Montclair, NJ (1/29/11) – Senior forward Kisnadra Ayanbeku (Brockton, MA / Randolph) scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds while freshman guard Theresa Towns (Morristown, NJ  / Morristown) added 16 points and four assists as Montclair State moved past the .500 mark for the first time this season with a 72-62 win over Richard Stockton in an NJAC inter-divisional game at the Panzer Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman guard Sara Kelley (Newtown, CT / Newtown) added nine points – all from behind the arc, as the Red Hawks won their third straight improving to 10-9 overall, 4-4 in the NJAC North Division.

Senior forward Julia Fagan (New Britain, CT / New Britain) registered a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds as the Ospreys lost for just the second time in their last seven games. Stockton is now 12-6 overall, 5-2 in the NJAC South Divison.

Towns had eight and Ayanbeku and Colleen Kelly (Rockaway, NJ / Morris Hills) collected seven apiece as Montclair State, which never trailed in the game, scored 11 of the game's first 13 points. After Kelly and Lauren Alwan (Winslow, NJ / Timber Creek) traded baskets to open the game, Montclair scored the next nine, including Kelly's first three-pointer of the year for an 11-2 advantage just over four minutes in.

The MSU lead would not dip below five points the remainder of the half as grew to as many as 14 as Kelley's three-pointer from the right side with 1:27 to play in the opening half made the score 37-23. Stockton's Aspen Price-Perry (Lindenwold, NJ / Lindenwold) scored the final six points as Montclair held a 37-29 lead at the break.

In the second half, six straight points by Stockton, including the last four by Che'Na Thompson (Salem, NJ / Salem) got the Ospreys within 37-35 with 18:02 to led. Montclair State would slowly boost that lead back to double-digits over the next several minutes and led 53-41 with 11:20 to go on a Kelley three-pointer from the top of the key.

Stockton though would battle back again closing within 59-56 as two foul shots by Alwan with 3:53 left. Montclair answered with six consecutive points, including back-to-back buckets from Ayanbeku for a 64-56 lead with 3:06 remaining.  Stockton would hang around within one possession twice more as Erin MacAdams (Gloucester, NJ / Gloucester) connected twice from the line with two second left to make the score 70-67.

Jaime Ericson (Flemington, NJ / Hunterdon Central) would seal the game for Montclair with two foul shots for the final margin.

Sophomore Taylor Jeffers (Franklin Township, NJ / Franklin) had nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds for MSU while Ericson (five rebounds) and Kelly (four rebounds, two blocks) registered eight and seven points, respectively.

Price-Perry finished with 11 points for Stockton which got eight points and 15 rebounds from LaTonya Oliver (West Berlin, NJ / Overbrook). MacAdams finished the game with 10 points.

Both teams are back in action with conference contests. Montclair State host local rival and No. 19/21 ranked William Paterson at the Panzer Athletic Center on Wednesday, February 2 at 6:00 pm. Richard Stockton is home for a snow makeup versus The College of New Jersey on Monday, January 31 at 7:00 pm.