Newark, NJ – Senior forward ALEX MCKINNON scored 20 points along with eight rebounds as Montclair State claimed its third straight victory with a 71-55 win over Rutgers-Newark at the Golden Dome on Wednesday evening.
Junior guard CERYS MACLELLAND added seven points, six assists and a career-best 17 rebounds as the Red Hawks improved to 9-4 overall, 4-2 in the NJAC as they made they return to league action. Freshman NICKIE CARTER chipped in with 10 points. MSU registered its 18th straight victory over the Scarlet Raiders (1-11, 0-6 NJAC) while taking a 62-7 lead in the all-time series.
Montclair State led from start to finish and got on the board seven seconds in as McKinnon drained a three-pointer. After Rutgers-Newark answered with a basket, McKinnon and KAYLA BUSH put in back-to-back field goals for a 7-2 advantage with 7:25 to play. The Scarlet Raiders got back within a point several times, the last coming at 12-11 with two minutes left, but MSU closed out the quarter with the final four points for a 16-11 lead.
The teams traded scores in the fourth with MSU holding on to its five-point lead when TRISHA PETERSON hit from behind the arc with 2:35 to go extending the lead to 26-18. Doran Capuso countered for Rutgers-Newark with a basket before Montclair ripped off the last six points. TAYLOR BROWN had a three with MacLelland registering the final three sending Montclair into halftime with a 32-20 advantage.
McKinnon, who scored 14 in the first 20 minutes, added another three-pointer early in the second half to push the margin to 37-22 with the Red Hawks taking their largest lead of the game with 2:10 left at 49-30 on a Peterson layup. The Red Hawks led 55-39 after three quarters with Rutgers-Newark getting no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.
MacLelland, whose 17 rebounds were the most by an MSU player since Katie Sire had 19 versus Rowan in the 2018 NJAC semifinals, led a dominant effort on the boards for Montclair, which outrebounded the Scarlet Raiders, 57-22 including 20 offensive rebounds that turned into 27 second-chance points. Brown also reached double figures with 12 caroms along with nine points and six rebounds.
Bush and Peterson had eight points apiece with SANIYA MYERS contributed six points. Montclair State recorded 21 assists on 28 field goals. Carter had four steals.
The Red Hawks are back in action on Saturday, January 11, hosting Rowan University at the Panzer Athletic Center with tipoff the conference contest set for 3:00 pm.
