Montclair, NJ – Senior guard JANITZA AQUINO (Kearny, NJ / Kearny) recorded the fifth recorded triple-double in Montclair State women's basketball history with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as the No. 8/9 Red Hawks clinched a first-round bye in the NJAC Tournament with a 74-59 win over Rowan University on Wednesday evening.

Senior forward MELISSA TOBIE (Elizabeth, NJ / Roselle Catholic) had 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and seven steals for the Red Hawks (22-1, 15-1 NJAC), who won their eighth straight game over and seventh consecutive against the Profs.

Montclair, which kept pace with Richard Stockton for the top spot in the NJAC standings, will receive a first-round bye when the NJAC Tournament gets underway on February 21 and host a semifinal contest on Wednesday, February 25.

Junior guard Kaitlin Schullstrom (Colts Neck, NJ / Colts Neck) had 13 points, three rebounds and four steals for the Profs, who fell to 16-7 overall, 11-5 in the NJAC.

Aquino, who also had five steals in the game, pulled off the rare feat in MSU history as she scored all 14 of her points in the first half while registering four rebounds and six assists in the first 20 minutes. Aquino would get four more assists in the second half to reach double digits in that category and needed six rebounds for the triple double. Ironically, Aquino had never had more than five rebounds in a game during her career.

Aquino became the first Red Hawks to register a triple double since Wykemia Kelley nearly 17 years to the date in 1998 against Kean (10 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists) and 23-years and a week since the first by Shannon Shaffer against Ramapo in 1992.

With the exception of a 3-3 tie that lasted for 18 seconds, the Red Hawks led the contest building a 15-5 lead in the first 2:35 of the game. Tobie had seven points in the game-opening run which was bookended by a pair of Aquino three-pointers.

A layup by KATE TOBIE extended the lead to 22-7 with 14:33 left before Rowan pulled within 31-25 with 5:44 left on a Melissa Lake (Marlton, NJ / Cherokee) layup. MSU responded with a 13-0 spurt with five coming from Aquino giving MSU a 44-25 advantage with 2:58 to play. Tobie and KATIE SIRE (Hazlet, NJ / Raritan) scored the final two buckets of the half staking Montclair State to a 50-29 lead at the break.

Sire finished with nine points for Montclair State which got six points, nine rebounds and three blocks from SAGE BENNETT (Sicklerville, NJ / Winslow). KATE TOBIE had 10 points, five rebounds and three assists

Montclair State Women's Basketball Triple Doubles (officially recorded)
Shannon Shaffer vs. Ramapo (Feb. 4, 1992) – 13 Points, 17 Rebounds, 11 Steals
Maggie Misiejuk vs. William Paterson (Jan. 18, 1995)  - 22 Points, 16 Rebounds, 10 Blocks
Kim Kovar vs. Ramapo  (Jan. 21, 1995) – 12 Points, 12 Rebounds, 10 Blocks
Wykemia Kelley vs. Kean (Feb. 7, 1998) – 10 Points, 11 Rebounds, 12 Assists
JANITZA AQUINO vs. Rowan (Feb. 11, 2015) – 14 Points, 10 Rebounds, 10 Assists