The Montclair State University women’s basketball team suffered a blowout loss to Stevens Institute of Technology. Losing by a total of 19 points.
Montclair State started the game well and jumped out to an early 15-4 lead. The Red Hawks’ defense looked stellar to open up the game as they were able to limit Stevens’ shots and force multiple turnovers. The quarter would end 19-12 with Montclair State leading.
The second quarter was much different as Stevens outscored Montclair State 30-15. Stevens graduate student forward Jess Broad absolutely took over in the second quarter, scoring 11 points and leading the team defensively. This helped power them to take a 42-34 lead going into the half.
The second quarter also saw a technical foul issued to the Montclair State head coach Karin Harvey. The foul was issued after Harvey disagreed with a call on the floor. Stevens made all three of the following free throws.
Head coach Karin Harvey discusses a call with the referee.
Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion
Free throws have been an early issue for Montclair State this season. The team is shooting just 50% from the line this season while their opponents are shooting at 78%.
This game would be no different as the Red Hawks constantly left points on the board with missed free throws, shooting an anemic 47% from the line. Graduate student forward Teresa Wolak spoke on the team’s poor free-throw shooting so far.
“I think that’s something we hold each other accountable for a lot,” Wolak said. “We actually come in early to work on free throws and rebounding as well because those are two things we take pride in and need to be better at.”
The second half would see a significant increase in the game’s energy. Both teams pushed the ball and tried to create on the fast break. Stevens would find significantly more success, and a large factor in this success was their efficient shooting.
Stevens shot an impressive 59% in the third quarter which allowed them to maintain their lead. The third quarter would end 63-51 with Stevens leading. Board yet again had an impressive quarter. Wolak spoke about one area the Red Hawks can improve upon.
“I think that we just need better communication because we know how the other team runs,” Wolak said. “We have the information we [need] to execute it. I just think our communication needs to be a little bit better, especially when we start getting tired. That’s when it should be even better than the first half.”
Montclair State would finish the game and the fourth quarter poorly, as turnovers and missed shots became an issue yet again. The Red Hawks played sloppily and allowed Stevens to build on their lead.
The team continued to hustle until the final whistle. Junior guard Mahogany Worsley-Wooten stood out with her effort, constantly diving after loose balls and playing hard until the game ended.
“I think our heart and soul are something huge for this team,” Wolak said. “I think [Worsley-Wooten] did such a good job with that today. She always, even in practice, puts her heart and soul out there every game, practice and day. And I think that builds a lot for our team because we build off of that and feed off of that, I know I do. We just need to stick with it and it helps morale a lot.”
Mahogany Worsley-Wooten looks to advance the play and find an open teammate.
Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion
Montclair State was defeated 80-61. Broad would finish with a game-high 32 points. The leading scorers for Montclair State were senior guard Nickie Carter and Wolak who both finished with 18.
The Red Hawks’ next game opened conference play against New Jersey City University (NJCU) on Nov. 22. Montclair State was knocked out of the playoffs last year by NJCU. The Red Hawks lost once again, 66-48. Making their record stand at 2-3.
