Montclair, NJ – Junior forward Melissa Tobie (Elizabeth, NJ, Roselle Catholic) had 20 points while junior guard Janitza Aquino (Kearny, NJ, Kearny) added 16 as No. 4 Montclair State put five players in double figures as the Red Hawks raced past Rowan, 98-58 in their NJAC opener at the Panzer Athletic Center on Saturday.
Sophomore Sandra Gee (Allentown, PA, Emmaus) chipped in with 12 points off the bench as the Red Hawks (3-0, 1-0 NJAC) defeated the Profs for the fourth straight time while running its regular-season winning streak and NJAC regular-season winning streak to 31 and 20 games, respectively. Montclair State also recorded its 21st consecutive win at home dating back to January 2012.
Valerie Garofalo (Ventnor, NJ / Holy Spirit) had 12 points and five rebounds for Rowan, which fell to 0-3 on the season, 0-1 in the NJAC.
Montclair State never trailed in the contest and scored off the opening tip of Aquino drove in for a layup . After Rowan tied the game, Aquino scored twice and Nicosia Henry (Bolingbrook, IL, Bolingbrook) followed with a layup for an 8-2 lead 2:12 into the game. A layup by Kaitlin Schullstrom (Colts Neck, NJ / Colts Neck) got the Profs within 8-6 however Montclair went on 16-4 run over a six-minute span to take a 24-10 lead with 10:56 to go. Tobie had eight points in the run with Henry capping the spurt as MSU led by 14 points.
Tobie had 18 points in the first half as she shot 7-of-9 from the floor while Aquino was 6-of-9 with four assists and five steals in the first 20 minutes.
Tobie finished with five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and six steals while Aquino tallied seven steals as Montclair recorded 28 in the game. Henry and Rachael Krauss (Farmingdale, NJ, Colts Neck) each had 11 points for the Red Hawks, who led 53-30 at the break. MSU then held Rowan scoreless for the first seven minutes of the second half and took its largest lead of the contest at 96-55 with 1:13 go on the second of consecutive baskets by Jordyn Stanley (Woodbridge, NJ, Woodbridge).
Alex Raring (Linwood, NJ / Mainland Regional) had 10 points for Rowan.
The Red Hawks are back in action on Tuesday, November 26 with a key early-season matchup against No. 18 William Paterson with tipoff of the NJAC contest slated for 6:00 pm.