Due to COVID regulations, SPECTATORS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO EVENTS AT THIS TIME. We look forward to the day when we can gather again and cheer on the Red Hawks in person and invite you to watch the games on our Red Hawk Sports Network YouTube Channel (Link available on the right)

Montclair, NJ – It's a showdown of unbeaten teams in the New Jersey Athletic Conference as Montclair State hosts New Jersey City University in the first game of the back-to-back, home-and-home series this weekend.

ON THE AIR:
YouTube - Red Hawk Sports Network (Jack Barteck and Jon Kociban)

THE TEAMS:
Montclair State and New Jersey City enter tonight's game a combined 10-0 against NJAC opponents. The visiting Gothic Knights are off to their best start in program history at 6-0 following their weekend sweep of William Paterson. A day after recording its largest margin of victory over the Pioneers (69-49), NJCU found itself down 42-38 heading into the final quarter before outscoring WPU 24-4 to keep its record unblemished. Dayjah Anderson led the Gothic Knights with 24 points while freshman Damaris Rodriguez added 11 along with four rebounds and three steals. Nahjeemah Holmes contributed 10 points with Mya Neal pulling down 11 rebounds. For the Red Hawks, it was a week of idle play as Montclair's weekend series with Rutgers-Newark was canceled after the Scarlet Raiders put a pause on their playing season. Montclair has won four straight following a season-opening loss to Salisbury. MSU's last victory came in Union on February 13 in 73-62 win at Kean University. Senior guard TAYLOR BROWN posted career-highs of 25 points and 13 rebounds with sophomore NICKIE CARTER adding 18 points.

THE COACHES:
Pat Devaney, Sr. (Third Season): 24-34 overall
Karin Harvey (14th Season at MSU):  301-102 overall, 288-88 at Montclair State

KEY PLAYERS:

New Jersey City
Dayjah Anderson (Sr., F, 5-8, East Orange, NJ)
17.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 42.0 FG%. 55.0 FT%, 11 AST, 13 STLS, 2 BLK

Damaris Rodriguez (Fr., G, 5-3, Secaucus, NJ)
16.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 46.0 FG%., 59.0 3FG%, 82.0 FT%, 29 AST, 22 STLS

Zianna Goda (So., G, 5-7, Roselle, NJ)
11.33 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 48.0 FG%. 65.0 FT%, 8 AST, 5 STL


Montclair State
TAYLOR BROWN (Sr., G, 5-11, Trumbull, CT)
12.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 39.0 FG%. 9 AST, 12 BLK, 6 STL

NICKIE CARTER (So., G, 5-7, Flemington, NJ)
10.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 34.0 FG%. 90.0 FT%, 2 BLK

JULIA SUTTON (Jr., G, 5-6, York, PA)
9.4 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 33.3 FG%. 65.0 FT%, 6 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK


TEAM STATS
New Jersey City: 63.8 OFF, 48.7 DEF, 44.0 RPG, .393 FG%, .439 3FG%, .602 FT%
Montclair State: 63.8 OFF, 56.2 DEF, 43.8 RPG, .358 FG%, .294 3FG%, .703 FT%
 

NJAC TEAM RANKS

Scoring Off: MSU (3^rd – 63.8 ppg) / NJCU (2^nd – 67.2 ppg)
Scoring Def: MSU (3^rd / 56.2 ppg) / NJCU (1^st – 48.7 ppg)
Scoring Margin: NJCU (1^st +185) / MSU (3^rd +7.6)
Field Goal Pct.: NJCU (2^nd .393) / MSU (5^th .358)
FG Defense: NJCU (1^st .312) / MSU (3^rd .347)
3FG Pct.: NJCU (1^st .432) / MSU (4^th .294)
Free Throw Pct: MSU (2^nd .703) / NJCU (6^th .602)
Rebounding: NJCU (1^st 44.0) / MSU (2^nd 43.8)
Rebound Margin: NJCU (2^nd +8.0) / MSU (3^rd +5.8)


ALL-TIME SERIES: (MSU Leads 66-3)
It's a series that Montclair State has dominated winning 66 of the 69 previous contests, including the last 35. The two first met in 1974 with MSU prevailing 78-39. It would be 11 years before the two met again, this time as NJAC rivals with the Red Hawks taking that first contest 84-50. The Gothic Knights would get their first win in December 1987 edging Montclair State 46-44 in Jersey City. MSU won the next nine game before NJCU registered a 49-42 win in 1993 and the Gothic Knights registered a 71-54 triumph in 2002, snapping a 17-game losing skid. Since then it's been all MSU, including a 57-45 win in the NJAC Tournament semifinals last season.

LAST 5 MEETINGS
2/25/2020: MSU 57, NJCU 45 (at MSU) **
2/5/2020: MSU 87, NJCU 49 (at MSU)
12/11/2019: MSU 57, NJCU 49 (at NJCU)
1/30/2019: MSU 62, NJCU 43 (at NJCU)
12/5/2018: MSU 77, NJCU 44 (at MSU)

** NJAC Tournament

NEXT UP: The Red Hawks and Gothic Knights close out their regular season schedules on Saturday, February 27 with the rematch at the John J. Moore Athletic Center in Jersey City with tipoff scheduled for noon. Both teams will then turn their attention to the NJAC Tournament, which begins on Friday, March 5 with quarterfinal action.