MONTCLAIR, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The storybook playoff run of the 2019-20 New Jersey City University women's basketball team came to an end on February 25 as No. 2 seeded Montclair State University outscored the No. 6 seeded Gothic Knights 14-8 in the fourth quarter to pull away in a competitive New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinal game and prevailed, 57-45, at Panzer Athletic Center.

Montclair State, winners of six of the last seven NJAC championships and the current No. 5 in the NCAA Division III Atlantic Region, didn't shoot well (19-51, .373) but limited NJCU to 28.8 percent shooting (17-59) and 1-of-12 from three-point range to prevent the Gothic Knights from rallying late like they had three days earlier in the NJAC Quarterfinals at Kean.

Montclair State (21-5, 15-3 NJAC, Won 4) improved to 12-2 at home this season and advances to the NJAC Championship game on Friday against top-seeded Rowan; the Profs defeated No. 4 seeded TCNJ, 82-62, in the other NJAC Semifinal. 

The Gothic Knights historic season comes to a close at 13-14 overall. NJCU has never defeated Montclair State on the road in its history (0-33).

Senior shooting guard Hannah Johnson scored 24 points in the final game of her collegiate career, with four steals and six fouls drawn while junior wing Dayjah Anderson added 14 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Both players survived with four fouls. Freshman small forward Sarah Edmond had 10 rebounds (seven offensive) and three assists. 

No other Gothic Knight scored more than three points. NJCU was without All-NJAC junior power forward Ayanna Lewis, who was not available. Freshman guard Samantha DiPopolo made the first start of her career in the semifinal.

Montclair freshman guard Nickie Carter (Flemington, N.J.), the NJAC Rookie of the Year and a First-Team All-NJAC performer, scored 21 points (7-19 FG).Carter scored 16 in the first half (6-12 FG)—the only Red Hawk to score more than four points.

Senior forward Alex McKinnon (Fairfield, Conn.) was the only other Red Hawk in double figures, scoring 10 with seven rebounds. Junior forward Kayla Bush (Morristown, N.J.) grabbed 11 rebounds (seven offensive) with eight points and three blocks while junior guard Taylor Brown (Trumbull, Conn.) added 11 rebounds (10 defensive). Senior guard Cerys MacLelland (Cranford, N.J.) finished with seven points, seven rebounds and five assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The clubs played a tightly contested opening quarter with Montclair leading, 14-13 after 10 minutes. Carter scored six of the first eight points for MSU to give the hosts an 8-4 lead and she hit another jumper for a 10-6 edge. Anderson used a three-point play to cut it to one and a jumper by junior guard Mya Neal gave the Knights an 11-10 lead. After MSU scored the next two baskets, Anderson sank a shot in the final second to make it a one-point game.
• Johnson tied it at 16-16 at 7:53 of the second quarter with a triple from the right wing. A driving layup by DiPopolo pulled NJCU within one (19-18) and Johnson tied it from the line at 19-19.
• MSU countered with a 7-0 run. With 3:35 left Carter sank a straight away three (22-19) and Carter and Brown both hit a pair of foul shots for a 26-19 margin. Johnson hit a fall away jumper in the lane to end the streak before Bush sank a runner in the lane to give Montclair a 28-21 margin at the half.  

• NJCU shot 40 percent in the first quarter (6-15 FG) to counter MSU shooting 46.7 percent (7-15), but both teams percentages dwindled in the second, dipping to 17.6 percent for NJCU (3-17) and 3-of-11 for MSU (27.3). 

• Baskets by Bush and MacLelland gave Montclair its largest lead to that point, 32-23. A jumper in the lane by Johnson (6:08) and free throw by Anderson (5:44) whittled the deficit to five (33-28) before Bush's layup with 5:28 to go made it 35-28. Johnson countered with two foul shots (4:23, 35-30). With 3:08 to go, Carter scored her 20th point with a trey from the near corner and Montclair led 38-31. Johnson picked up back-to-back fouls with 2:40 left in the quarter, her third and fourth, and left the game. McKinnon sank two foul shots (40-31). Anderson sank two foul shots (40-33) before MacLelland grabbed an offensive board under the basket and went right back up (42-33). Carter hit a foul shot with 1:26 to go to push MSU's lead into double figures for the first time. A jumper by Anderson (1:15) and after a steal, McCrae beat the third quarter buzzer with a short jumper in the lane to trim the deficit to 43-37.
• Bush and Anderson traded the opening baskets in the fourth (45-39). With 5:47 to go MacLelland scored and was fouled, hitting a three-point play for a 48-39 advantage. Johnson hit a pair of foul shots with 4:40 to go (48-41).
• With 3:50 left, McKinnon hit a shot in the lane (50-41). Johnson drove the baseline to the rim for two on a second change play and NJCU forced a turnover on the next MSU possession. But NJCU failed to score and the Knights were assessed a technical foul. McKinnon went to the line and hit both foul shots to become the 21st member of the Red Hawks 1000-point club while giving the hosts a 52-43 lead. She hit a third to push the margin back to double figures and the Knights couldn't threaten again.

NOTABLES:

• Series: Montclair State leads, 68-3, and is 33-0 at home against NJCU. Montclair has won the last 34 meetings since February 13, 2002, a 71-54 win in Jersey City.
• NJCU falls to 1-2 all-time in the NJAC Tournament and 0-2 in the NJAC semifinals.
• Sarah Edmond reached double figures in rebounding for the 11th time this year. 
• Dayjah Anderson scored in double figures for the 16th time in 24 games. 
• Hannah Johnson scored in double figures for the 14th time in 25 games.

UP NEXT:

• The 2020-21 schedule will be announced in Summer, 2020.

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