Box Score CAMDEN, N.J. – The nationally-ranked Montclair State University women's basketball program raced to a 55-11 halftime lead and went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 87-30, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.
The Red Hawks, ranked No. 11 nationally in the
D3hoops.com Top 25 poll and No. 13 in the
USA Today Sports Division III Top 25 Coaches' Poll, improve to 18-2 overall and a conference-leading 12-1.
Rutgers-Camden falls to 4-14 overall and 0-13 in the NJAC.
Montclair State has won 16 straight games in the series, including a 68-37 home victory in the first meeting this season on Jan. 4. The Raptors' last victory over the Red Hawks came at Montclair on Feb. 12, 2003 by a 74-56 score. Montclair State leads the all-time series, 36-15.
After the Scarlet Raptors scored the first field goal of the game, the Red Hawks rattled off 25 consecutive points, holding Rutgers-Camden scoreless for 8:02 until sophomore guard
Falecia Galindez (Camden, NJ/Pennsauken Tech) ended the MSU run with a three-pointer. Her shot ended a scoreless stretch of 8:02 for the Raptors.
Leading, 33-11, Montclair State held Rutgers-Camden scoreless for the final 9:55 of the opening half as it scored the last 22 points before the break.
By halftime, the Scarlet Raptors had committed 18 turnovers and Montclair State held a 44-point lead. Junior guard
Janitza Aquino (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) led the Red Hawks with 15 points, while junior forward
Melissa Tobie (Elizabeth, NJ/Roselle Catholic) and sophomore guard
Kayla Ceballos (Brooklyn, NY/Christ the King) each had 11 points.
Montclair State shot 18-for-29 (62.1 percent) from the floor in the opening half, including 6-for-13 (46.2) from three-point range. Rutgers-Camden was 5-for-19 (26.3) from the floor, including 1-for-3 (33.3) from three-point range.
The Red Hawks finished with four players in double figures as Aquino notched a game-high 20 points, Ceballos canned 16, Tobie netted 14 and senior guard
Nicosia Henry (Bolingbrook, IL/Bolingbrook) added 11. Henry also added a game-high eight rebounds as the Red Hawks held a 43-24 advantage off the boards.
Tobie game highs of seven assists and two blocked shots, while tying Rutgers-Camden junior guard/forward
Irene Grimanis (Brooklawn, NJ/Gloucester) for game-high honors with four steals apiece. For Grimanis, the four steals tied her career high, accomplished twice previously.
Galindez was the lone Raptor scoring in double figures, finishing with 12 points. She also added four assists.
Grimanis led the team with six rebounds, in addition to her four steals. Sophomore forward
Michele Onu (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) added six points and five rebounds, while senior center
Tina Croxton (Deptford, NJ/Deptford) also had five boards.
Montclair State finished with a 50.8 shooting percentage from the floor (30-for-59), including 39.3 (11-for-28) from three-point range. The Red Hawks forced 26 Scarlet Raptor turnovers and held Rutgers-Camden to 14-for-43 shooting from the floor (32.6).
Both teams return to NJAC action Wednesday at 6 p.m. Rutgers-Camden travels to The College of New Jersey, while Montclair State hosts Ramapo College.