championships (1991, 1994, 1997 & 1999).
Montclair State held the Ospreys without a field goal for the first 6:31 of the half, but managed to see its lead reduced. Pride connected on six attepmts from the foul line before Bakanowsky scored on a layup to and added two free throws to make the score 38-37 in favor of MSU at the 12:36 mark. Montclair's EBONY ALLEN (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) would hit two free throws for a 53-52 lead, but Stockton scored the next nine points to take the lead for good. Pride had five points while Bakanowsky added four in the spurt.
Meanwhile MSU managed no field goals in the final 6:55 of the game.
The Red Hawks built a four-point halftime lead as Croley hit on all seven of her attempts and had 14 points. It tied a career-best for Croley, who was then held scoreless over the final 20 minutes as she fouled out with 2:29 to play. MSU trailed 18-17 with 5:32 left before going on a 10-0 runto take the lead with 3:43 to play in the opening period. Croley had four points and Lynard's conventional three-point play gave Montclair at 27-18 advantage. Richard Stockton would climb within 27-24 as AMY HUGHES (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) hit two foul shots, but Croley scored the next four points as the Red Hawks took a 31-27 lead into the locker room.
Allen finished with seven points and five rebounds for Montclair State, which shot 47 percent (23-of-49) in the game, but committed 32 turnovers in the game. The Red Hawks also 2-of-14 from the three-point line (14 percent) in the game and made just 8-of-14 at the charity stripe. Richard Stockton shot 39 percent (18-of-46) from the field and shot 85 percent at the free throw line (22-of-26), including 20-of-22 in the second half. Pride was 9-of-10 from the line, all in the second half.
