Blaze during a game in 1975 (Left picture)
Photo Courtesy of Lonny Cohen | The Montclarion
Carol Blazejowski at Commencement (Right Picture)
Photo Courtesy of Mike Peters
The date was March 6, 1977, a day that was scheduled for the first ever double header for Women’s college basketball at Madison Square Garden. The first of the matches would be the Montclair State Red Hawks with an overall record of 21 wins and two losses against New York’s own Queens College Knights. What the crowd of 12,336 did not know was that history was about to be made at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Carol Blazejowski of the Montclair State Red Hawks scored a record breaking 52 points with 38 of them coming in the second half alone, helping her team secure a win with a final score of 102-91. Scheduled as the first game of a double header, Blazejowski stole the show seemingly making the crowd forget about the next game to take place between the number one seed Immaculata University and the number two seed Delta State. The game started slow with Queens College leading Montclair State by eleven points at the half. Montclair State scored 38 points in the first half, with Blazejowski being held to only 14 points.
Queens College, with 44 points at the half, was in a good position to overthrow the Red Hawks, but second half turnovers ultimately decided this contest. The Red Hawks capitalized on the eleven turnovers committed by Queens College in the last 20 minutes of the game on their way to a victory. Queens College coach Lucille Kyvallos told her team, “ You didn’t respond . . . you were in control but you didn’t preserve.”
Even the 23 rebounds by the Knights Althea Gwyn could not help them keep the lead. The Red Hawks took their time passing the ball in order to create space for quality shots, allowing them to control the second half. Blazejowski, the 5` 10“ forward, came out of the half motivated, sinking mid range jump shots on her way to 38 second half points and a spot in the record books.
Because of four first half fouls, Blazejowski had to rely on her textbook jump shot for most of her points. As she remembers, “I didn’t even realize I was hitting the record.” Blazejowski or “Blaze” as she’s better known in the sports world says she, “Was just in the zone,” successfully completing 17 of 21 second half field goals and converting on four of eight foul shots. Blazejowski entered the game already leading the nation in scoring average with 33.5 points per game, but in this game she set a mark that The Garden may never see again.
