Montclair, N.J. – Junior TRISHA PETERSON netted a career-best 13 points off the bench, but the Montclair State women's basketball team was topped by Salisbury 79-54 in the season-opener Monday evening.

Lauren Fortescue scored a game-high 22 points for Salisbury (1-0), while Kaylee Otlowski added 20 points. The Sea Gulls topped Montclair for only the second time overall and the first since December 12, 2001. The Red Hawks had won the last four meetings, including the 2015 Elite 8 matchup in the Panzer Athletic Center.

The Sea Gulls never trailed and scored 12 of the opening 14 markers of the game. Peterson stopped the opening run with a triple, but the guests notched seven of the final nine points to take a double-digit lead into the second. The Red Hawks finished the first-half well, ending the frame on a 7-4 spurt, with Peterson tallying a layup and a free-throw late in the period.

Over the first 20 minutes, Salisbury out-scored Montclair State 22-12 in the point and scored 16 points of Red Hawk turnovers. The Sea Gulls rode a hot-start, shooting 12-of-22 (54.5%) in the first quarter.

The Red Hawks were unable to pull any closer, with Salisbury shooting 50% from the floor in the third quarter. Montclair State did shoot a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe in the fourth, with RYLEE MULLIGAN, NICKIE CARTER, and Peterson all knocking down a pair.

Peterson added eight rebounds, while senior KAYLA BUSH added nine points and six boards. Brown drained a pair of threes to go along with a team-best nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Freshman MEGAN DUFFY tallied eight points and four caroms in her collegiate debut.

The Red Hawks return to action on Friday, February 5, when they open New Jersey Athletic Conference play against William Paterson in Wayne, N.J. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 pm, and per NJAC policy, spectators will not be permitted.