Montclair, NJ - Freshman guard
JULIA SUTTON came off the bench to score 21 points as Montclair State overcame a 15-point deficit for a 56-52 victory over Rutgers-Newark at the Panzer Athletic Center on Wednesday evening.
Junior
ALEX MCKINNON added 12 points, four rebounds and two steals as Montclair outscored the Scarlet Raiders 34-13 over the final 13 minutes of the contest to improve to 8-2 on the season, 5-1 in NJAC play as MSU also posted its 16th straight victory over Rutgers-Newark. Senior guard Faith Ashby totaled 15 points and six steals for the Raiders, who had their two-game win streak snapped. Rutgers-Newark is now 6-4 overall, 4-2 in the conference.
Sutton drained a three-pointer to end the first quarter knotting the game at 10-10 and Montclair State went up 19-14 with 3:28 to play as
TAYLOR BROWN connected from behind the arc. Rutgers-Newark answered with a 10-0 run capped by a Syncere Lambert three-point play with 1:29 left. McKinnon's three cut the lead back to 24-22 before Louise Ann Borja's free throw gave the visitors a three-point lead at the break.
Rutgers-Newark opened the second half with a 12-0 run and took a 37-22 advantage with 4:28 remaining in the period. Montclair, which went scoreless for over eight minutes bridging the halves finally broke through with 2:43 left on a three-pointer by
KIM CALLOWAY.
TRISHA PETERSON followed with another three-pointer and one free throw by
KAYLA BUSH trimmed the deficit to 39-30 heading into the fourth.
McKinnon kicked off the fourth quarter with a three and one from Sutton two minutes in brought MSU within 39-37 before McKinnon's bucket knotted the game with 7:39 to play. After the Scarlet Raiders regained the lead, Sutton drilled a triple giving Montclair a 42-40 advantage with just over six minutes left. Ashby deadlocked the game against with a layup however Sutton's three-point play put the Red Hawks in front for good 45-42.
A free throw by Hannah Ashby made it a two-point contest but Bush scored on a layup and a foul shot by Calloway extended the lead to 48-43 with 2:59 to go. Faith Ashby kept Rutgers-Newark close with a three-pointer making the score 49-46 however McKinnon countered with two free throws as MSU led 51-46 with 1:26 remaining.
McKinnon made two more at the foul line to get the lead to 54-46 with 22 ticks showing. Faith Ashby again hit for three with 19 seconds left cutting the deficit to 54-49. Sutton iced the game making two at the line with 17 seconds to play.
Bush finished with five points and 12 rebounds for Montclair State, which got eight points and three rebounds from Calloway. Brown chipped in with six points, four rebounds and two steals.
Montclair State returns to action on Friday, December 14 with a road contest at Brooklyn College. The Red Hawks and Bulldogs are scheduled to tipoff at 5:30 pm.
