In the first game of the evening, Montclair State University’s women’s basketball defeated Rutgers Newark with ease, winning 88-43. Montclair State scored a season high of 14 three pointers which was just one short of tying the school record of 15, which was set against Rutgers-Newark in 1995 and again against Rutgers-Camden in 2020.
The game started off hot for the Red Hawks as they went on a 7-0 out of the gate, forcing Rutgers-Newark to call an early timeout to try and reset.
“We realized as a team that seven points really means nothing, and that we have to keep with our defense and keep pushing and believing in each other,” sophomore guard Isabella Orlando said.
Orlando scored five of the seven points as she continues to have a phenomenal start to her second season with the program.
Orlando finished the game with 16 points as it was her fifth time scoring in double figures this season, and shot 100% from the three point line with four makes.
The early run would not stop there, Montclair State kept on scoring and playing amazing defense as they outscored Rutgers-Newark 15-2 over the first 5:26 in the first quarter. To finish the quarter, freshman guard Katie Stovall provided a nice spark for the team after she made a layup and followed it up by draining a three leading to a 23-8 lead after one.
Montclair State continued its dominance against Rutgers-Newark in the second quarter, as the Red Hawks were able to hold a double-digit advantage. With 40 points in the first half, it was their highest point total to close out the second quarter, 40-22.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Montclair State scored eight of the first ten points. It was Orlando and Sophomore guard Shannon Hughes, who was also very effective from beyond the arc, making four three-pointers.
Freshman guard Amanda Castro would make her Red Hawks season debut midway through the quarter, scoring three straight points. She scored nine points in the game and provided excellent minutes off the bench. Rutgers-Newark seemed frustrated by the Red Hawks, who led by 45 points in the third quarter.
Freshman guard Amanda Castro made her collegiate debut and had nine points. LLoyd Odimegwu | The Montclarion
The last four points of the quarter were scored by sophomore guard Alexis Strollo. By the end of the third quarter, the Red Hawks were ahead 66–35.
“I think it’s that we work really hard on believing in each other and working on our team chemistry,” Strollo said. “When anyone steps on the court, we’re making sure we play for the person next to us and work as hard as we can. When we’re all united and together, things click.”
During the fourth quarter, the Red Hawks continued their push from behind the arc with long-range baskets from Strollo and junior guard Lyndsey Ross. Tiffany Sosa, a junior forward, finished the scoring for Montclair State with a basket with 1:09 left. In the fourth quarter, Montclair State led by as many as 45 points. With a final score of 88-43, Montclair State had their best game of the season and moved to 3-4.
Montclair State made 14 triples which is one short of the school record. LLoyd Odimegwu | The Montclarion
The night concluded with Montclair State men’s basketball playing Rutgers-Newark in a double header. After a close victory over New Jersey City, Montclair State was hoping to build on that momentum, but they were beaten 72–60 by Rutgers-Newark.
The first six minutes of the first half saw intense play between the Red Hawks and the Scarlet Raiders. It was back and forth early in the first half, the score was 10–10 at 14:11. On both sides of the ball, both teams were playing with heart and determination. But as time went on, Rutgers-Newark went on a 13-5 run and took an 11 point lead.
The Red Hawks would begin to make baskets of their own, but Rutgers-Newark would stop them, go on a second run and increase their advantage in the first half from 11 to 19. 26–45 marked the end of the first half. Montclair State committed 10 turnovers and were getting out rebounded by 8.
To open up the second half, sophomore sensation Kunga Tsering had a highlight to remember with a huge block. Senior guard Kieran Flanagan made a fast layup following the block. After a dispute between a Rutgers-Newark player and the referee following the layup, junior guard Mike Jackson of Montclair State was awarded a free throw. Very quickly, the second half heated up.
Despite the loss, senior guard Kieran Flanagan had 13 points, three assists, and three rebounds. Markell Robinson | The Montclarion
Not even a minute into the second half, Rutgers-Newark received a total of two technical fouls which excited the crowd and gave the Red Hawks new life.
After exchanging baskets, Rutgers-Newark maintained its lead over Montclair State. However, at 15:40 of the second half, Flanagan’s layup helped Montclair State begin an 11-0 run, cutting the margin to just four points.
The home crowd seemed to be back in the game when the game restarted after that. But Rutgers-Newark responded with a 7-0 run with 9:02 left in the game to put the score at 58-47. Montclair State would turn the ball over 19 times and was unable to generate a basket shooting 2-12 from three point range.
With a rapid seven points in less than two minutes, Rutgers-Newark increased their lead to 11 and would not let it drop again. Montclair State showed heart but at the end it wasn’t enough to overcome the odds and make a probable comeback.
“We didn’t execute our stuff, and wasn’t playing our best, we weren’t playing our brand of basketball,” Jackson said. “We weren’t executing our things, we weren’t fighting or playing with heart. We just didn’t do the things that we was supposed to be doing. Just wasn’t playing with heart out there tonight.”
With a team-high 21 points and 12 rebounds, Jackson led the team and achieved his second double-double of the year. Flanagan and senior guard Keyon Pryce each contributed 13 points.
“We want to play with more heart and passion and stick to what we do best,” Jackson said. “We just gotta keep fighting and be hungry. We just gotta stick to what we do best and play with more hunger and passion. Just keep doing that.”
