Galloway, NJ – The Montclair State women's basketball team knocked off Stockton University 60-55 in New Jersey Athletic conference action Saturday.
KENDALL HODGES narrowly missed a double-double for Montclair State (3-5, 2-3 NJAC), while Stockton (5-5, 3-2 NJAC) was paced by 16 points from Madison LaRosa.
The Red Hawks held Stockton without a point for the first 3:30, and the two sides entered the second quarter tied at eight after neither tallied a basket over the final 5:25 of the first period. Stockton opened a four-point lead on a triple by LaRoa 48 seconds into the second, yet Montclair went on a 6-0 spurt to take the advantage back at 14-12.
The sides traded points for most of the frame before Montclair was able to finish the quarter on a high note. They scored six of the last eight markers, with
NICKIE CARTER adding four during the run to take a six-point lead in halftime. After shooting 14.29% in the first quarter, Montclair went 8-of-18 to outscore Stockton 20-14 in the second period.
Stockton cut the lead in half with a three by Grace Sacco three minutes into the third stanza and got within one after a triple by Kadinah Harris Hood. The Red Hawks answered on the next possession as
JULIA SUTTON hit from downtown. Hodges tallied the final four points of the third for the Red Hawks, as they took a three-point advantage into the fourth.
MEGAN DUFFY hit from deep to open fourth quarter scoring before Stockton closed to within a point again on a Sacco jumper. Hodges answered back with a second chance bucket off a
KELLY SMITH board before LaRosa leveled the game at 50 with a three-pointer. Stockton went ahead by two on two LaRosa free-throws, but Carter hit a three with 2:04 to go to push Montclair State back in front for good.
After an Osprey miss, Carter again converted, hitting an unassisted jumper. Stockton closed to one again on two free throws, but Hodges tallied a jumper in the paint, drew the foul, and hit the free-throw to push the lead back to five. Hodge and Carter hit huge free throws late in the game to polish off the win for Montclair.
Hodges fell one rebound shy of a double-double, going for 16 points and nine. Carter scored a game-high 17 points while Duffy notched 14. Montclair got a lift off the bench from Smith, who notched eight points with 12 boards.
On Tuesday, the Red Hawks visit Albertus Magnus for a 7 pm matchup in New Haven, Conn.
