Montclair, NJ – Junior forward Melissa Tobie (Elizabeth, NJ, Roselle Catholic) posted her second straight double-double, including a career-best 33 points as No. 11/14 Montclair State wrapped up the NJAC regular-season title for the second consecutive season with an 87-54 victory over Kean on Saturday afternoon.

Senior guard Nicosia Henry (Bolingbrook, IL, Bolingbrook) added a double-double of her own with 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Red Hawks (22-2, 16-1 NJAC) extended their winning streak to eight games while also earning the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament which gets underway next Saturday, February 22. MSU, the defending league champion will have a first-round bye and host a semifinal contest at home on Tuesday, February 25.

Junior guard Janitza Aquino (Kearny, NJ, Kearny) added 12 points, including a pair of three-point field goals as she broke the MSU single-season mark. Aquino, who has connected 56 times behind the arc this season, bested the mark of 54 set by Jamie Ericson during the 2010-11 campaign.

Montclair also made good on avenging its only conference loss of the season as it fell to the Cougars (13-11, 10-7 NJAC) 74-69 in Union on January 18. The loss snapped the Red Hawks' 27-game NJAC regular-season unbeaten streak at the time.

Tobie, who also added four assists and a pair of blocks in the game, scored 17 of her 33 points in the first half as MSU used a 14-0 run to pull away. Tied at 8-8, Tobie score on a layup and Jenny Malone (North Plainfield, NJ, Roselle Catholic) drained a three for a 13-8 lead with 10:40 to go. Tobie added the next seven before a layup by Kayla Ceballos (Brooklyn, NY, Christ the King) with 7:42 to play put MSU in front 22-8.

Kean would eventually break the run on two free throws by Shay Collins however Malone hit from behind the arc again and Tobie drove in for a layup to make the score 33-17 with just over two minutes left before halftime before settling for a 37-23 advantage at the break.

The Cougars, who were just 9-of-27 from the field over the first 20 minutes, connected on three of its first four to open the second half scoring the first seven points to pull within 37-30 on a layup by Simone Smith with 18:38 remaining. But Montclair State countered with a 13-2 run over the next two minutes, 10 by Tobie who capped it off with a three-point play for a 50-32 advantage.

Kean would get as close at 54-40 with 12:36 remaining however Aquino drilled her second three-pointer on the next possession to boost the lead back to 17.

Tobie, who beat her career high of 32 equaled two years ago and matched last Saturday at Richard Stockton, shot 13-of-19 from the floor as Montclair shot 52 percent (17-of-33) from the field in the second half. Malone had nine points and four assists while Zoe Curtis (Little Silver, NJ, Red Bank Regional) chipped in with eight points and a pair of rebounds. Ceballos and Rachael Krauss (Farmingdale, NJ, Colts Neck) each had five points and four rebounds with Ceballos registering four assists.

Before the game, Montclair honored its three seniors – Henry, Sarah Kluth (Lynbrook, NY, St. Mary's) and Alanna Loyle (Linwood, NJ, Mainland Regional).

The Red Hawks close out their regular-season schedule on Wednesday, February 19 with a road contest at The College of New Jersey. Tip-off in the second meeting of the season between the teams is set for 6:00 pm.