Ewing, NJ – The Montclair State Women's Basketball team (23-4) secured their eighth New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship after defeating top-seeded TCNJ (21-6) on the road, 72-63, on Saturday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Hawks started strong, opening the game with nine unanswered points, including five from ALYSSA CRAIGWELL. They built a commanding 17-4 lead at the 2:34 mark before TCNJ responded with a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 17-10. ISABELLA ORLANDO ended the quarter with a clutch three-pointer, giving Montclair a 20-10 advantage.
• TCNJ fought back in the second quarter with an 8-2 run in the first three minutes, trimming Montclair's lead to 22-18. However, the Red Hawks countered with key baskets from OLIVIA VERO and SHANNON HUGHES to push their lead back to six with 6:34 remaining. The Lions continued their comeback, bringing the score to 28-27, but Vero's and-one play and a late layup kept Montclair ahead 33-29 at halftime.
• Defense dominated the opening four minutes of the third quarter. TCNJ pulled within two points at 35-33 before Montclair regained control—Craigwell sank a free throw, and Hughes drilled back-to-back three-pointers to put the Lions on their heels. Both teams traded baskets down the stretch, and Montclair entered the final quarter with a 54-44 lead.
• The Lions threatened a comeback in the fourth, but every time they closed the gap, Montclair responded. The game-sealing moment came when, leading 66-60, the Red Hawks grabbed five offensive rebounds, draining nearly two minutes off the clock. With time running out, TCNJ couldn't recover, and Montclair stormed the court as NJAC champions.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• In what may have been her final collegiate game, OLIVIA VERO delivered a dominant performance with a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double. She was also efficient from the free-throw line, hitting 8-of-11 attempts.
• SHANNON HUGHES stepped up with 13 points, including a stellar 3-for-5 performance from beyond the arc.
• Montclair's defense was outstanding, holding TCNJ to just 37.8% shooting from the field and a mere 15.4% from three-point range.
• This season marks the greatest turnaround in program history. After finishing 9-16 overall and 6-12 in NJAC play last season—missing the postseason entirely—Montclair exceeded expectations. Projected to finish seventh in the conference, they embraced their role as the "Dark Horse" and surged to a 23-4 record (15-3 NJAC) en route to the championship.
• Head Coach Karin Harvey solidified her legacy as the greatest coach in Montclair State women's basketball history. With her seventh NJAC title, she is now tied with current Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Nicol Parceluzzi for the second-most conference championships by any coach in Montclair State history. Only former Head Football Coach Rick Giancola (11 titles) has more.

FROM THE COURT

• "This championship has been almost a year in the making. I couldn't be more proud of this team and our coaching staff.  They have been ALL IN since day one. Tremendous group effort to have the best turnaround in program history!" Head Coach Karin Harvey

NEXT UP

• With their NJAC Championship victory, Montclair State earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Red Hawks will await Monday's selection show to find out their first-round opponent.