CAMDEN, N.J. (Dec. 14, 2024) – The Montclair State women's basketball team out-scored Rutgers University-Camden, 24-16, over the last 8:48 of the fourth quarter to outlast the Scarlet Raptors, 62-55, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.
 
Montclair State improved to 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the NJAC, while Rutgers-Camden fell to 5-5 and 2-3.
 
Montclair State has won its last 10 games against Rutgers-Camden and holds a 54-17 lead in the all-time series.
 
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Red Hawks held a 38-34 lead, but the Scarlet Raptors scored the first five points of the frame on a three-point play by senior forward Taylor Hinson and a pair of foul shots from senior guard Na'Caia Jackson. The Raptors' 39-38 lead didn't last long, however, as senior forward/center Olivia Vero put the Red Hawks on top to stay on a layup with 8:48 remaining. That shot sparked a 12-point run for Montclair State, with the next 10 points featuring six points from freshman forward Alyssa Craigwell and four from junior guard Shannon Hughes.
 
Trailing by 11 points, the Scarlet Raptors managed to slice the margin to five points on three occasions, with the last time coming at 60-55 on a foul shot by Jackson with 20 seconds remaining. A pair of foul shots by Red Hawks graduate guard Sophie Beneventine accounted for the final score.
 
Craigwell scored a game-high 18 points for Montclair State, while adding six rebounds and five steals. Beneventine had nine points and seven rebounds, while Vero notched nine rebounds and eight points.
 
Rutgers-Camden graduate forward Aiya Underwood had her first double-double with the Scarlet Raptors. Underwood, who played her undergraduate career at NJAC rival Stockton University, scored a career high 12 points, while tying her career high of 10 rebounds that she set at Stockton. She shot 5-for-8 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the foul line, while grabbing all 10 rebounds off the defensive boards. She also added one blocked shot.
 
Jackson finished with a team-high 16 points for Rutgers-Camden, while senior guard Rahzirah Blocker added 10 points.
 
Montclair State shot 25-for-66 (37.9 percent) from the floor and 10-for-20 (50.0) from the foul line. The Scarlet Raptors shot 18-for-55 (32.7) from the floor and 17-for-22 (77.3) from the line. Rutgers-Camden held a 49-39 advantage off the boards, but also made 26 turnovers to the Red Hawks' 15.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action on January 4, 2025, when they host City College of New York in a 1 p.m. non-conference game.