Washington, DC (1/9/04) - The Montclair State women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the 2003-04 season on Friday evening as the Red Hawks were upended by Catholic University, 77-68, at the DuFour Center. The loss spoiled the homecoming for MSU head coach Jaime Hoffman, who played for the Cardinals from 1992-95.

EBONY ALLEN (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) had 22 points and a season-high 16 rebounds for the Red Hawks (9-1), who squandered an eight-point halftime lead. VANESSA DEFREITAS (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) had 14 points four rebounds, three asssists and four steals as Montclair fell one win shy of matching the best start in school history. That came in the 1990-91 season when MSU began the year, 10-0.

Trailing 41-33 at the half, Catholic was sparked by a 13-4 run to open the second half. The Cardinals shot a blistering 54% in the period and were able to connect on key free throws down the stretch. Senior Kathleen McGlynn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) and sophomore Lindsay DiRomualdo (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) led the Cardinals with 17 points apiece respectively.

McGlynn shot 8-of-11 and also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds while DiRomualdo was 5-of-12 including 2-of-8 from beyond the arc with six boards and four steals.

Catholic (7-3) started quick, racing out to an 8-2 lead early in the contest, but the Red Hawks methodically climbed back. Allen's layup gave the Red Hawks their first lead of the game at 19-18 midway in the stanza. Montclair State had its biggest lead of the half after as AMANDA MULLANEY (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Ford) scored two of her four points to give the Red Hawks a 34-22 lead with just over five minutes in the period.

In the second half, DiRomualdo's second three-pointer with 14:15 in the game gave Catholic the lead for good as the Cardinals held off several comebacks by the Red Hawks.

Montclair State (9-1) would get within two points twice with under two minutes to play but clutch free throws by DiRomualdo and freshmen Jackie DeBorger (Floral Park, N.Y./Holy Trinity) and Maria Rojas (Providence, R.I./LaSalle Academy) enabled CUA to knock off the previously unbeaten Red Hawks.

DeBorger finished with 16 points and five assists while Rojas added 13 points and six assists. STEPHANIE MACHIN (New Providence, NJ/New Providence) chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds for the Red Hawks.

For the game, the Red Hawks shot just 27-of-69 (39%) but were only 10-of-24 from the free-throw line. After shooting15-of-28 in the second half, CUA as a team was 27-of-61 for the game, but were outrebounded, 50-37.