Montclair, NJ- In a rematch of last year's NJAC Championship showdown, the Montclair State University women's basketball team will welcome The College of New Jersey for a Wednesday night conference slate.
 
GAME INFO
Tip-off from the Panzer Athletic Center is slated for 5:00 p.m. Live coverage of the game can be found at monclairstateathletics.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Montclair pushed its conference-winning streak to five in a row when it downed Stockton, 77-43, on Saturday. ALEXIS STROLLO kicked off the contest with a three-pointer on the Red Hawks' first possession. Stockton pulled in front briefly with two made free throws and a layup, but ALYSSA CRAIGWELL's next bucket sparked an 8-0 run to pull ahead to an 11-4 lead with 4:30 on the clock. The Ospreys scored six unanswered to cut the lead to a one-point deficit before Craigwell helped keep the distance with a good layup. In the final 13 seconds of the quarter, the Ospreys found a bucket, but Montclair pushed the tempo, and SAMANTHA PHILIPP connected on a deep ball with five seconds remaining and put the score at 16-12 entering the second quarter. Stockton put pressure on Montclair, taking advantage of second-chance points and turnovers to take the lead 19-18 in the first two minutes of the second quarter. They did not hold the lead for long as ISABELLA ORLANDO hit a three-pointer to retake the lead. SHANNON HUGHES and Orlando kept the momentum going as both hit from deep to propel the Red Hawks to a 27-19 advantage. Both teams went bucket-for-bucket down the stretch, and Montclair held a 36-28 lead going into the half. The two programs exchanged points in the early portion of the third period. At 6:40, Craigwell sank a jumper for the longest run of the quarter, 5-0, and pushed the lead out to 48-32. Montclair outscored Stockton 6-2 down the stretch and held a commanding 52-36 lead heading into the final frame. The Red Hawks dominated the fourth quarter. They outscored Stockton 25-7, with their largest run coming in the final five minutes of the game, where they went on a 16-0 run to close out the game, 77-43. Defense showed out in the final quarter as well, holding Stockton to 1-for-14 from the floor in that frame.
 
TEAM LEADERS
MONTCLAIR STATE (10-4, 6-1 NJAC)
Points Per Game: ALYSSA CRAIGWELL, 17.1
Rebounds Per Game: ALYSSA CRAIGWELL, 7.0
Field goal percentage: KRISTINA TURNER, .625
Three Point Percentage: SAMANTHA PHILIPP, .419
Free throw Percentage: ALEXIS STROLLO, .870
Assists: ALEXIS STROLLO, 42
Steals: ALYSSA CRAIGWELL, 36
Blocks: BELLA BRUCE, 18
 
TCNJ (6-8, 5-2 NJAC)
Points Per Game: Amanda Baylock, 15.6
Rebounds Per Game: Brooke McFadden, 8.6
Field goal percentage: Olivia Voshell, .588
Three Point Percentage: Brooke McFadden, .387
Free throw Percentage: Amanda Baylock, .811
Assists: Amanda Baylock, 41
Steals: Katie Fricker, 23
Blocks: Brooke McFadden, 13
 
 
SCOUTING TCNJ
The Lions enter this matchup under .500 with a 6-8 overall record, but are 5-2 in NJAC play after earning an 82-62 win against Rutgers-Newark on Saturday. Last season, TCNJ put together a 21-6 overall record and a 16-2 record in NJAC play and won the regular-season title. As the top seed in the conference tournament, they defeated fifth-seeded Kean, 79-56, but were bested in the title game by Montclair, 72-63. According to the 2025-26 NJAC Preseason Poll, they are the favorites to win the NJAC this season.
 
 
SERIES HISTORY
Montclair and TCNJ will renew their rivalry for the 96^th time. Montclair is ahead of the series with a 56-39 record. The two teams split last season's series, excluding the playoffs.   
 
 
LAST MEETING
These two programs met for the NJAC crown on March 1, 2025, where Montclair came out on top, 72-63, to win its eighth conference title in program history.  
 
UP NEXT
 
Montclair State University hits the road for a matchup at Kean on Saturday, January 17, at 3:00 p.m.