Senior forward Ferin Catlett (Lawnside, NJ/Haddon Heights) added 12 points for the Red Hawks, who improved to 4-5 overall and 2-1 in the conference’s North Division. Montclair also avenged a 49-43 loss to the Lions in last season’s NJAC Tournament semifinals.
Senior guard Margo Buchalski (Ventnor, NJ/Cherry Hill East) had 13 points and four steals for TCNJ, which suffered its second straight defeat and third in the last four games. The Lions fell back to the .500 mark at 4-4 overall, 1-2 in the league’s South Division.
New Jersey jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the first four minutes of the game as Buchalski pumped in a three-pointer and a jumper for quick 5-0 lead. After a make by Catlett, Buchalski sank one free throw and Breanne Depken (Oradell, NJ/River Dell) scored on a layup to give TCNJ the six-point advantage with 16:17 left. But Montclair State roared back with a 21-5 run over the next seven minutes, including 12 straight points, to take control.
Catlett sparked the spurt with two foul shots and Machin’s jumper with 13:44 left tied the score at 8-8. Sophomore guard Meghan Kelley (Newtown, CT/Newtown) and freshman Catherine Cristino (Farmingdale, NJ/Colts Neck) came off the bench and connected on consecutive three’s to give MSU a 14-8 lead. After Buchalski responded with a three of her own, Catlett and Machin each scored once before Jackie Berry (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) converted a three-point play for 21-13 lead. Marianne McGovern (Fair Lawn, NJ/Paramus Catholic) closed out the run with a jumper as Montclair built a 10-point bulge with 8:22 to play.
TCNJ would cut the lead in half, pulling within 29-25 with 1:38 left in the half on a free throw by Megan Hueter (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon Heights), however MSU scored the final five points, including three free throws by Kelley, who was fouled shooting a three with one-tenth of a second remaining, as the Red Hawks went into the locker room up 34-25.
In the second half, Montclair State would put the game out of reach with an 11-0 run to start the period. Machin had five points in the run while Jessica Garrabrant (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) capped the burst as MSU took a 45-25 lead with 13:48 left. TCNJ would slice the lead to 10 twice in side the final three minutes, but go no closer.
Kelley finished with eight points for Montclair State with Garrabrant adding six and a game-high 12 rebounds. Berry and Cristino each had seven as the Red Hawks connected on 22-of-38 (58 percent) from the field and outrebounded the Lions, 33-23.
Lisa Koch (Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson Township) had 12 points and four rebounds off the bench for TCNJ, which managed just 16-of-54 shooting (30 percent) in the game, including 5-of-17 from three-point range.
Montclair State returns to action on Tuesday, December 12 as the Red Hawks face Farmingdale State at Panzer Gymnasium at 7:00 pm. TCNJ is off until December 29 when the Lions take on host Salem State in the Salem State Christmas Tournament in Massachusetts.