CAMDEN, N.J. (Jan. 21, 2023) – Senior guard/forward Rahzirah Blocker scored a career-high 35 points, but the Montclair State University women's basketball team rallied from a 15-point deficit to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 68-59, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game Saturday afternoon.                   
 
Montclair State evens its overall record to 9-9, while improving to 6-5 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden falls to 2-15 overall and 0-10 in the conference.
 
The Red Hawks have won their last seven games against the Scarlet Raptors and lead the all-time series, 51-17.
 
Rutgers-Camden opened the game on fire, racing to leads of 7-1 and 12-4 before settling for a 14-6 lead after one quarter. Both Blocker and senior guard Abigail Sampona had four points apiece in that stretch, while senior guard/forward Jalissa Pitts and junior forward Carleigh Galasso each added a three-pointer.
 
Rutgers-Camden kept its foot on the gas early in the second quarter, improving its margin to 21-6 on a pair of Blocker foul shots before Montclair State slowly edged back into the game. Behind the scoring of junior guard/forward Megan Duffy, who had 14 points over the first two quarters, the Red Hawks sliced their halftime deficit to 235-30.
 
The Scarlet Raptors increased their lead to 39-33 early in the third quarter before Montclair State ran off the next nine points, taking their first lead of the game, 40-39, on a layup by sophomore guard Brianna Montajes with 5:46 left in the frame. Rutgers-Camden regrouped to take a 44-42 lead on a jumper and foul shot by Blocker moments later, but a three-pointer by junior guard Mahogany Worsley-Wooten helped the Red Hawks regain a 45-44 edge.
 
Rutgers-Camden fought back to tie the game at 50-50 on a jumper by Blocker shortly before the end of the quarter, but a foul right at the end of the frame gave Worsley-Wooten the chance to convert two shots from the line, giving the Red Hawks the lead for good.
 
Montclair State opened up leads as big as 10 points (62-52 and 67-57) in the fourth quarter.
 
Duffy finished with 21 points to pace the Red Hawks, while Worsley-Wooten had a double-double of 18 points and a game-high totals of 12 rebounds and three assists. Freshman forward Madelyn McCrea added 10 points.
 
Blocker's 35 points included a perfect 11-for-11 performance from the foul line and passed her previous high of 30 points, set against Penn State-Lehigh Valley on Nov. 7, 2021. She also added seven rebounds, tying Galasso for the team high, and notched a game-high three steals.
 
Jalissa Pitts added 14 points for the Scarlet Raptors, including 7-for-7 shooting from the foul line.
 
Montclair State shot 23-for-53 from the floor (43.4 percent), while Rutgers-Camden was 19-for-62 (30.6). The Scarlet Raptors were 18-for-20 (90.0) from the foul line, while the Red Hawks were 14-for-20 (70.0).
 
Montclair State held a 43-35 advantage off the boards.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Wednesday when they host Stockton University in an 6 p.m. NJAC game.