Union, NJ – The Montclair State Women's Basketball team (21-3, 15-2 NJAC) extended its winning streak to 13 games with an 80-60 road victory over Kean (11-13, 8-9 NJAC) on Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After both teams exchanged a layup and a three-pointer in the first minute and a half, the Red Hawks erupted for a 14-2 run, taking a commanding 19-7 lead. ALYSSA CRAIGWELL fueled the run with eight points. Despite a few late buckets from the Cougars, Montclair outscored Kean 10-9 down the stretch to close the first quarter with a 29-16 advantage.
• SHANNON HUGHES opened the second-quarter scoring, followed by an OLIVIA VERO layup to extend the lead to 32-16. Kean responded with two layups, but Montclair answered with an 8-2 run, stretching the margin to 44-25 with 2:51 remaining in the first half. The Cougars then scored seven unanswered points to cut the lead to 12, but a free throw from SOPHIE BENEVENTINE and a layup by BRIANNA MONTAJES secured a 47-32 halftime advantage for Montclair.
• Vero kicked off the second half with a paint bucket off a Beneventine assist. Kean countered with an 11-2 run, bringing the game back to single digits at 51-43 with 5:48 remaining in the third quarter. However, Montclair responded with a 10-3 run, capped by two Hughes three-pointers, to close the quarter with a 61-46 lead.
• Neither team established a significant run in the fourth quarter, but Montclair outscored Kean 19-14 to seal its 13th straight win and 15th consecutive conference victory with an 80-60 final score. Beneventine led the fourth-quarter effort with nine points on 4-for-5 shooting.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Beneventine led Montclair with a career-high 20 points and a 10-assist double-double. She also recorded two rebounds, four steals (tied for the team lead), and three blocks.
• Three other Red Hawks scored in double figures: Craigwell with 16 points, while Vero and ALEXIS STROLLO each tallied 13. Craigwell led the team with seven rebounds, while Vero added five rebounds and three blocks. Strollo contributed five assists and four steals.
• Montclair matched a team-high with 18 steals and posted its second-highest scoring total in a four-quarter game this season, trailing only the 84 points scored against Old Westbury on November 13, 2024.
• With the victory, Montclair secured a first-round bye in the NJAC Tournament, earning a top-two seed for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.

FROM THE COURT

• "I am really proud of how we approached the game today. We came out strong and maintained our style of play throughout. We had contributions across the board, and it was a great team win," said Head Coach Karin Harvey.

NEXT UP

• With Montclair State and The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) tied at the top of the standings with identical conference records, the stage is set for the NJAC Regular Season Championship. The Red Hawks will host TCNJ for a 5:30 PM tip-off inside the Panzer Athletic Center.