Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State women's basketball team will be heading to Arlington, Virginia for the opening rounds of the Division III NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament this weekend.
The Red Hawks (21-6) will face George Fox University (21-6) at Marymount University's (VA) Converse Family Fieldhouse on Friday at 5 pm. In the other first-round matchup, the host Saints (20-5) will square off with Gettysburg College (22-5) at 7 pm. The two winners will meet Saturday at 7 pm with a berth to the Sweet Sixteen on the line.
Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students/senior citizens/children. All tickets are cash only. Parking is free for all in the Blue and White Garages on the campus of Marymount.
Montclair State received one of 20 at-large bids to the tournament after falling to Rowan University in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship game. The Red Hawks are making their 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament and have qualified for the tournament in seven of the last eight years.
Rookie NICKIE CARTER leads the Red Hawks with 17.0 points per game, with senior ALEX MCKINNON averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest. Senior CERYS MACLELLAND and junior KAYLA BUSH have combined for 18.6 rebounds per game, with Bush adding 59 rejections. Junior TAYLOR BROWN has posted a pair of double-doubles on the year and filled stat-sheet against Rutgers University-Newark with 12 rebounds, nine points, six assists, and four blocks. Carter notched 11 games with 20 or more points, including a career-high 32 points in the regular-season finale against Rutgers University-Camden last week. McKinnon became the 21st player in program history to record 1,000 career points when she converted a free-throw in the NJAC Semifinals against New Jersey City University. Carter was tabbed as the NJAC Rookie of the Year and a First Team All-NJAC choice, while Brown was chosen to the Second Team. McKinnon closed out her career by gaining Honorable Mention accolades after a Second Team nod last year.
The Red Hawks and George Fox have met once before, with the Bruins picking up a 70-59 win in the Final Four matchup back in 2015. The Bruins were knocked off in the NCAA Championship Game by Thomas More College, while Montclair State claimed third-place with a win over Tufts University. The Red Hawks hold a 2-1 edge against Marymount, winning in 2013 and 2014 while falling back in 2010. MSU is also 3-0 all-time against Gettysburg, including a 70-45 win in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in 2018. In that matchup, current Assistant Coach Katie Sire scored a team-high 26 points, while McKinnon notched five points and seven rebounds. Junior KIM CALLOWAY played 23 minutes in that meeting, scoring six points on 2-of-2 shooting from beyond the arc while adding four boards.
George Fox qualified for the tournament by winning the Northwest Conference Championship, knocking off Whitman College 57-55. The Bruins have averaged 65.9 points per contest and grab 38.1 rebounds per game. George Fox starts five seniors in their lineup and led by 10.9 points per game from Emily Holder. Emily Spencer, Kylin Collman, and Haley Strowbridge also average 9.3 points per contest, while Holder and Spencer each were named Second Team All-Northwest Conference.
The Saints, who topped Cabrini in the Atlantic East Conference Championship, earned the lone "Pool B" bid to the tournament, which is awarded to teams without an automatic bid. Sophomore Katie McShea was the Atlantic East Player of the Year, Gabriella Haddad was the league's Defensive Player of the Year, and Ashlee Rogers was the Coach of the Year. McShea averages 18.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, while Haddad and Abby Fisher have combined for 21.7 points per contest. The Saints went 13-1 at home this season and were 11-1 in Atlantic East play.
The Bullets were ranked as high as No. 16 by the WBCA and No. 22 by D3hoops.com this season and had a 19-game winning streak earlier this year. They knocked off Johns Hopkins University in the Semifinals of the Centennial Conference Tournament before falling to Haverford College 49-46 in the championship game. Senior Ashley Gehrin was named a First Team All-Centennial Conference selection, with junior Meredith Brown gaining Second Team honors. Sophomore Carly Rice earned Honorable Mention accolades for the first time this year. Gehrin leads the Bullets in points per game (16.5), rebounds per game (6.5), and free-throw percentage (81.5%). Earlier this season, she became the 17th player in program history to record 1,000 career points.
Follow along with live stats and live video courtesy of Marymount on montclairathletics.com!
