Montclair, NJ (2/28/07) – Senior forward FERIN CATLETT (Lawnside, NJ/Haddon Heights) scored 14 points while senior forward STEPHANIE MACHIN (New Providence, NJ/New Providence) added a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds as fifth-seeded Montclair State moved into the semifinals of the ECAC Division III Metro Women's Basketball Championship with a 71-53 win over No. 4 seed John Jay College at Panzer Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.

Freshman JANELLE BIAMONTE ( Secaucus , NJ /Marist) had 11 points off the bench for MSU (16-10), which will host No. 8 Richard Stockton in the semifinals on Friday, March 2 . Richard Stockton toppled No. 1 seed Stevens, 74-59. It will be the second meeting of the year between the Red Hawks and Ospreys with Richard Stockton posting a 64-57 win at Panzer Gymnasium on January 27.

This is the Red Hawks 13 th appearance in the ECAC Tournament and their fifth consecutive berth. It will also be MSU's fourth trip to the semifinals since the tournament bracket was expanded in 2000.

Senior Melissa Escalera ( Bronx , NY / Adali E. Stevenson) had 15 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots for John Jay, which concludes its season at 18-10. The Bloodhounds, who were making their third appearance in the ECAC Tournament, set a school record for victories. John Jay also fell to Montclair in the opening round of the ECAC Tournament for the second time as it lost to the Red Hawks, 67-53 in the 2004 ECAC Championship.

A 9-2 run to open the game gave Montclair State a seven-point advantage before the Bloodhounds stormed back with a 9-0 run as Escalera accounted for all of the points as John Jay led 11-9 with 13:16 left. The Red Hawks then countered with an eight-point spurt to take the lead. Biamonte tied the game at 11-all and Catlett scored four points before Machin finished off the break for a 17-11 MSU lead with 10:48 to go.

John Jay would go back on top 23-22 with 3:06 before half as Michelle Wallace (Flushing, NY/Robert F. Kennedy) sank a jumper but MSU again answered with the final eight points of the half to take a 30-23 lead into the break. MEGHAN KELLEY (Newtown, CT/Newtown) put the Red Hawks ahead for good and Machin and KARA BURNHAM (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) each hit two free throws to make the score 28-23. Burnham nailed a jumper from the top of the key at the first-half buzzer for the seven-point margin.

In the second half, Janise Higgins' ( Cambria Heights , NJ /Christ the King) three-pointer brought John Jay within 32-28, but Montclair went on a 16-2 run over the next seven minutes to pull away. Catlett had four points while Biamonte and JESSICA HORAN ( West Haverstraw , NY/North Rockland ) each connected from behind the arc as Montclair lengthened its lead to 48-30 with 12:43 remaining.

Horan and freshman JACKIE BERRY ( Tuckerton , NJ /Pinelands Regional) each had 10 points for Montclair State while Burnham finished with seven points. Berry added five assist and three steals while junior guard JESSICA GARRABRANT ( Denville , NJ /Morris Knolls) had nine rebounds as MSU collected 22 offensive caroms in the game.

Hogue had 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists for John Jay, which shot 39 percent (21-of-53) from the field and was outrebounded in the game, 46-34. Higgins and Sha-kia Hart ( Brooklyn , NY / Graham School ) each had six points while Wallace pulled down six rebounds.