Montclair, NJ – The #20 Montclair State University women's basketball team defeated Delaware Valley 80-71 on Wednesday night at the Panzer Athletic Center.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Hawks (3-0) opened the night with back-to-back buckets from BELLA BRUCE and ALYSSA CRAIGWELL before the Aggies embarked on a 14-4 scoring run over the next four and a half minutes to build a multi-possession advantage with 3:43 on the clock. Craigwell connected on a three off a feed from ALEXIS STROLLO, with Bruce converting a jumper on the next possession to push Montclair within one point. Strollo pushed for a layup with 67 seconds left to make the score 18-17 in favor of the visitors, as Craigwell sunk a pair of free throws in the waning moments to give the home side the advantage after 10 minutes.
• Montclair kicked off the second period with a layup from Craigwell and a jumper from Bruce to go up five before Delaware Valley equalized at the 7:29 mark. The Red Hawks countered with 12 consecutive points, led by five from Craigwell, to race out to a 35-23 lead with 3:33 remaining in the opening half. After the Aggies notched two free throws, SAMANTHA PHILIPP and SHANNON HUGHES hit back-to-back shots, as the Red Hawks would go into the break up by 18 on a three-point make from CELINA BUSSANICH.
• Both defenses tightened up at the start of the third quarter, with layups from Bruce and Strollo being the only makes over the opening five minutes of the period. The Aggies hit another pair of free throws shortly after, but Craigwell countered with a layup to make the score 49-27 with 4:35 on the clock. A minute later, Craigwell pushed the advantage to 14 before Delaware Valley closed the quarter with the final 10 points.
• The Red Hawks countered with 12 of the first 14 points of the final quarter, including seven from Philipp, to go up 63-39 with eight minutes to go. The Aggies countered with a 21-7 extended scoring run over the next 4:49 to trim the deficit to 10 with just over two and a half minutes on the clock. Craigwell answered on the ensuing possession with a layup, and Strollo converted two free throws to nudge the margin up to 14. The Aggies fought back to within nine with 34 seconds remaining, and could not get any closer down the stretch as Montclair secured the home victory.

INSIDE THE RESULTS

• Craigwell led the way for the Red Hawks with a season-best 24 points to go along with six boards. It marked her eighth career 20-plus point performance.
• Philipp notched a career-best 11 points, with Bruce recording her third-straight double-digit game to open her Montclair career, finishing with 10 points.
• The Red Hawks finished the night shooting 43 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. They converted five out of seven three-point shots in the final frame to help secure the victory.
• Montclair held a 31-5 advantage in bench points, generating 25 turnovers defensively, which led to 30 points on the other end.
• The Red Hawks have won three straight games to open a season in each of the last two years.

FROM THE COURT

• "I'm really proud of our team today. We played with great tempo and really pushed the transition game, which set the tone early. What I loved most was the impact of our depth - every player who stepped on the floor contributed and helped us secure this win." Head Coach Karin Harvey

UP NEXT

• The Red Hawks will open New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Tuesday, November 25, against Rowan. Tip-off from the Panzer Athletic Center is scheduled for 5:00 PM.