EWING, N.J. – In the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) preseason coach’s poll, the Montclair State University women’s basketball team were picked to miss the playoffs.
Four months later, the Red Hawks defeated The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) 72-63 to win the conference championship.
When the final buzzer sounded and the players and coaching staff stormed the court, senior center Olivia Vero couldn’t hold back her emotions.
“It feels amazing. I was literally in tears when the buzzer sounded off,” Vero said. “I’ve been waiting for four years to win a championship here and I couldn’t imagine doing it with another group.”
Montclair State celebrates their championship win. | Photo Courtesy of Montclair State Athletics.
Vero had more reason to celebrate than just winning the championship. Vero had another dominant performance against the Lions, scoring 24 points and 10 rebounds. It was her eighth double-double of the season.
Freshman forward Alyssa Craigwell set the tone in the opening minutes of the contest, rejecting star TCNJ guard Nina Branchizio at the top of the key. The Red Hawks rallied, going on a 12-2 run.
The Lions did not go down without a fight. In the second half, the home team managed to reel in the Red Hawk lead to as close as two points. Montclair State always had a response however, which in many cases was junior guard Shannon Hughes.
Hughes shot 3-5 from three point range, collecting 13 points when the Red Hawks needed it the most.
Hughes shot 3-5 from three-point range, collecting 13 points. | Photo Courtesy of Montclair State Athletics.
The key to Montclair State’s championship victory may have been their strong defensive performance.
TCNJ’s offensive game plan all season has been to shoot the three in large numbers, leading the conference in made shots from beyond the arc.
The Red Hawks held TCNJ to an astonishing 15.4% three-point shot percentage and only allowed a 34% field goal percentage. Graduate guard Sophie Beneventine played a key role in this defensive effort.
The Red Hawks held TCNJ to a 15.4% three point shot percentage and only allowed a 34% field goal percentage. | Photo Courtesy of Montclair State Athletics.
Beneventine, who grew up watching her older sister Victoria play at Montclair State, said that she wanted to bring the Red Hawks back to their past glory.
“I came in this season and I told [head coach Karin Harvey] that we’re winning the NJAC, this is what I want to do my fifth year,” Beneventine said. “I wanted to get the program back to where I saw it before. Everyone bought in and here we are. We won it.”
Despite late foul trouble for several Montclair State players, they held on to win the game. Harvey reflected on the special group of athletes that she was able to assemble.
“I’m just so proud. I wanted this for them so badly, they deserve it and have earned it,” Harvey said. “It’s the most amazing group of young women that I’ve coached in a really long time and I’m just beyond happy.”
It is the first conference championship for the Red Hawks since 2018. It’s a return to form for Harvey who has now won seven NJAC championships.
Montclair State basketball’s winningest basketball coach said that this title was uniquely different from any she had won in the past.
“We worked so hard for this,” Harvey said. “We’ve been working for 11 months. We had to change our culture, we had to bring in new players, we had to put in a new scheme and we really had to get [the players] to communicate and love each other and understand what that looks like on and off the court.”
Montclair State will advance to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament. | Photo Courtesy of Montclair State Athletics.
Montclair State will advance to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament. Vero, with the net around her neck and the conference trophy in hand, said that she’s ready to take that challenge on with her teammates.
“I’ve never been closer to a group of girls in my life and I think that made the difference,” Vero said. “This year, we took pride in being the dark horse. We came into every game with a chip on our shoulder and we won the [expletive] NJAC.”
