Montclair, NJ- On the day she was honored alongside
BRIANNA MONTAJES,
OLIVIA VERO, and
LYNDSEY ROSS for their Senior Day celebration, graduate student guard
SOPHIE BENEVENTINE collected the program's sixth-ever triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists to help the Montclair State University Women's Basketball team (19-3, 13-2 NJAC) win against Stockton (10-12, 6-9 NJAC) on Saturday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Defense held strong early in the first quarter with no team finding a score until just under three minutes into the contest when Vero found a cutting Beneventine for the first bucket of the game and sparked a 7-2 opening run that lasted until the 4:39 mark. Stockton proceeded to go on a run of their own of 10-2 that put them out in front 12-9. The Red Hawks avoided being down in the score heading into the first break however when Beneventine found SHANNON HUGHES in the corner for a trey with six seconds to go in the opening period and the score was 12-12 heading into the second.
- The Ospreys pushed out in front during the early portion of the second quarter with six unanswered points in the first three minutes. That run was followed by an ALEXIS STROLLO three-pointer, an ALYSSA CRAIGWELL layup, and a Strollo lay-in that put Montclair back out in front, 19-18 with 5:26 remaining in the half. The two teams then exchanged blows with three lead changes up to the 1:01 timestamp. Stockton held a 27-25 lead that did not last as ISABELLA ORLANDO came up big with a three and two made free throws in that final minute that pushed Montclair in front, 30-27.
- Layups from Vero and Craigwell at the beginning of the quarter gave Montclair a comfortable lead of seven that helped them hold off Stockton for the entire quarter. No team was able to generate a true to take over the quarter. The Red Hawks did outscore the Ospreys 23-16 in the third and gave them a double-digit lead of 53-43 heading into the final quarter. The significant play of the quarter came when Beneventine, needed one assist to complete her triple-double and went to Hughes again in the corner, who drilled another three and gave Beneventine a 10-10-10 stat line at that moment.
- Stockton came into the fourth quarter making a good comeback attempt. At the 8:19 timestamp with the Red Hawks holding a 57-46 edge, the Ospreys cut the lead to just two with nine unanswered points for a 57-55 score with just over half of the quarter remaining. Hughes hit another big three at the 5:01 mark to give Montclair a two-possession lead once again. Stockton made shots down the stretch but relied on Montclair to miss free throws down the stretch to help them flip the game after sending them to the line. The Red Hawks hit seven of eight of them and walked away with a 67-61 win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Beneventine earned the sixth triple-double in program history and the first one since 2015, when Janitza Aquino did it against Rowan with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
- Vero led the way in points for the Red Hawks with 17 to go along with eight rebounds. Along with Beneventine, Craigwell was the other Red Hawk in double-digits with 13 points. She also recorded a team-high three blocks.
- The winning ways continue for the Red Hawks as they picked up their 11th win in a row and their 13-straight NJAC game since losing their first two. It is their best conference-winning streak since the storied 2012-13 season when they went unbeaten 16-0 in NJAC play en route to a conference championship and two NCAA Tournament wins.
- After today's NJAC results, the Red Hawks are guaranteed a home playoff game for the NJAC Tournament as one of the top four seeds. For them to clinch a first-round bye on Wednesday night, they will need a win at New Jersey City and a loss from both Rowan and William Paterson. Wins in their next two games will also guarantee them the quarterfinals off.
FROM THE COURT
"Hard fought win lead by two of our seniors Sophie [Beneventine] and Liv [Vero]. Every game from here on out is going to be a battle. So we just need to stick to the game plan, play good defense, and play together!" - Head Coach Karin Harvey
NEXT UP
- Montclair State University will travel to New Jersey City for a Wednesday evening slate on February 12. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 pm.
