Dec 10, 2012
Montclair, NJ – Sophomore forward Melissa Tobie (Elizabeth, NJ, Roselle Catholic) collected 17 points along with game highs of 11 rebounds and nine steals to lead Montclair State University to a 79-42 victory over Stevens on Monday evening at the Panzer Athletic Center.
Tobie, who posted her second double-double outing of the season, was helped by senior forward TTaylor Jeffers (Franklin Township, NJ, Franklin), who had a game-high 20 points, and junior guard Nicosia Henry (Bolingbrook, IL, Bolingbrook), who added 10 points.
Tobie, who posted her second double-double outing of the season, was helped by senior forward TTaylor Jeffers (Franklin Township, NJ, Franklin), who had a game-high 20 points, and junior guard Nicosia Henry (Bolingbrook, IL, Bolingbrook), who added 10 points.
Montclair State, which remains unbeaten at 8-0 overall and 4-0 at home, continues its best start since the 2003-04 season, when the Red Hawks won their first nine games. MSU has now defeated Stevens, which dropped its record to 3-5 this season with its fifth straight loss, in each of the last four seasons and owns a 5-2 record in its all-time series against the Ducks.
MSU, which led from start to finish, used a pair of scoring runs in the first half to take control of the contest. Up 6-4 at the 16:47 mark, the Red Hawks scored the next 13 points during a 16-2 spree to take a comfortable 16-point margin at 22-6 with 11:46 remaining in the opening stanza.
Behind junior forward Ava Benjamin (Queens, N.Y./Mary Louis Academy), who scored 14 of her team-high 16 points in the first half, Stevens briefly cut the deficit to seven at 24-17.with 7:15 left. But that would be as close as the Ducks would get the rest of the way. MSU then outscored Stevens 16-7 to build their advantage back up to 16 at the halftime intermission, 40-24.
Montclair State's defense, which came into the game ranked second in the nation in turnover margin (14.0) and eighth in scoring margin (26.7), was dominant in the second half. MSU forced Stevens into 38 turnovers in the contest, the fourth straight game and fifth this season that the Red Hawks have caused the opposition into 30 or more turnovers. Montclair State, which was averaging 18 steals a game, pilfered 29 in the contest.
MSU never looked back in the second half, scoring 10 of the first 13 points over the opening 4:32 of play in the period to lead by 21 points at 50-29. Jeffers scored 14 of her points in the second half as the commanding margin continued to grow to 37 at the game's end.
Montclair State is back in action on Wednesday when they host New Jersey City University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game at 6 pm.